Phnom Penh Layover
BookwormTraveler
11/30/2012 10:47:00 AM
0 Comments
Phnom Penh (PP) was initially out of the plan. But we learned that traveling from Siem Reap all the way to Saigon will take a staggering 12 hours. We came to a conclusion to stop over in Cambodia's capital city and spent a night there. Travel time from Siem Reap to Phnom Pehn takes about 6 hours, so we'll be halfway to Vietnam by then.
We woke up early to catch the first bus to PP which departs 7:00 AM. We chose the 168 Sorya Transport bus as recommended by most travelers. Fare to PP was KHR 16,000 (Cambodian Riels) or USD 4. Since it was too early and we haven't got the chance to eat breakfast, Beau bought something to eat while we were waiting for the bus to get full.
![]() |
banh mi |
He found this baguette sandwich with tofu, veggies and a special dressing. It turned out to be delectable. Apparently, Indochina countries have this kind of sandwich. We also found one in Vietnam and they say they also have these in Laos. French influence, so to speak.
![]() |
exotic snack, anyone? :) |
We stopped over once in between SR and PP. We saw street vendors selling these spicy crispy fried insects. I thought about trying one but I just couldn't make my mind to do it. I think we stood there for a good 10 minutes only to back out in the end. But I swear, I really want to try it! Maybe next time. I still have to muster enough courage to do that. :)
We arrived in Phnom Penh at around 1:00 PM. When we got off the bus, we already purchased a ticket to Ho Chi Minh City for the following day. We want to make sure we'll have seats on the earliest bus going to Vietnam.
We took a tuktuk going to the guesthouse which is just nearby and easy to find. We checked-in at the Royal Guesthouse and Cafe Bar (USD 13 per night)- which I am not writing a recommendation entry because it was a mistake! So friends, do not stay there at all cost. Why? The rooms were worn down and not very clean. Another thing is you can't control the A/C. They won't give you the remote control and you have to ask them to turn it on for you every time. It was installed near the ceiling so there'e no way you can reach it manually! Good thing we were just spending a night there. Geez! We only had a short time in PP so we did not look for another place anymore.
With our limited time in Phnom Pehn, we just wanted to look around a bit and visit a few important tourist spots.We just rented a motorbike (for USD 7) from the guesthouse and decided to go on our own instead of getting ripped off by tuktuk drivers. We couldn't maximize their service anymore if ever we're getting one because it's already 2:00 PM. So we just asked for a map and a few instructions from the receptionist, then went off on our motorbike.