Cambodia thread 3

[ayionick]

^ilang hours ba from thailand to cambodia? i guess bangkok sila manggagaling? kung aalis sila ng gabi sa thailand airport then diretso byahe kaya pa siguro but if it's the other way malamang 1 temple lang ang mapupuntahan nila unless sa front lang sila at di na iikot saka lang sila makakarami ng temples.

[mariaaan]

Hi!

Pahelp naman with our itinerary.

Feb 22 06:25 Manila-Bangkok
Mar 2 01:00 Ho Chi Minh-Manila

Manila-Bangkok-Siam Reap-Phnom-Penh-Ho Chi Minh-Manila

Here's what I have been working on:

Feb 22 Bangkok
           leave luggage at hotel if early check-in not allowed
           early lunch (rest if possible)
           Grand Palace + [textspeak!] Po
           Night Life/Market
Feb 23 Shopping
Feb 24 leave at 9am bus to Siem Reap (8 to 9hrs)
          late check-in hotel
          May Night Market/Life ba in SR?
Feb 25 Angkor Tour
          free time after tour
Feb 26 shopping
          free time
Feb 27 leave PP to HCM 8am
          arrive at 1 pm
          check-in hotel
          city tour (suggestions what to see around?)
          Night Market/Life if meron
Feb 28 other tour that we can do (suggestions please)
          Night Market/Life
Mar 1 free time
         shopping
         leave for airport at night (1am flight next day)

Is this possible? I really do hope so!

[a.k.a. HELGA]

^ sis, question on your feb 26 - 27 iti. Napansin ko kasi leave PP to HCMC 8AM, but when are you travelling SR - PP?

Also, I'm not sure if you can really arrive at 1PM in HCMC from PP, siguro at most mga 4-5PM, aside from traffic medyo matagal din kakainin oras sa immigration sa border, based on my experience lang. Maybe you can do the city tour the following day at saka nakakapagod yan, baka ala na enery for walking around the city. 

[prepster]

i'll be going to siem reap and bangkok with my friends next week, 4 adults in total. pa check naman ng itinerary namin. may mga tanong lang ako at kung may suggestions kayo it will be appreciated.

feb 11 - evening arrival at sr from mla via 5J
          *check in at bou savy and have dinner somewhere

feb 12 - breakfast at guesthouse, check out
          - take the 8am nattakan bus to bangkok, arrive afternoon/early evening
          - dinner, check in hostel (or vice versa), night out or night market

feb 13 - half day sight seeing (w@t pho, arun, emerald and palace)
          - half day shopping (pratunam area)
          - siam niramit (tentative)

feb 14 - check out of hostel
          - take 9am direct bus to sr, arrive late afternoon (get angkor pass if time still permits)
          - check in at hostel, dinner, night out

feb 15 - little circuit tour
          - flight back to mla in the evening.

eto po mga questions ko:
1. sinabi sa akin ng bou savy na since one night lang kami mag stay dun on feb 11, we have to pay for the airport transfer, $5 for tuktuk, $10 for a car. magkakasya kaya kaming apat plus carry on luggage sa isang tuktuk?

2. sa feb 12 morning before we get picked up for the bangkok bus, kaya bang mag angkor [textspeak!] sunrise muna kami?

3. makakabili na kaya kami ng direct return bus ticket from bkk - sr sa cambodia or can we only buy it in thailand?

4. 12:00nn on feb 15 ang check out sa guesthouse, but most likely nasa little circuit tour pa kami nun. the flight home is gabi pa. makakapag iwan ba kami ng gamit sa guesthouse? or do you think na mas ok na lang na i-reserve ko na rin yung room namin ng feb 15 para makapag pahinga at freshen up/ligo pa kami before going to the airport?

thanks in advance.

[entwife]

^yup kasya sa isang tuktuk. 4 rin kami nun, with luggages. Dapat 2 tuktuk sundo namin pero isa lang sinend ng bou savy. Okay naman. Open air service. The air is clean so no problem.

Nabook niyo na ba yung bus sis? what we did kasi is nagtaxi kami to aran border, left around 5.30 am sa SR tapos nakuha namin yung 8am bus sa border to bkk. Dumating kami dun around 2pm. Plan din namin magbus nun kaso since ilang days lang yung trip namin we decided to maximize the stay. I read other blogs kasi na it took them 12 hrs sa direct bus from SR-BKk. 40usd yung taxi/car to border then around 200 ata yung bus.

Nung pabalik ganun rin. Nag bus kami from north bus terminal to border then taxi.

I think kaya pa magsunrise tour pero I dont really recommend kasi kung sakaling nahuli kayo pano na yung bus? Medyo tight yung schedule. Unless pag balik niyo ng bou savy is ready to depart na kayo. Pero di ko alam pano yung entrance fee ng Angkor [textspeak!] for that.


If sa bou savy kayo magstay, you are allowed to stay sa restaurant nila while waiting for the time. May CR/ Shower room rin kayo na pwede gamitin. Natapos tour namin nun ng mga 2pm ata then tambay lang sa restau until hapon.

[prepster]

^ thanks entwife.

iniisip ko nga din yung travel time sa direct bus pero dahil first time namin to mag land border crossing and sa mga nababasa din na scams we just opted to take it. next time na lang kami mag diy. saka factor din kasi yung comfort.

[entwife]

comfortable naman yung buses. May cr on board. Magbaon na lang kayo ng food kasi yung border to bkk namin once lang nag stopover.

tapos bring loose USD pala. kasi wala sila masyadong panukli sa Cambodia pag early in the morning.

