From Bangkok to Phnom Penh

How can we get from Bangkok to Phnom Penh?

Getting to Cambodia is simple, quick, and easy by flying with any of the low-cost airlines in Asia, but... who would want to do that? I think crossing the border between Thailand and Cambodia is one of the most entertaining experiences I've ever had, and every traveler should enjoy the collective madness that is the Aranyaprateh/Poipet crossing.

Let's take a look at some of the transportation prices. precios de los transportes a la fecha de este post (abril 2017) :

1.- Bus Bangkok – Phnom Penh: 900 baht (about 22 euros)

2.- Bus + minivan in the opposite direction: 18 EUR

And now for the fun part: scams and various incidents

1.- The visa scam

As of today, to enter Cambodia, you can obtain a visa on arrival by paying $50.

When you arrive at the border from Thailand and get off the bus/mini van/tuk tuk, a bunch of aggressive people will approach you and harass you in the most aggressive way possible.

The scam is that they claim they will process your visa instantly (in 20 minutes) in exchange for a commission. They will put a kind of card around your neck to show that you are a VIP and that you will be among the first to cross the border, without having to wait in line... LIE.

As is logical, visas are issued at the border office by the Cambodian police, and that rabble has nothing to do with them. You'll end up queuing like everyone else—albeit with your VIP card tied around your neck—so that everyone can laugh at you... An Irish guy was charged about 500 baht (just over €10 😱) just for filling out his arrival card.

2.- The rushing bus

To travel from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, you also need to be in good shape... Why?

Cross-border buses drop you off on one side of the border and pick you up on the other side while you complete the exit/entry formalities for Cambodia.

Once you get off the bus to go to customs, hurry to cross it.

Seriously, hurry up and don't waste time grabbing a coffee or a snack. I had already heard rumors that the bus leaves behind passengers who are late, and sure enough, the girl (Cambodian) sitting next to me was left behind... they just took her luggage off the bus, dropped it off at customs, and ran off.

So don't trust anyone and leave your luggage on the bus if possible. If it's in the luggage compartment and you can't get it out as you get off, take a photo of the bus license plate and ask the driver for his phone number; some bus drivers also have a card with the company logo and their phone number on it.

3.- Overbooking

Be careful when booking a bus seat through a hotel, agency, etc. Overbooking is common practice, and even if you have a seat reserved, you may find yourself with an unpleasant surprise in the form of someone else sitting there who plays dumb when you try to claim your seat.

Arrive well in advance of the bus departure time, board quickly, and settle into your seat...hanging on is winning.

GETTING AROUND PHNOM PENH

Easy. By tuk tuk. A trip within a normal distance (3-4 km) should not cost more than $2 per person. Before getting in, make sure you have negotiated the price and that everything is clear with the driver.

THE VISIT

Ala, ya hemos vivido la aventura de cruzar desde Bangkok a Phnom Penh y estamos listos para coger nuestro primer tuk tuk y explorar la ciudad. Vamos al lío.

Phnom Pehn no es muy agraciada y para colmo huele mal , pero tiene «chicha» suficiente para quedarse un par de días por aquí…

S-21 Detention Center and The Killing Fields 

What do a doctor, someone with soft hands because they have never worked in the fields, and someone who wears glasses have in common? Well, under Pol Pot's genocidal regime, they were all suspected of being “bourgeois” and enemies of the communist utopia he wanted to recreate after coming to power.

All these “dangerous” people were detained and interrogated about their relationship with the CIA, KGB, or any other imaginary enemy of the revolution.

One of these centers is S-21, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh (admission is $6 with an audio guide, and a tuk-tuk ride there costs no more than $2).

The less fortunate were taken directly to an extermination camp: The Killing Fields. No one was interrogated here. It was simply a slaughterhouse.

Unlike Auschwitz, not much remains standing, but the visit—with audio guide included—will leave you speechless: 300 people murdered every day, mass graves half-dug in the rush, and babies murdered by smashing their heads against this tree, now tattooed with hundreds of bracelets as a tribute to the victims.

The camp is 15 km from Phnom Penh. The price of a tuk tuk is about $15-18 round trip, with the driver waiting, and admission costs another $6.

El Royal Palace

If you are already a regular visitor to Southeast Asia, this palace will not offer you anything new; if it is your first time in these parts, then it will amaze you, of course...

I arrive and pay the standard $10 entrance fee. Well, it's not much. A beautiful throne room that you can't enter—or photograph—a small museum with some royal costumes, and the Silver Pagoda, which houses a rather interesting Buddha statue made of green glass (no photos allowed either...).

Apart from this, there is a succession of these curious palaces in this part of the world.

And a beautiful, enormous mural that stretches across one of the interior courtyards—just seeing it is worth the price of admission, although unfortunately, without a guide, you won't understand what it's about.

Summary: Good, but it's not going to be the memory of your life either...

For more information: http://www.visitcambodia.org/phnompenh/culture/royal_palace

Phnom Penh is a hell of traffic and smoke, but there are a couple of Buddhist temples where you can take refuge in search of tranquility.

The first of these, Wat Ounalom  welcomed me so cheerfully when I visited him.

A crazy guy got into an argument with me and tried to push me away (“Tourist, go away, go away...”). The nearby tuk-tuk drivers mediated the conflict... while trying to sell me a tour. 😓😓😓😓

But anyway, putting that aside, the place is quiet, beautiful, and free.

The second (Wat Phnom  ) is somewhat more touristy and crowded, both with tourists and Cambodians, who constantly come to pray and make offerings, so you have to maintain a minimum level of decorum inside.

It is worth returning from here to the center by taking a walk along the Mekong riverbed at sunset when the heat subsides and, while you're at it, visiting the Night Market  for dinner (just walk from the temple to the river and then head south for about 500 meters, opposite Marina Port)

Well, I hope I've made your journey from Bangkok to Phnom Penh easier and that you enjoyed Cambodia's capital city... If you want to read more about Cambodia: https://999millas.net/category/paises/camboya/

And if this post has been helpful (or not) to you, let me know by leaving a comment!

Texto y fotos : Mike !