Cambodia Mid november for 2 weeks.

Hi there,

2 Of us are coming to cambodia on the 17th nov for just over 2 weeks, we have a rough itenary however would appreciate some input. I`ve read it takes a while to get from one place to another? Please see below and see what you think.

Thanks Richard

Sunday 17th November - Phnom Phen arrive morning
Monday 18th November - Phnom Phen
Tuesday 19th November - Phnom Phen
Wednesday 20th November - kompong chhnang
Thursday 21st November - Battambang
Friday 22nd November - Battambang
Saturday 23rd November - Siem Reap
Sunday 24th November - Siem reap
Monday 25th November - Siem reap
Tuesday 26th November - Siem reap
Wednesday 27th November - Sihanoukville
Thursday 28th November - Sihanoukville
Friday 29th November - Kampot
Saturday 30th November - Kep
Sunday 1st December Phnom Phen
Monday 2nd December - return to UK

Instead of Kompong chhnang why not stop off at Pursat and head out to one of the floating villages near there?

I would spend one day more in Siem Reap and 1 less in Phnom Penh.

Everything looks good except, I would skip Kampong Chhnang (i.e. nowheresville) and tack a extra day onto Kampot/Kep.

How do you plan on getting from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville in one day? A long day on the buses?

Hi Guys

Thanks for the input so far.

Was hoping to get a flight from siem reap to phnom penh then get the bus from phnom penh to Sihanoukville, what do you think?

We will probably be quite jet lagged and were wanting to adjust in Phnom penh before getting stuck into angkor wat.

If we are going to battambang will we not be able to see flotaing villages there?

Does anyone have any lists for how long it takes to get from one place to another in cambodia?

Help appreciated

Richard

Probably should spend at least an extra day or two in Sihanoukville and give Kampot/Kep a miss, as it seems all you'll be doing is sitting on buses. Not a good way to spend a vacation, very tiring and boring.

As usual terrible advice from Grooger, but I imagine he wants to be sure you visit his bar or whatever it is he's got going down there. Do not remove Kampot/Kep from your schedule.

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<hr>How do you plan on getting from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville in one day? A long day on the buses?<hr></blockquote> Well you know he's not flying.......

agree with Gorhsar; definitely don't drop Kep or Kapot; I'd choose them every time over Sihanoukville

kep and kapot,for sure,the situation regarding the tuk tuk drivers,in sihanoukville,see previous post,may have improved by the time you get there,if it has let us know,also if you see a big sign up in a bar down there,saying something about helping the locals,to help themselves ,stop in and have a drink,cause that guy has made tuk tuk travel a bit safer for everyone,,have a great trip

Also agree with Gorshar, dancingroads and whattywhatty. Don't miss Kampot/Kep. googer shows amazing consistency in giving bad advice. I think Gorshar is right about him. He seems to have some investment in directing people to Sihanoukville and away from other places.

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<hr>Was hoping to get a flight from siem reap to phnom penh then get the bus from phnom penh to Sihanoukville, what do you think?<hr></blockquote>
It will be a long day, but it's certainly possible. Take a morning flight from SR to PP. Head straight to the bus station. Hop on a Sihanoukville bound bus. It's 4 hours from PP to SHV. Last bus to SHV leaves at 2:30.

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<hr>Does anyone have any lists for how long it takes to get from one place to another in cambodia?<hr></blockquote>
PP-SR: Plane - less than an hour, Bus - 5 hours, River ferry - 5-6 hours
SR-BTB: Taxi - 5 hours, Ferry - 4-10 hours
PP-SHV: Bus - 4 hours, Taxi - 3-4 hours
PP-Kampot: Bus - 3-4 hours, Taxi - 3 hours
SHV-Kampot: Taxi - 1 1/2-2 hours
Kampot-Kep: Taxi/Tuk-Tuk/Motodup - 30-45 minutes

Just to correct foolsprogress

SR - BB Taxi 2.5-3 hours - Bus 5-6 hours - boat 7-8 hours

BB-PP taxi 4.5 hours - bus 6 hours

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<hr>SR - BB Taxi 2.5-3 hours - Bus 5-6 hours - boat 7-8 hours<hr></blockquote>
Yeah, I think your right about the taxi. Last time I did it it took about 2.5 hours SR-Sisophon and then another hour and a half to BTT, but I think it could have been faster. Re the boat... I once did it in less than 4 hours and I have known it to take up to 12 hours on a bad day, so I will stick with my boat estimate.

