Destination Thailand | Siem Reap to Bangkok by bus

Siem Reap to Bangkok by bus is a long and exhausting trip that last about 10 hours.

At least you know from the beginning, but somehow I recommend it. In fact it depends on your criteria, are you traveling on budget, traveling alone, do you want to meet people, do you want to see the very rural outskirts of Cambodia and subsequently Thailand?

If the answer is “YES,” then go for it – if it is “Yeahh maybe” then read the below, you might get convinced – if it is “NO,” then still read the below to know why you do not want to do it.

First of all, it is a cheap trip, 10 dollar for the bus leaving at 8am, but you also have 9am and 11:30am bus, even a night bus leaving from Siem Reap at 2am, the latter two options are slightly more expensive, 20 dollar maximum.

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The trip can be divided in 3 major sections:

Siem Reap to Poipet (Cambodia border town). It takes about three hours to get there, the road is ok and the bus has air conditioning. The bus will make few stops for food, restrooms, etc. Once you arrive at Poipet, the excitement starts…

Poipet (Cambodia border town) to Aranyaprathet (Thailand border town). When you arrived at Poipet and exit the bus, the bus driver will give you a color sticker tag just to recognize you during the transfer, which I am going to explain.

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First thing is to exit Cambodia; the border control counter is outside, meaning the queue is outside (temperature is 30°C+). Exiting Cambodia can be fast if you are part of the first buses that arrived in Poipet, or can be very long if you are part of the last buses to arrive. Once you are done with border control, you will walk for maybe 500m-1km to the Thai border Control and request your entry visa to the country. The border control in Thailand is in a building with air conditioning, and again time will vary depending on when you arrive.

After you get your stamp and exit the building, you’ll have to wait outside (on the Thailand side) for the driver to recognize you with the color sticker tag you receive previously. You may have to wait for a while, it depends on how many people are there, and on how well or not drivers are organized. In fact on the Thai side, you get on board on a new bus or mini van, you will not be in the same bus you came with from Siem Reap. The new bus is likely to be a mini van, taking only 10 to 13 people.

Aranyaprathet to Bangkok. Once you are in the minivan, it is a four to five hour trip to Bangkok. The mini bus will stop time to time for food, restroom, gas, etc. The scenery is ok, nothing fantastic, it is a trip where you want to have a book, or some music, or just be tired and sleep. The bus will drop you at Khao San Road, the famous backpack street in Bangkok.

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Although tiring, I believe it still can be fun, especially if you meet nice people while traveling.

Cambodia and Cambodians

My thoughts on Cambodia and Cambodians…

Cambodia is a great country to visit; I highly recommend it to anyone visiting South East Asia. Despite the poverty, people are nice, friendly, and welcoming. I also think they are genuinely honest – of course you will sometimes bargain, but it is not comparable to other countries in South East Asia.

If you visit Cambodia, try to do it all, cities, villages, beach (I didn’t). Travel using buses, taxi, tuk-tuk, and boats if you can, and while exploring the country, try the Khmer cuisine. If you are an adventurer, and you meet the right tuk-tuk driver, you will even get to try real exotic food such as dog meat and local rice wine (2nd and 3rd picture).

Kampuchea as the locals call their country is an amazing place with plenty to do for all tastes.

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It is a safe bet if you are looking for a trip with adventure, History, architecture, food, or just looking for an inspirational trip.

Destination Cambodia | Siem Reap Last Day

I hope you have enjoyed my first article about Siem Reap and the Angkor temples (Siem Reap previous article). Before visiting the Grand Circuit I went for a walk to see a bit more of Siem Reap, and especially the Old Market where you can buy all sorts of things, from food, fruits, electronics, handicrafts, you name it.

My tuk-tuk driver picked me up for the grand tour. The Grand Circuit is an extension on the little circuit but takes in account others temples such as Preah Khan, Neak Pean to the Eastern Mebon and the various monuments like Ta Som, Preah Rup, before returning to Angkor Wat.

I highly recommended for anyone spending two or more days, the circuit shows the rich variety of architecture of the Angkor region. Below are few pictures of the Grand Circuit temples Continue reading

Destination Cambodia | Siem Reap Day 1

Siem Reap itself is a city with not much appeal, it is known worldwide to be the closest gateway to the Angkor region and its temples. I arrived in town late afternoon and went straight to buy a ticket for the Angkor Park. I took the three days pass; it cost $40.

My first tourist attraction was the sunset at Phnom Bakheng, a Hindu temple located atop a hill. From there you can enjoy a great view of the sunset over the Angkor temples including Angkor Wat.

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Aside the sunset you also have a great 360° view of the Angkor region. The only thing that might alter the enjoyment is the crowd; so if you are the lonely type, you might want to look for another spot, a bit quieter.

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Oh, one last thing, because Phnom Bakheng is a Continue reading