There aren't too many places like Cambodia
around; it has this crafty way of stealing your heart and then breaking it in
one swift motion and it's a little bit like Marmite; most people love it, not
everybody likes it but it never fails to leave an impression. Now I love
Cambodia but every time I've been here I'm some how got on the way into the
country. Whether it's being put on a VIP bus when a standard one would have
done fine or charged too much for a tuk-tuk to the border the scammers have
gotten me :(
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| Battambang City |
Now if you are coming from Bangkok and heading to Poipet (which is the
usual route) you’ll have a number of options, you can either take;
- The train, at 58 baht it's
the cheapest but slowest, busiest and least frequent option.
- Public bus, which at 200 baht
is a little bit more expensive but it’s fast (4 hours) and as long as you
state you want the border when purchasing your ticket you'll avoid at
least some of the touts trying to scam you out of your hard earned cash.
You’ll also be able to walk the rest of the way to the border rather than
having to take a tuk-tuk. You can read more about getting to Cambodia and
all the visa and entry scams here.
- Taxi, most comfortable way
to go but it’s obviously the most expensive (expect to pay around
1500-3000 baht if you choose to go this way).
- Minibuses, often available
from travel agents in places like Kao San Road. These are a scam in
themselves and I would avoid them at all costs, to see why you shouldn’t
take a scam minibus click here.
Don't listen to anybody offering you help;
they'll stick you on a VIP bus, which isn't really worth the money. They’ll
tell you there are no more buses when there are so you catch a taxi instead.
You’ll be offered a free lift to the bus station but instead you’ll end up at a
taxi stop. Don’t talk to anybody; you don’t need any help catching a taxi or
finding the bus station. Very GRRRRR but it’s unlikely to change when nobody
gives a damn, just smile and see it as Cambodian way of life.
Once you actually get to Siem Reap or
wherever it is you want to go you can let your guard down a little. You’ll be
overcharged from time to time but I found the biggest hassle came from
children. You can't escape them, wherever there is something to see you will
get children trying to sell you things. They’re polite and speak exceptional
English, they'll offer you a seat if it’s available and then they'll tell you
your capital city, who is running the country and even who used to. They also
know how to say "now you buy lady, I know you rich". If hello is
followed by lady/sir run they want something! Don’t feel too bad, maybe if more
people did that whoever is giving jobs to these kids might find a different
career venture. Watch your stuff, they'll crowd around you and don't buy
anything. Once you've brought from one, they'll insist you buy from them all.
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| $12 room in Battambang |
Hotels in Cambodia are exceptional, they're
clean, and you’ll pay a little and get a lot. 3-4$ can get you a fan room with
a bathroom, soap, towels and a TV here. Unless you want to you never need pay
more than $10-$15 for a little luxury in Cambodia. Depending on where you are
and what you eat food can start from as little as 2000 riel, which is about
30p. Small bottles of water start from about 1000 riel and a can of coke 3500
riel-$1. USD is widely accepted here and in 2 months I've only had one person
refuse to accept my $.
The Khmer people are some of the friendliest around, you won't
have to venture far before some kid shouts hello, smiling madly and waving as
they pass. Sadly friendly doesn't always mean genuine and there are the
trademark smiles of Asia but usually because they want something. I’ve had some
real I wanna kill you moments here, last year I caught a bus and the guy who
put my bicycle on the bus wanted a tip for doing so. God, I hate
being asked for tips! I refused and he
simply walked away smiling but when I got off the bus the front wheel was
hanging off... Another time I forgot the most important bag I was carrying on a
bus, Everything was in there, you name it, if it was essential it was in there,
money, my bank cards even my passport so as soon as I noticed I grabbed the
first motodop while my backpack got left on the tuk-tuk I was going to take to
my hotel but the driver said no problem, he could wait. I didn’t want to
leave my bag but I really had no choice so off we sped after the bus. I get my
bag back no problem and luckily everything is still inside it but of course
when I get back the tuk tuk is nowhere to be seen. I’m now tearing my hair out
because the guy has my bag and I had no idea if he would be back! In the end
after 20 minutes and several calls from my motodop friend, the tuk-tuk guy
comes back obviously having rummaged through my bag. Even though there's
nothing of value in there I still need my clothes and shampoo!
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| (Banlung) Ratanakiri. Province |
Most people come here to see Angkor Wat and while it is just as amazing as everybody says (post to come later), Cambodia is so much more than this and the killing fields. Sure, there's a lot of scams to get through but people are just trying to make a living and if you have time it's well worth riding the bamboo train, checking out the dolphins and watching the world go by in the rural provinces.
Average daily cost: $25-$35
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