Just reviewing my notes here...I made the boat trip in just under 5 hours, not 4 hours.

I've never taken the boat but i have guests arriving on it daily so I am generally aware of the time it takes. I think the days of a 5 hour boat ride are long gone.

This is Cambodia and anything can change anytime, just giving an up-to-date.

My one boat trip in 2000 was three and a half hours. These days our customers are usually coming in between 6 and 8 hours, we've had them come in as late as 14 hours and waist deep in mud.

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<hr>...just giving an up-to-date.<hr></blockquote>
Understood. I did the taxi about 6 weeks ago but I haven't been on that boat in years. In fact, the last time I went to take it, I bought my ticket, went down to meet the boat in the morning (in BTB), and, that day, it was small, way overloaded and sitting very low in the water, people were all cramped together and they were in the process of loading two more motos onto the top and trying to eke out a space for me. I looked at it for a while, thought about it for a while longer, it did not look safe to me and in the end just walked away and took the taxi later that day. And I still got to SR before the boat.

Hi again guys,

I think we may have under estimated the time it takes to get from place to place. Taking into consideration travel times would you say miss out Kompong Chhnang and head straight for Battambang and stay 2 nights there or would one night be Enough (taking into consideration travelling).
Also looking @ it we would have an extra day for maybe kep or kampot or SHV, again takeing travel time into it what would you reccommend, maybe 2 nights in kep as we would want to do some scuba diving?
When we goto SHV we will be visiting Ream national Park is this park rated?

Thanks again

Richard

yeah I'd agree to drop Kompong Chhnang so that you have a full day to explore Battambang.

I went to ream years back; the rangers can organise quite a nice boat trip through the estuary followed by a short hike to a beach; but in my opinion Bokor wins hands down every time if it was a choice between the two

p.s no scuba diving in Kep, it's simply a very laidback quiet town (read village). The beach in Kep itself isn't great but you can ride around by bicycle and take a look at the old French villas of Kep-sur-la-mer, or take a boat to Rabbit Island ($15 per boat, 15mins each way) for a day of swimming in bath-warm waters and lazing on a beach eating. DEFINITELY try the prawns stirfried wth green peppercorns in Kep; it's the local speciality and is absolutely fantastic, I order it every day i'm there! (Thmor Da restaurant is good)

Hi DancingRoads,

What does Bokor have that Ream does not have? i will have read up on bokor, I thought there was Scuba diving via a boat trip from kep, if not where is the best place to do a bit of scuba diving in the south?

thanks Richard

the scuba diving in Cambodia isn't great, but there are a couple of outfits in Sihanoukville. Kep has a bit of snorkelling but unfortunatrly most of the coral is dying or destroyed by fishing.

Bokor is a different kettle of fish to Ream; it's a helluva journey up to the top (picture a river bed as a road ;-) ) but the 'road' twists and turns through lush thick jungle to the top of the mountain for gorgeous views over the coast and surrounding area (if you're lucky with the fog). Bokor used to be a French hillstation and is covered with shells of the abandoned buildings, in particular the king's villa and the old hotel-casino which looks like something out of the Shining when the mist comes in... it's definitely an interesting peek at Cambodia's past glory years. The rangers can also arrange hikes and there is a newly built station for staying overnight.

If you want to put your extra time into scuba diving, do it out of Sihanoukville. Contact one of the dive operators there. I would recommend Scuba Nation. There is some very average diving around the nearby islands. The best diving is at least 6 hours out near Koh Tang and Koh Prins and normally requires an overnight on the island.

Thanks for the info guys.

I think we may stick to a bit of snorkelling then keep it simple.

Thanks for all your help.

Cheers Richard

Yes I guess Kampot and Kep is a good option if you like being bored out of your skin and have very few options for food and accommodation.

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<hr>Yes I guess Kampot and Kep is a good option if you like being bored out of your skin<hr></blockquote> Well mate the rest of us got the impression the OP would actually like to see Cambodia opposed to perhaps chasing tarts around your bar. <blockquote>Quote
<hr>and have very few options for food and accommodation. <hr></blockquote> So you haven't made it over to Kampot yet, huh?

unless you're an archeologist siam reap is only a 2 nite one day affair..i loved the wats...but one day is enough if you get a decent tuk tuk driver...

