The above picture is a map of my travel route. I arranged my travel to Siem Reap in Bangkok with my favorite Thai travel Agent Linda Bootassa, lindabkk@asianet.co.th at the Terrace GuestHouse located just off Khao San Road. Linda also arranged my visa, which cost 1,200 Bhat (somewhere around US $40.00) and required one passport photo. From Khoa San Road I traveled to the Cambodian Border by min-bus (about 5 hours). From the Cambodia border it was a 6-hour truck ride over a pretty bumpy road.

In Siem Reap, which lies approximately 7 or 8 kilometers outside of Angkor Watt, I stayed at Popular GuestHouse. The Popular provided clean double and single rooms for 5 and 6 dollars US; there was also a pretty good restaurant on the top floor. Meals were in the $2 ~3 dollar range. It is possible to eat meals from the street stalls. A meal of fried noodles, some fried sweet potato cakes, and a fruit shake ran me about 1 dollar US.

An interesting side note: Most prices in Cambodia are given in US dollars. Dollars, Cambodian Riel, and Thai Bhat are all accepted widely.

The Popular also arranges guides to Angkor Watt. An official English speaking guide will run you $20.00 US a day. However, guides aren’t necessary. For 6 dollars a day (a negotiable price) you get a scooter and driver. My driver Wab was really good. A nice guy who spoke pretty good English and let me drive the scooter.

After 4 nights in Siem Reap, I took the mini-bus to Phnom Penn for US $12 dollars. This was a hellish nightmare ride. The road was in awful shape. They told us that the ride would only take 6 hours. 11 hours later, bruised and bumped, we arrived in Phnom Penn. There is an alternative to this bus ride. There is a speedboat that runs from the Tonle Sap (Great Lake) to Phnom Penn for US $26 dollars. To anyone considering taking this trip I strongly recommend spending the extra 13 dollars and take the boat. It is safe and fast. The entire journey lasts somewhere around 4 hours.

Accommodations in Phnom Penn are plentiful and cheaper than Siem Reap.

From Phnom Penn I took a public bus to Sihanoukville. The road was excellent. It was built by the United States, and the journey takes somewhere around 4~5 hours. Tickets can be purchased at the Capitol GuestHouse, or if you walk towards the Central Market you can buy the ticket yourself from the Express Bus Station and save a dollar or two.

Sihanoukville is a pretty cool little town surrounded by 6 great beaches. Though the sands aren’t bleached white and there are no coconut palms, it is very clean and nice. I only spent 2 days here, but I could have easily spent 3 or 4 more. But be careful with the food here. This is where I picked up dysentery.

From Sihanoukville to the Thai boarder is a boat ride, a speed boat ride, and then a short walk across the boarder. This will cost your around $18 dollars. At the boarder you can charter mini buses to Tratt. From Tratt you can book a public bus to the boarder. Buses run ever hour until 6:00pm, after 6:00 the next bus isn’t until 11:00pm and cost between 160~190 Bhat ($5~7 dollars US)depending on your level of comfort. I spent the night in Tratt and returned to Bangkok the following afternoon. The trip took about 6 hours and went by fast.