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Getting to Siem Reap
The majority of visitors arrive by air from
Phnom Penh and Bangkok,
though there are also flights from several other major cities in
Southeast Asia. See
international/domestic flight
schedule page for detailed international and domestic flight
information and a
list of
airlines that service
Phnom Penh and Cambodia. For international
overland travel from surrounding countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos) see
the
international border
crossing/overland travel page.
Cambodian visas
are available on arrival at both airports and most international
border checkpoints.
The crossing
at Aranyaprathet/Poipet is closest and most convenient to Siem Reap.
The road from
Phnom Penh is very good condition and there are
regular buses,
taxis and vans running between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap as well as a
daily river ferry service.
Siem Reap:
Arrival and Departure
Visas
A Cambodian visa is required for most nationalities.
Visas are available on arrival at
the Siem Reap International Airport, the Phnom Penh
International Airport and most border crossings. See the
visa page for details and fees.
Airport Departure Tax
As of April 1, 2011, the departure tax is included in the price of the
flight ticket.
Siem Reap Airport
The airport sits 7.5km from town, close to the temples, occasionally
affording spectacular views of Angkor Wat during landings and take offs.
Outside the terminal is a ticket booth for registered taxis into town.
Independent taxis and motorcycles wait just outside the airport. The
price is the same for both: motorcycles are $2 and cars are $7 into
town. Most hotels offer free transportation from the airport but you
must notify them in advance of your arrival.
Tourist
Transport Association
Offering taxis from the airport to town (contact just outside the
arrival terminal), on-call taxis and all-day transport to the temples:
($25-$30), vans ($30-$35), and motorcycles ($12-$15).
Tel: +(855)(0)63-963572
+(855)(0)88-9337778
E-mail:
srairporttaxi@gmail.com
Website:
www.siemreapairporttaxi.com
Siem Reap Ferry Dock
The ferry to Siem Reap arrives at Chong Khneas near Phnom Krom, 12km south
of Siem Reap. There is always transportation waiting at the dock.
Mototaxis charge about $1.50-$2 and cars $4-$5 for the 20-30 minute ride
into town.
Phnom Penh to/from Siem Reap
Air
Bangkok Airways offer several daily flights to/from Phnom Penh. See
the
flight schedule page for more
information.
Buses
Bus travel is now the most popular means of overland transport between
Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The road (National Route #6) is paved and smooth and
there are several regularly scheduled daily buses in both directions,
taking only 5 or 6 hours to make the trip. Several bus companies,
guesthouses and travel agencies offer a/c bus transport. Generally
speaking, it is easiest to buy tickets through your guesthouse or travel
agency. Prices and level of service varies from comfortable, basic a/c
buses to deluxe a/c buses with entertainment, snacks and on-board
toilet. Most buses make at least two stops along the way - at Skun and
Kampong Thom for a snack or lunch.
Phnom Penh does not have a
centralized bus station. Buses from different companies depart from
different stations. See the individual bus company for the departure
location.
In Siem Reap the Chong Kov Sou bus station is
located near Phsar Leu (the 'Upper Market') a couple of kilometers west of town center. On
arrival, motodups from the station into town run $1-$2 and tuk-tuks cost
about
$2.50-$3. For passengers departing Siem Reap, most bus companies offer a
free shuttle service from the hotel/guesthouse to the bus station.
The following bus companies offer regularly
scheduled daily service between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh:
Mailinh Group
PP Station: #391, Sihanouk Blvd.
Tel:
+(855)(0)23-221666
SR Office: Wat Bo area.
Tel:
+(855)(0)63-762888
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)
Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem
Reap - 7:00, 14:00
Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom
Penh - 7:00, 14:00
Phnom Penh Sorya
Transport
PP Station: Near the southwest corner
of Phsar Thmey.
Tel: +(855)(0)23-210359
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)
Fare: 18,000R/pax
Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem
Reap -
6:15, 7:00, 9:00,
10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:30, 17:45, 19:30.
Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom
Penh -
5:30, 6:30, 7:00,
7:30, 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30, 20:00.
Capitol Open Tours
PP Station: Corner Streets 111 / 182
Tel: +(855)(0)23-217627
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)
Fare: 20,000R/pax
Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem
Reap - 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:30, 09:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30,
14:30, 17:30.
Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom
Penh - 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:30, 09:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30,
14:30, 17:30.
Website:
www.capitoltourscambodia.com
Mekong
Express
Deluxe a/c buses.
PP Station: #87 Sisowath Quay at the
corner of Street 102.
Tel: +(855)(0)23-427518
SR Office: #14A, Sivatha Blvd.
Tel:
+(855)(0)63-963662.
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)
Fare: US$11/pax
Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem
Reap - 7:30, 8:30, 12:30, 14:25.
Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom
Penh - 7:30, 8:30, 9:45, 12:30.
Sokha Komar Tep
Express Limousine Bus Co., Ltd
Deluxe and luxury a/c buses and vans.
PP Station: #121, Sisowath Quay.
Tel: +(855)(0)23-991414
+(855)(0)17-545151
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)
Tel: +(855)(0)17-545252
Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem
Reap -
7:30, 8:30, 12:30.
Deluxe transport:
7:00,
8:00, 12:00.
Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom
Penh -
7:30, 8:30,12:30.
Deluxe transport:
7:00,
8:00, 12:00.
Website:
www.sokha-komartep.com.kh
.
Local Transport: Taxi
Local shared taxi: ~$10 per person. Departs from southwest corner
of Central Market in Phnom Penh. 5-8 hours
Private taxi: US$50 or more for the
whole car. 4-5 hours. Negotiate the price with a local taxi or arrange a
private taxi through your hotel or travel agent. Generally speaking, the
better the car, the higher the price.
Motorcycling to Siem Reap
The
road to Siem Reap is in good condition, but driving in Cambodia is still
challenging in the extreme, and should be attempted only by experienced
riders. Speeding taxis, wandering cows and oblivious children on the
road are the norm. The trip calls for a dirt or road bike, no smaller
than 250cc. It can be made in an easy day, but two days with a layover
in Kampong Thom is a more relaxed alternative and allows time to visit
the pre-Angkorian ruins of Sambor Prei Kuk as well as explore some of
the other sites and minor ruins along the way.
Leave Phnom Penh via the ‘Japanese Bridge’ and follow 6A north 75km to
the Skun intersection. (Skun is known for its exotic foods - check out
the fried spiders, turtle eggs and more at road side stands.) Bear left
and follow Rte. 6 to Kampong Thom - about 2-3 hours. In Kampong Thom,
the Arunras Hotel (+(855)(0)62-961294), Stung Sen Royal Hotel
(+(855)(0)12-309495) and Mittapheap Hotel are all decent mid-range places.
Arunras Guesthouses and Restaurant next to the hotel is the place to
eat cheaply. From Kampong Thom to Siem Reap the trip takes another 2
hours..
River Ferry
For
most of the year (July - March) daily ferries ply the
Tonle Sap river and lake between
Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The end
of the trip is marked by a hill, Phnom Krom, near the ferry dock at
Chong Khneas 12 km south of Siem Reap. During the dry season when the
water is low, the ferry
stops short of the dock and passengers transfer to smaller boats to
traverse the final few hundred meters.
Ferries depart at 7:30AM daily from the
Phnom Penh Port on Sisowath Quay near
Street 104.
Tickets $25-$35, (251km, 4-6 hours). Tickets can be purchased through
hotels and travel agents. At Siem Reap, the ferry docks at Chong Khneas,
15km south of Siem Reap town. Taxis and motodups await passengers at the
dock. Travel is best during the wet season when the river level is high.
The ferries are ‘local transport’ and are of variable quality and
comfort, often noisy, crowded and over-air conditioned. Though generally
safe, these ferries have experienced breakdowns, groundings and other
difficulties. These ferries in no way meet international safety
standards. Travel is best during the wet season when the river level is
high. During the dry season when the water is low, ferry service is
usually suspended.
Deluxe river transport:
Compagnie Flueviale du Mekong (CFM)
offers high quality, very leisurely paced 3-10 day boat trips between
Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City on a traditionally crafted
wooden riverboat with deluxe facilities.
