My Journey To Preah Vihear

My plan: Siem Reap to Preah Vihear to Northeast Thailand

16th – Siem Reap to Anlong Veng
Departed Siem Reap on G.S.T. bus at 2pm for USD5 from Siem Reap New Bus Terminal.

Arrived in Anlong Veng at 4pm after a 20-minute open-air toilet-stop halfway during the journey.

Abandoned the idea of taking the 4:30pm Ritho bus to Sra Em which is the town closer to Preah Vihear.

Although Preah Vihear is still about 100km northeast of Anlong Veng, there are more guest houses compared to Sra Em. Furthermore, the border crossing to Thailand is only a 15-minute car ride from Anlong Veng.

Checked-in to a fan room for USD7 in a guest house 400 meters from G.S.T. office.

17th – Preah Vihear & Thailand
Walked 10 meters from G.S.T. office to the market next to the round-about where all the motortaxis, car-taxis, and van-taxis are.

Found a guy who could speak a little English with a Camry asking for USD40 for the return journey to Preah Vihear, including the 3-hour waiting time during my visit of the temple. With further negotiation, one could probably get the price down to USD35.

A shared taxi is USD5 a person. However, the driver will pack up to 7 passengers into a Camry!

The drive from Anlong Veng to the ticket office in Preah Vihear took 1 hour 15 minutes with the last 20 minutes on dirt road.

Note:
A 4-door passenger car taxi from Siem Reap to Preah Vihear and back to Siem Reap costs between USD80 and 120 depending on your negotiation skill.

Heading to Preah Vihear from Siem Reap

There is no bus going directly from Siem Reap to Preah Vihear.

You can get a private taxi to do the trip in a day for USD 80 to 120 to & back for a 4-door passenger car taxi depending on your negotiation skill, or you can pay USD 6 to 8 a person each way for a shared car or van.

However, these shared taxis usually pack up to 7 passengers in a 4-door passenger car or up to 20 passengers in a 10-seat van, excluding the driver! Moreover, the driver will often drive around to look for more passengers before heading off to Preah Vihear.

G.S.T. Bus operates 2 buses daily from Siem Reap to Anlong Veng at USD 5 a person each way for the 2-hour journey. From Anlong Veng, it’s about 100km to the ticketing office of Preah Vihear.

A private 4-door passenger car taxi between Anlong Veng and Preah Vihear ticketing office is USD 35 to 40 for the 2-way journey, including having the driver wait 3 hours during your visit. The cost of a motorcycle taxi for the same journey is USD 10 to 15.

Ritho Bus operates between Anlong Veng and Sra Em which is near Preah Vihear. Ritho Bus is directly across G.S.T. Bus in Anlong Veng.

Free Foreign ATM Cash Withdrawal in Cambodia

Canadia Bank is the only bank in Cambodia which does not charge a withdrawal fee when you withdraw cash with your credit card / debit card / ATM card using their ATM’s.

Canadia Bank

There may be a service charge imposed by your home bank.

Involuntary Conservation

Today, there’s no power supply in Battambang from 7am to 5pm.

Shop without powee

Power supply interruption seems to happen often in Cambodia where the country purchase power from neighboring Thailand and Vietnam.

Universal Language 1 – Cambodia

I believe this sign doesn’t require any translation.

Protection in Cambodia

Many of the roads in Cambodia are not sealed. Even in and around Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, the paved road shoulders are often just dirt.

Bring face masks and sunglasses if you are planning to travel by tuk-tuk or motorcycle.

Local Breakfast 1 – Cambodia

Besides noodle in soup, Cambodians like to have grilled pork rice for breakfast.

A serving of pickled vegetables is normally served with this dish, along with a bowl of soup.

Sunsets in Kep

At the Crab Market.

At the sailing club.

White Elephant Cave – Kep

The White Elephant Cave is one of the few tourist destinations in Kep.

One or more local teenagers guide you through the cave and the temple on top of a hill. The whole guided tour takes 30 minutes to an hour depending on your pace.

These teenagers were happy with 2,000 Riel or half a US Dollar. However, their recent popularity and rave online reviews by tourists, coupled with the generous tips from these tourists pushed the asking price up to USD2 for each visitor.

In addition to the fees or tips to your teenage guide, you’ll be asked to make a donation to the monks at each of the small altars along the tour. The asking price of each donation is USD1 for each visitor.

Koh Tonsay – Rabbit Island in Kep

Kep is a small and laid-back beach town compared to Sihanoukville. There isn’t any nightlife or shopping to speak of. Many come to Kep for the fresh crabs, peppers, and beach.

The boat ride from Kep pier to Rabbit Island costs USD25 a boat for drop-off & pickup and takes 20 minutes.

Many guest houses and resorts sell the boat package for USD8 a person which includes the tuk-tuk between your resort and the pier.

There are restaurants and guest houses lining the beach.