Travelogue Cambodia
In may 2004 we visited Cambodia for two weeks. We took the train from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet (very cheap and a nice ride) and from there we took an pickup to the border town of Poipet.There we got the visas without any problems and crossed the border quite quickly. We found a pickup and after a bit of bargaining we drove in only two hours to the town of Battambang. We liked the city and the relaxed atmosphere, there are a few old colonial buildings, a nice promenade at the riverside and an useful local market. Unfortunately the river had not enough water and so the boot service to Siem Reap was not in service. Actually they offered us the boot tour, but the first part (the nice one) is by car and not by boot. We took another series of pickups to reach Siem Reap and this way of transport is much cheaper (4 instead of 15 US-Dollars), because foreigners have to pay higher prices for almost all river transport.
Siem Reap is the nearest town to the old temple complex of Angkor Wat. We bought a 3-day ticket for 40 US-Dollar, because we thought, that one day is not enought time and the prize for two days is also 40 US-Dollar. We went to the temples for 3 days and it was fantastic! The simplest way is to rent a motorbike with driver (self-driving is not allowed) or a "Remorque Moto" a motorbike with trailer for two persons. The remorque is very comfortable and when you arrange the trip with one of the many drivers in the streets of Siem Reap rather than with your hotel, then the fare is very reasonable (less than 10 US-Dollar for the whole day after some bargaining).
Also worth a visit was Kratie where you can see freshwater dolphins! Spring seems to be the best time, because then the Mekong has little water and so the dolphins gather here at a place called "Kampi". Expect to pay 1 US-Dollar for the 14 km on a motorbike taxi. At Kampi there are official tourist boats with cheap fixed fares (depending on the season). We saw many dolphins and they came very close it was really a great experience!
The capital Phnom Penh was a nice place for us to spend a couple of days. There is a nice promenade with lots of restaurants and many midrange hotels. We stayed at the traveler heaven "Boeung Kak" Lake. Our first room was nice, but it simply got too hot (like most of the simple rooms here) and so we moved to a less scenic room in a concrete building - that is recommended if you don't want to spend money for aircon!
If you have any questions, feel free to send us an email: SusiAndMario@away4fun.de!