[Tickeled-Pink]

I was recently in Siem Reap (Thursday-Sunday) of last week.
For those who will be doing the mini and grand circuit tours and want to avoid the massive organized tourist crowds, please study your itinerary very well and work with your tuk-tuk driver to go to spots where you are either way ahead or behind the traditional routes - it really helped us out, we didn't feel overwhelmed or templed out.
Sobrang enjoy lang yung trip namen.

We stayed at Siem Reap Rooms Guesthouse, malapit sa Pub Street and Old/Night Market; you can find reviews of it sa tripadvisor.

If you want to go shopping, OK pa rin talaga sa Old Market especially if you want to buy some spices. They're selling some of the small packs for 3 for $2.
Kung bibile kayo ng magnets, dun na lang sa mga bata na nagtitinda sa mga temple, if kukulitin mo sila, they will give it to you at 4 for $1 - compared sa Old Market na one magnet is $1. Maganda rin bumile ng art sa Siem Reap, the artists there are so good and sell most of their painting at cheap rates. I got two portrait paintings of Elephants by the Angkor Thom gates for $12 each, oil on canvas. Sulit na yun.

Sa food, sympre try Blue Pumpkin for ice cream. Try their Amok, i really loved the version with coconut na sabaw! If you're feeling adventurous you can try the many meat at Cambodian BBQ - pero i found their pork and beef very though, hirap kainin.

Weather in Siem Reap was great, malameg sa gabe. Pero mainit parin sa tanghali, basta arranfe nyo lang mabute yung tours nyo para mag tanghali nandun kayo sa mga temples na marameng lilim, like AngkorWat or Preah Khan.

Take your time n exploring the temples, wag kayo mag madale to move on to the next one, rest for a bit, sit around and look at the carvings. Dont just take snap after snap of pictures, marame photo opportunities sa lahat ng temples so plan your shots rin.

[high_def]

Guys suggestion lang. If you want to travel from bkk to siem reap, you can try the direct government buses. You must reserve in advance 'though as mabilis maubos tickets.

[matetreyes]

we're here in Siem Reap since Sunday night. grabe ang init. it was 37C this afternoon. tagaktak kung tagaktak.

went to 3 temples lang yesterday -- Angkor [textspeak!], Ta Phrom and Banteay Kdei. Sayang maganda pala yung sunrise din sa harap ng Banteay Kdei, yung parang water reservoir nila (royal bath ang tawag nila dito) but we just saw the photos lang sa net kanina. =(

was at the old and night markets kanina. got aladdin pants for 4usd, short kaftan for 3 usd, shirt for 2usd. Ref magnets at Angkor [textspeak!] was 1USD, pero sa Banteay Kdei 2 for 1usd lang. Sa old market 8 pcs for 5usd.

we ate at mutita sa angkor night market, nice local cuisine. paid 23usd for 4 pax. masarap sya in fairness

[bunso]

Mga sis, magkno budget sa food per meal? Yung average lang. hehe Saka nililibre ba yung tour guide at driver sa lunch? And magkano pala binibigay nyo tip sa driver at tourguide? TIA :-)

[onefineapril]

^ I would like to ask the same question

Also, kung halimbawang ma-miss namin ang sunrise sa Angkor W A T , maganda din ba sya during sunset?

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ plano sana namin ilibre ng food ang driver and guide, we asked to be brought to a nice resto (Mie Cafe) pero tumanggi sila. Sabi nila me dala daw sila food, so binalikan na lang nila kami sa resto. For tip, yung driver, two days namin syang driver, I think we gave him $10 or $15 yata. Yung guide, magkaiba guide namin sa two days, parang $10/day yata binigay namin na tip. Mababait din kasi driver and guides namin.

[matetreyes]

^^magkaiba yung spot for sunrise and sunset sis. yung sunrise dun kayo sa part ng angkor  na may moat sa harap. yung sunset naman aakyat kayo ng hills sa may Phnom Bakheng to have a view of Angkor  bathing in the vivid colors of the sun =)

[gorgeousmama]

Maganda ang sunrise it was exciting
For me coz we went there madilim pa
And as soon as the rays of sun touches
The angkor [textspeak!] grabee it was really breathtaking
It was awesome, para ngang di ako mkapaniwala
Na i've seen it upclose & personal me ganun feeling

[onefineapril]

thanks sa mga tips, sisses!

At least ngayon I have an "acceptable" reason to drag my friends sooo early in the morning  else,
iiwan ko sila hahaha!!!

[cherry]

You dont have to shoulder the lunch expense nung tour guide and driver nyo.  Usually they have baon or libre nung pinagdalhan sa inyo na resto.  Even if you tell them na treat nyo sila, they will refuse. 

Tip naman nasa $10, ok na. 

Yung tuktuk driver pala namin, may baon pang cold water sa jug nya na nakalagay sa ilalim ng seats namin so everytime matapos kami ng isang site, binibigyan nya kami ng cold water at wet towel

[onefineapril]

Sisses, may nakapag try sa inyong mag tour around Siem Reap without an authorized tour guide?  My friend kasi plans to hire a tuktuk driver lang, ako naman mas gusto kong may tour guide para ma-explain din sa amin ang history ng mga pupuntahan namin.

Kaya na ba tuktuk driver lang ang tour?  Ma-a-appeciate na kaya namin ang tour without a guide?

[entwife]

We didn't have a tour guide then. Actually most tourists don't get a tour guide,.. Okay lang naan. Pero if you really want to learn about the place or the temples I suggest you get one. Kahit yung sa major temples lang like angkor [textspeak!] ang bayon temple.

[onefineapril]

^thanks, sis!