Cambodia travel adventures 2008
When the first of the Asian adventure travelers first discovered the Kingdom of Cambodia, using the term roads was simply a facile way of saying improved tracks from an endless quagmire in the rainy season, and a track that crushes the sump of oil for the rest of the year.
Voted the world’s worst road 10 years in a row, the road between Bangkok and the temples of Angkor Wat today carries large 48-seat buses in fair condition for most of the way, but then back tears, pitches, wobbles and the emptying of the stomach for many begins and continues for 100 kilometers to the border with Thailand, where you will find and really appreciate the standard roads of the west for the rest of the trip.
Going to the provinces of Cambodia is now possible with many options including shared taxis and minibuses. The main routes between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville can now find buses that would be first class in Thailand, with the definition of first class with air conditioning and a small toilet. Some of the legacy providers will storm you with Khmer karaoke classics at painful volume; Mekong Express is the exception that shows previews of the temples, and on the other routes you’ll be able to keep up with all the adventures of Mr. Been, who like chocolates, makes everyone smile no matter where on the blue marble. comes from.
Dining can be a real culinary adventure on most routes, expect to drink and dine with flea-ridden mongrel dogs, nursing cats and insects that buzz in the night, sometimes begging for your food, other times appearing on your plate! Fare using the term in its lost meaning, is mostly overlooked by all but the most hardy travelers, unless of course you’re into things like chicken embryo and 1000 year old eggs. You should do your shopping before going to the bus stations as the options are very limited if you want western snacks. Sometimes they will have fresh fruit for sale, with pineapple and bananas being the most frequently found. The soft drinks they offer are Coca-Cola and beer and all sorts of Asian drinks you probably aren’t familiar with like green jelly or soy milk soda. The coffee and tea they have usually tastes horrible, which is unfortunately an understatement.
Fares are very comparable to distances in Thailand or Vietnam for cheap buses. You can go from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville for $6, from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap for less than $10, and to Bangkok or Saigon for around $20 or so from most of Cambodia.