#313, Sisowath Quay, Suite #SW20, Phnom
Penh, Cambodia
Tel: +(855)(0)23-216070
E-mail:
office@cfmekong.com
Website:
www.cfmekong.com
From Thailand
to Siem Reap
See the
overland international border crossing
page
for details on travel from Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, the
Aranyaprathet/Poipet border crossing and other international border
crossings.
Siem Reap to/from
Battambang
Boat
Siem Reap to
Battambang
Daily ferry departs Siem Reap
for Battambang at 7:30am. $25/person. It's a picturesque, 4 - 6 hour
journey across the Tonle Sap and up the Sangker River in the
wet season,
but can be considerably longer (8-11 hours) in the
dry season due to low water levels. Ask
about current conditions. The boats in no way meet international safety
standards. There is no direct boat between Battambang and Phnom Penh.
Road
Siem Reap to
Battambang (National Routes #6 and #5,
via Sisophon): Road travel is generally the easiest, fastest, most
reliable way to travel between Siem Reap and Battambang. The road goes
around the lake, first west from Siem Reap to Sisophon (National Route
#6), then back southeast from Sisophon to Battambang on National Route
#5. Much of the stretch between Siem Reap and Sisophon is
under construction and in fair condition. The road from Sisophon to
Battambang is paved and in good
condition.
Taxi
A private taxi is $40-$50. 3-5 hours.
Bus
The bus costs
$6/person and takes about 5 hours.
Rith Mony buses depart in
both directions at 8:00AM and 9:00AM.
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Getting Around the Temples and Town
Siem Reap city is almost small enough to get around on foot, but not
quite. The Angkor Archaeological Park is 4 kilometers from town and the
temples inside the park are as much as 3-4 kilometers apart, ordinarily
requiring some sort of transportation to tour the Park. Moto-romauks
(‘tuk-tuks,’) motodups (motorcycle taxis) and car taxis are the most
popular forms of transportation around town and the temples. In-town
it’s always easy to find tuk-tuks and motodups for short trips.
Transportation to and around the temples is usually hired by the day.
Make sure to negotiate the details of the driver’s services carefully -
what time you expect the day to begin and end, availability during lunch
hours, limitations on your itinerary, extra charges for distant temples,
etc.
Motorcycle Taxis and Trailers (Moto-romauks, 'tuk-tuks')
Two-person
motorcycle trailers (moto-romauks) have surpassed motorcycle taxis
(motodups) as the most popular form of transport. Tuk-tuks are covered
offering some protection from sun and rain. In Siem Reap most drivers
speak some English. For short trips around the town, foreigners are
expected to pay 2000-4000R for motodups and about twice that for a
motorcycle trailer. To the temples, transportation is usually rented by
the day. Rates run $6-$9/day for a motodup, and about $10-$15/day for
motorcycle trailers.
Angkor Wat Driver
& Fixer
Vans, cars, tours, tour guides.
Tel: +(855)(0)92-890005
E-mail:
angkorwatdriver_fixer@yahoo.co.uk
Website:
www.angkorguide.asia/phansy
Cars
Cars taxis are usually hired on a daily basis. The average car taxi is a
fairly new Toyota Camry with air-conditioning. Car taxis run around $20-$25 per day
to tour the main temple area and town. There are extra charges if you
want to go to more distant temples such as Banteay Srey, Kbal Spean,
Phnom Kulen, etc. The driver will charge about $10 extra to visit
Banteay Srey.
Angkor Temple Guides
"Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to Siem Reap Angkor Wat, World Heritage Site. I am locally
owned and operated, a Cambodian family business. My family has lived
in Siem Reap for over 9 generations. I have a degree in tourism and
speak fluent English. - San Park"
Angkor temple tours and transportation.
Custom tours. Very reasonable prices. English spoken.
National Route #6,
Siem Reap,
Cambodia
Tel: +(855)(0)12-788354
E-mail:
info@angkor-temple-guides.com
Website:
www.angkor-temple-guides.com
Siem Reap
Taxi Driver
"Siem
Reap Private Day Tours, A professional experienced tour organizer of
12 years led by Mr. Kriss you can simply relax and enjoy your great
Cambodia holiday, benefiting from my enthusiastic local knowledge. I
Provides license local tour guide, excellent tour for Angkor
temples, private Car, Van, 4WD for local transportation Tuk Tuk is
only $15/Day (English Speaking driver) with comfort and a sociable
way to discover Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, especially Private Car or Van
from everywhere in Thailand like Bangkok, Koh Chang, Pattaya,
Ayuttiya, Aranyaprathet, to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh and from Vietnam
like Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh with reasonable prices".
