Siem Reap, Cambodia

Lesson of the day

Don’t always believe what you are told from Thai/ Cambodian travel advisers. Be strong and challenge agents (not passport control, they won’t care) and be wary of their corrupt cartel of agents, boarder control, restaurants and tuc tuc drivers.

The trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia

It was an early start for me and the team. We got packed, had breakfast and jumped aboard our mini-bus which would take us to our first stop, the boarder town of Aranyaprahet. Our driver was supposed to rock up at 9am, but got in at a leisurely 9.30. He was a pretty grumpy sod as well. Dumping our bags in the back without any care, he made such a haphazard job of it that the bags nearly tumbled onto Elena as we set off!

On the way to the ferry, we picked up three further tourists also heading to Siem Reap. That’s right; they were Scandinavians (Norwegians in fact). The bus was so packed by this point that their bags had to be put down the isles, blocking off all exits to us sitting in the back.

As we approached the ferry, we all witnessed our first motorbike accident. Motorbikes are the common form of travel over here and you always hear stories of horrific crashes. They aren’t big on safety helmets over here, so it was quite remarkable that both involved were conscious as we drove by.

We made the ferry and got a bite to eat from the canteen upstairs. I met an interesting Russian lady and her cheerful 2 year old daughter. I’m starting to get quite into photography on this trip and I noticed we both have the same SLR. We chatted throughout that journey exchanging tips. Hopefully I’ve picked up a few things to improve my photos for the rest of the trip.

Final thoughts on Koh Chang

This is a great island for relaxation and has a vibrant atmosphere day and night. The locals and tourists alike are really friendly and outgoing. There are plenty of attractions to keep you going (even though we only really did a boat trip) and other beaches around the island to explore. The four day stay has been really good for the team as it’s the most time we’ve spend anywhere and gave us a chance just to catch our breath from all the traveling.

We’ve been really fortunate with the weather whilst we’ve been here, with clear skies every day providing beautiful sunsets each evening. In contrast, today was an overcast day with the forecast of rain.

The only thing to be careful of is the higher prices on the island. Food is around 20% more expensive vs the main land and other services (Internet/ laundry) are double in price.

Arrival in Aranyaprahet

Once we hit the mainland, we drove north east until we hit the boarder town of Aranyaprahet. The overall journey time from Koh Chang was about 6 hours. We were told the entire journey to Siem Reap would take 7 hours (but we all knew that was complete rubbish).

We were dropped off at the travel agency, just 500m from the Poi Pet boarder into Cambodia. The Poi Pet crossing is notoriously corrupt, so much so that the lonely planet guides even say so. It should cost $20 to get a tourist visa, but typically it costs $30.

We met with our travel agent who would offer his “assistance” to make the crossing easier. Basically he has some “mates” at the boarder and they can split the profit they scam out of us. The shrewd man ignored our pleas that we are heading to Cambodia on charity duties and charged us $30 + 100 Baht admin fee (a further $3). We did better than the Norwegians though. They didn’t take the agent’s service and he took them to the boarder to go get their visas via boarder control. They (the agent and controllers) ended up taking $43 from them at the boarder!

Putting the corruption rife by boarder control aside, the crossing into Poi Pet is an incredible experience. Aranyaprahet is a really quiet town with a few shops set up for tourists making the crossing. But as you head past the Thai boarder control and under the “Welcome to Cambodia” monument, you hit Poi Pet, a hectic town which is packed with local traders tugging their wooden carts full of goods through the streets. It’s so bizarre that within 500m, the atmosphere can change so much. If that wasn’t enough excitement, it was topped off by Cambodian passport control. I had my visa stamped by a controller receiving a foot massage by a man underneath the counter. The controller next to him has a hair cut on the job!

Drive to Siem Reap

After the crossing, we got a free shuttle service to the local bus depot and the agent transferred us to his Cambodian counterpart who would take us to Siem Reap. We were promised by the Thai side that we would be dropped off at our hostel, but the Cambodian agent completely refused. The reasons for this become apparent later. Again the bus was overcrowded with bags lining the isles making it impossible to move. When we had our only food stop (conveniently a restaurant run by a friend of the agent), Dan well described getting off the bus as a game of “Human Tetris”.

We drove through the countryside and surrounding farms until we hit a rainy Siem Ream at 8.30pm, 11 hours after setting off from Koh Chang. The rain was warm and refreshing, it was actually quite pleasant if it wasn’t for the fact we had all our belongings with us as well. We got on some tuc tucs who conveniently knew we were coming (again informed by their Cambodian agent friend no doubt) to drop us off at out guest house, Jasmine Lodge. We were met by Louise, who would be around until tomorrow to introduce us to the school some of us will be teaching in.

Jasmine Lodge

This is going to be my home for the next month whilst I teach nearby. It is a lovely guesthouse on Highway No. 6 which is run by Mr Kunn. The guesthouse has two buildings on opposite sides of the road. The main building is the reception area with a lovely and tranquil rooftop restaurant and lounge equiped with TV & pool table. There is free internet also.

Our sleeping quarters over the road are quite luxurious given our budget. The rooms are of a large size with a decent en-suite and good air conditioning. I’d initially be staying with Hugo.

We were all quite tired as soon as we arrived and hit bed as soon as our rooms were ready.

Quote of the day

Henry- “I can speak fluent foriegn”- followed by an awful international sign language attempt to order a fruit shake at our food stop in Cambodia.

What we will miss in Thailand

1. 7 Elevens- Our convenience store friend providing us with distilled water for just 5 Baht and those occasional treats.
2. Meat on a stick- Some of us have got addicted to this delicacy, especially Rupert. Time for a detox.
3. Everan Waterfalls- A paradise location to go and admire and swim beside the waterfalls.
4. Pai- This was such a chilled and relaxing place to be. It’s hard to see why you would leave.
5. Koh Chang- A vibrant and fun island to relax and have fun.

Tagged as: Siem Reap

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