...phnom penh might be 2 days....unless you are a sexpat &/or all nite party person

...snooky at least has a nice view from the beach & warm water to climb into & out of after a massage

..i liked kampot...nice bike ride over & back...2 days...good eats at kep...nice places to stay on the ocean between the 2...good adventure trip chats at one of the restaurant/bars in kampot

...remember that november can be all day rain affairs

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<hr>unless you're an archeologist siam reap is only a 2 nite one day affair..i loved the wats...but one day is enough if you get a decent tuk tuk driver...<hr></blockquote> You can't make sweeping generalizations as to what is long enough. We've had customers find 4 hours to be entirely too long and others who would have stayed four weeks if they had the time. For the majority temple fatigue hits on the third day, but that's a majority, not an absolute. And there are other things to do, such as lake trips. If the OP finds they've given themselves too much time they can bail out a day early and spend it at the beach or something, but they'd do better to allow for too much time then not enough.

November for Siem Reap and Phnom Penh is generally dry.

this forum is nothing but generalizations...& you are nothing but a tout...no objectivity at all

...

Hi Guys,

Going back to the national parks I have freed an extra day so spending 3 days in SHV & 2 days in Kampot, would it be worth doing National Parks in Ream & Bokor a full day for each?
Or are they pretty much the same? All i was thinking if i`ve got the time might as well make use of it.

Thanks Richard

#28 - Yeah, whatever, man. You found one day sufficient, yippee for you. Not everyone agrees. And neither you nor me know a thing about the OP or how long he/she will want to spend at Angkor. Better they keep their plan flexible, that's all.

true gorshar...it is my opinion...& most of those i met that one day at the wats...they were great but you unless you are really into that sort of thing they aren't worth more than a day

...even so in my opinion they should have made the new 7th wonder of the world list...well ahead of the taj mahal...but then it was a numbers game & india certainly has the numbers...shit how did they leave off the only original 7 wonders still standing...the taj is worth no more than a 2 hour visit...

..as long as i'm on the subject & nursing a torn calve let me pontificate more...how did chizen itza make it...again a numbers game...mexico has more clout than guatemala with tikal

...now the petra with jordan's small population...sometimes i think there must be a god

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<hr>unless you're an archeologist siam reap is only a 2 nite one day affair..i loved the wats...but one day is enough if you get a decent tuk tuk driver...<hr></blockquote>
I am not an archaeologist and I didn't find three days anywhere near enough on my first visit to Angkor. But then again, I am not so self-centered as to think that everybody would have the same level of interest as me. germunom, you are talking about yourself, not Siem Reap or Angkor. Gorshar's experience with hundreds (if not thousands) of tourists visiting Angkor lends his comments a level of objectivity that yours are wholly lacking.

For what is worth... I could not agree more with GorShar. OP, keep your plan flexible, especially with your time spent in Siem Reap. There is so much to see in the area, that the last thing you want is to miss out something special. There's plenty of tourists who go back home regretting they did not plan more time in Siem Ream, and you don't want to be one of them. Again, it's not only about the ruins.

I was in SR for 9 days and every day I saw a different place, all of which totally worth the trip. Angkor is best seen at a leisurely pace, giving yourself enough time to assimilate the details and not confuse one temple with another. But there is not JUST Angkor. You can visit the floating villages (Kompong Phhluk is my favourite). You can climb Phnom Bok, Phnom Khrom, even go to the top of Phnom Kulen. Kbal Spean is also very interesting, 2. Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre should not be missed, and the outlying temples of Beng Mealea and Ko Ker are fascinating as well, with their touch of mystery and roughness.. You can visit the countryside on top of a motorbike (with a driver) and get lazy in the rural village of Rulous (getting the chance of visiting the Rulous Group, which is very interesting, especially if seen before Angkor). Get up early and beat the crowds. Rest on a hammock sipping some coconut juice in the middle of the day when everybody is crazily running around the sites. Go back out again when the air is less hot and the light beautifully touches the temples. In Angkor, the Bayon, Ta Phrom and Angkor Wat should be visited on different days, so that you can enjoy their beauty and still have some time to assimilate their details. You can visit Angkor Thom in one day and see the sunset from Phnom Bakeng. You can visit the area east of Angkor Thom in the following day. And you can end with a morning in the Eastern Baray area (plus Preah Khan) and spend the afternoon in Angkor Wat (or the opposite).
Whatever you decide, Siem Reap area is not a place to rush. Spend some time there, and you won't regret it.

Hope you like buses