Contact Mr. Kriss
Tel: +(855)(0)12-941715
+(855)(0)97-5555563
E-mail:
siemreapdriver@gmail.com
Website:
www.aangkorwattour.com
Royal
Cambodian Limousine Service
Travel in style. Luxury limousines with chauffer for chauffer
service, business and leisure.
Siem Reap office: #558, Mondol 1,
2nd Floor, Khum Svay Dangkum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: +(855)(0)77-218809
+(855)(0)63-768808
Phnom Penh office: #246, Monivong
Blvd., Sangkat Boeung Raing, Khan Duan Penh, Phnom Penh Cambodia
Tel: +(855)(0)23-218808
+(855)(0)77-218809
Website:
www.royallimousine.com.kh
Tourist
Transport Association
Offering taxis from the airport to town (contact just outside the
arrival terminal), on-call taxis and all-day transport to the temples:
($25-$30), vans ($30-$35), and motorcycles ($12-$15).
Tel: +(855)(0)63-96357
+(855)(0)88-9337778
E-mail:
srairporttaxi@gmail.com
Bicycle Rental
Bicycling is quickly becoming a popular way to visit the temples. The
roads between the main temples are paved and the distances are about
right for a bicycle touring. Bring sun screen, a good hat, water and a
Cambodian scarf to keep the sun off your neck. Many of the guesthouses,
hotels have bicycles for rent. $1.5-$4/day depending on the type and
quality of the bike.
Motorcycle Rental
Tourists are no longer allowed to rent motorcycles or cars, or drive a
vehicle in Siem Reap.
Small Group Tours
Set itinerary, mini bus tours of the temples can be an economical
alternative to hiring your own car and driver. Some travel agencies run
minibuses capable of carrying between 10 and 25 people on set tours of
the temples. The price includes guide and transportation. Book a tour
through
Neak Krorhorm. Also see
the
Travel Agent page.
And other ways of
getting around the temples...
Elephant
Rides
During the day, elephants await customers
near Bayon and at the South Gate of Angkor Thom and they
offer rides between those two points. $10-$15 for a 20-30 minute ride.
In the evenings the elephants move from Bayon and are stationed
at the base of Phnom Bakheng, ready to transport passengers up
the hill for sunset ($15 for the ride up and, if you chose to ride down
instead of walk, $10 for the ride down.)
Helicopter Rides
Helicopters Cambodia
The first
commercial helicopter service to operate in the country, commencing
operations in 1998. Offer a selection of scenic flights to Angkor Wat
and the Angkor area and services far beyond including supporting mining
exploration operations, magnetic surveys, forestry and concession
monitoring, long line lifting and more. Highly trained Australasian
pilots have provide specialist aerial photographic and cinematography
platforms, shuttled business executives from the capital to outfield
locations and fly eco-flights over the wildness areas.
Tel: +(855)(0)12-814500
+(855)(0)63-963316
Website:
www.helicopterscambodia.com
Helistar Helicopters
Offers scenic helicopter tours of the temples beginning at $90/pax for
an 8+ minute jaunt along Angkor Wat. It isn’t particularly cheap way to
tour but the view is spectacular and memorable. Helistar Helicopters
offers specialized tours, aerial photography, charter services. Multiple
aircraft in service. Conveniently located next to the big, yellow
balloon about 1km from Angkor Wat on the road from the airport to Angkor
Wat and at the airport. Office on National Road 6, Borey Angkor Arcade,
diagonally opposite the Total petrol station. Walk-in customer welcome.
Tel: +(855)(0)63-966072
+(855)(0)12-449555
Website:
www.helistarcambodia.com
Balloon
Rides
Take a tethered helium balloon ride 200
meters straight up for an amazing aerial view of Angkor Wat, Phnom
Bakheng, West Baray and the surrounding countryside. Bring a camera
and binoculars if you have them. The big, yellow balloon is based about
1 kilometer west from Angkor Wat on the road from the airport to
Angkor Wat.
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