Hi,
I will be in HCMC for a couple of weeks from Mid Oct. Does anyone know the best way to get from HCMC to Siem Reap?
Also any advice on whether to see Sihakouville or KEP. Time only permits one of them.
Mike
Mike,
There is now a from HCMC to SR, $24. Sihanoukville is much more popular and has better beaches than Kep. Kep is kind of the forgotten corner of Cam. Not much nightlife either. Depends on what you want to do.
Good luck with your planning.
Thanks for the info. Any ideas for accomodation down
in Sihakouville?
Mike
Sorry Mike I'll jump in here. Both my trips to Sihanoukville (2008,2009) I stayed at Marina Hotel on Victory Hill (both years was $10US for double,a/c,tv,fridge) which was more than comfortable for me. Mike recommended this hotel to me in 2007. In Sihanoukville you have the choice of staying at either Victory Hill (walking distance to beaches) or downtown or Occheuteal/Serendipity beach area. Each area is only minutes away. I have also stayed at Cove Bungalows along Serendipity beach as I wanted to experience a bungalow with a hammock overlooking the water. Gee, that takes my mind back.
I agree with Mike. If your choice is Kep or Sihanoukville then Snookyville it is. When I went to Kep I walked around and checked out the beach and thought that's nothing special ( I didn't go for a swim) but then again I have grown up spoilt with the beaches in Oz. haha
Check out Sihanoukville, has the best beaches in Cambodia and a great place to hang out for 3-4 days.
Thanks mate for the info, I was siding towards the sihakouville and from your guys advice it is looking good.
I will check out the spots you mentioned. It's funny, i looked at one website about kep, and it said one of the better things to do was strolling the walk, well........
Anyway thanks again
Mike
Hi Mike,
The best way to travel to Siem reap from Ho chi minh via Kep/Sihanoukville. Get a bus from Ho chi minh to a town called Can Tho, here you can see the floating market if you like. From Can tho get a bus to Ha tien, which is actually a pretty cool little town, at the moment it's really unspoilt by tourism but it wont last long as they have recently opened a new border crossing here into Cambodia. From here get a honda om across the border to Kep. A bus from Kep to Kampot. Kampot to Sihanoukville. Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh to Siem Reap.
As regards Kep vs Sihanoukville. As said in other posts it depends what you want. If you want a quiet unspoilt spot, barely any tourism, great seafood from local fishermen but not the best beaches then stay in Kep. Kep is famous for the crab dishes. If you dont mind sharing hotels and restaraunts with dirty old men on litter strewn beaches in a town badly affected by tourism and prostitution, then stay in Sihanoukville.
Sorry but that is how it is. I personally didn't find any good beaches in Cambodia. If you want beaches go to Thailand. If you want harsh reality go to Cambodia.
And just to give you another choice. Forget Sihakouville and Kep and go instead to Phu Quoc, a beautiful and fun island down south in the same area as Kep, by far the nicest beaches and some great jungle, great place to rent a scooter and cruise all over the island too. Bus from HCMC to Rach Gia, ferry to Phu Quoc. I dont think you can make the ferry from the days bus ride, so you have to overnight in Rach Gia, but its a nice little town. When you leave the Island you can take a ferry to Ha Tien, then bus up straight up to Siem Reap via Phnom Penh.
Bigmig, just an addition: After eating (read pigging out on crabs) at one of the seafood restaurants at Kep, I walked along the coastline to the Kep beach but I couldn't persuade myself to go for a dip. I enjoyed the walk though, the sea breeze etc but no great difference to any other coastal walk. The round walk took me about 1 hour. If you want to chill out, eat seafood (read peppered crab, yum) then go for it.
Hi,
I know this thread is old but trying some luck.
Does anyone know :
Is there a direct bus from Saigon to Siem Reap?, if so how long does it take? and how bad are the roads?
I have been looking at flying but the ticket for 2 people are $680 !!!
cheers
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