Travelling around Cambodia can be... well, an adventure. Traffic laws are lax, drivers are brash (and by brash I mean reckless) and roads are poor. In 2011 there were 41 bus accidents in the country, and it's looking like 2012 may beat that. In the past few weeks alone, several high-profile bus accidents have left a number of tourists dead.

They look so innocent when they aren't on the road, don't they?

On March 8, a Rith Mony night bus between Poipet and Phnom Penh crashed, injuring seven, including three foreign nationals. On February 28, a Paramount Angkor Express bus (the sister company to Rith Mony) crashed between Sihanoukville and Koh Kong, killing two tourists injuring and injuring 45 more. Two days after that, a Virak Buntham Express bus headed from Phnom Penh to Poipet -- and driving on the wrong side of the road -- crashed, killing the driving and injuring many others.

The Cambodian government has reacted by calling for all bus companies to install "black boxes" that will monitor the speed of drivers. Since most drivers tend to flee the scene when their buses crash, whether this will help is doubtful.

This is particularly frightening because besides travelling by bus, there aren't a lot of other options for transport within Cambodia.

Here are a few tips for travelling as safely as possible by bus in Cambodia.

Avoid night buses. Night buses are particularly accident prone, probably because bus drivers still follow the typical Cambodian schedule and wake up early in the morning, which means they tend to fall asleep when working the night shift. There have been many night bus crashes in Cambodia. Personally, I wouldn't take one if you paid me.

Choose your bus company carefully. In 2011 Mekong Express was the only bus company that did not get in an accident -- they're the best choice for the Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh to HCMC routes. Rith Mony is generally considered the company to avoid -- both in terms of service and constant breakdowns. The recent crash indicates that driver negligence is also a problem. Their sister company, Paramount Angkor Express, is little better.

Be brave and exit the vehicle. If you end up in a bus where the driver is driving in a way that makes you nervous, get off the bus. As much as a pain this may be, be aware that traffic accidents are the number one cause of death in Cambodia. If you think your driver is driving badly, get off the bus and find another way to get where you are going. It's not with risking your life over.

Tags: buses

I've had the great pleasure of visiting the Phnom Penh International Airport (née Pochentong International Airport) several times recently and I've got loads to tell you.

That's Phnom Penh International Airport to you, sir.

Whenever I head to a new city, I wonder what the airport has to offer. Because the difference between a good airport and a bad one is not trivial. Most importantly, I wonder if I'll be able to get barbecued chicken. I'll try to answer all of the questions you might have about banking, SIM cards and fast food at Phnom Penh airport here.

Which is the best ATM to use? There's a red Canadia ATM outside between the arrivals and departures area that doesn't charge an extra fee for foreign cards -- the others charge $4 or $5 each.

Can I get a SIM card when I arrive? Yes, you can get a SIM card for less than $5 from one of the many mobile carriers that have set up shop directly outside the door when you exit the airport. Currently, Smart, Beeline, QB and Hello all have outlets at the airport (although Cellcard is noticeably absent).

What happened to the Dairy Queen? This is an important one: there is no longer a Dairy Queen inside the terminal. I repeat, the Dairy Queen inside the departures terminal is no more, so do not expect to get a 7am Blizzard. Rest assured though, that Cambodia's second Western fast food chain has not disappeared entirely, as there is now a Dairy Queen at the public concourse of the departure area.

Can I get barbecued chicken at the airport? Yes, there's a BBQ Chicken outlet at the public concourse of the departure area. It's Korea's #1 chicken restaurant.

What else is there to eat at the airport? In the public international area there's a Pho 24 and Cafe Fresco. In public departures area, there's a Pizza Company in addition to the Dairy Queen and BBQ Chicken. Inside the departure terminal the bar is gone but there's a new restaurant, Taste of Asia, and Paris Deli. The FCC will be opening an outlet there soon as well. In the domestic departures terminal there's a Blue Pumpkin ice cream shop.

And lastly, if you're looking for info on how to get into the city, we've covered that here.

Tags: airports, Phnom Penh International Airport, Pochentong

Despite the fact that Cambodia is bursting at the seams with beautiful islands, sometimes it's nice to hit the open road and head to one of Vietnam's tropical islands -- which, as it turns out, is just as close as Koh Rong is.

A half-day journey from Phnom Penh.

There's not a lot of information out there on how to best get to Phu Quoc from Phnom Penh, though. Travel agents in town will recommend that you buy an all-inclusive ticket which transports you from Phnom Penh to Ha Tien, then over the border, then to the ferry and to Phu Quoc for $27. If you're travelling alone this isn't a bad idea. Buses leave at 8:00 from Phnom Penh and you can purchase tickets at any of the riverside travel agents.

If you're travelling in a small group, or are more adventurous, you can go on your own.

From Phnom Penh, a taxi to the border at Ha Tien costs $35 to $50. The cheaper alternative is to take a bus to Kampot for $6 or $7. In Kampot there are minivans leaving from the Boddhi Tree Guesthouse that go to the Vietnam border, or you can catch a moto to the border for $7 or $8.

Once you're at the border if you've already got a moto at this point, your driver may walk you through and then drive you the extra few kilometres to the ferry. Otherwise, you can pick up a moto driver on the Cambodia side to take you through the border, or just hoof it. Be warned, it is a bit of a walk through the border area but there are a number of casinos to distract the intrepid tourist.

If you haven't got a visa already, you can get a 15-day free visa for the Ha Tien Special Economic Zone. It's an open question whether the SEZ includes Phu Quoc, although travellers report having no problems using this visa to visit the island as long as they exit the country through Ha Tien (and I had no problems with it last week). However, you will probably be asked for a few bribes in order to get said visa. First, you will be asked for a $1 health check fee. I thought this one was real, so I paid it, although I now know that you can just refuse and they won't force the issue.

Then, I was told that I'd have to pay $5 for the free visa. My sense was that the Cambodian moto driver I had picked up at the border -- and who was acting as my translator -- was in cahoots with the Vietnamese immigration team to shake down foreigners (and people say they can't get along!) We refused to pay the fee and after a few negotiations, we were given the free visa for free.

That's right, as part of this journey you can ride the Superdong.

Next step is to take a moto to the ferry. If you don't have one already, the moto from the border to the ferry terminal will cost $2.50 to $4 depending in your negotiation skills. You can buy a ferry ticket at the terminal or at any of the travel agents in town -- the cost is 215,000-300,000 VND.

The final step is from the ferry terminal in Phu Quoc to town. On the boat you'll be offered a ticket on a minibus to town for $2 -- it's a pretty good deal, as taxis cost five times that and were in short supply when I was at the dock. If you're skeptical, as I was, you can find other minibuses hanging around for around 50,000 VND.

It's possible to do this whole trip in under six hours if you time everything correctly, and you'll be rewarded with the lovely beaches of Phu Quoc.

Tags: border crossings, Ha Tien, Ha Tien Special Economic Zone, Ha Tien visa, Phu Quoc

Getting from the airport into Phnom Penh is quite easy and relatively hassle free compared to some other airports. When you exit the arrivals hall, you'll have a dozen men shouting "taxi! taxi!" at you, but feel free to ignore them, as I do. Why reward that kind of behaviour?

Tuk tuk, sir?

Once outside and on the sidewalk, there will be more men asking if you want a taxi. There should be one handing out yellow slips of paper -- this is your receipt for the taxi and proof of the price. The price for a taxi from the airport is $9, with no extra charges for baggage or additional passengers. They may try to charge you $10, but don't fall for this, $9 is the official charge. Tipping is not required.

If you take a tuk tuk from inside the airport gates, it will cost $7 to go to town. This is not particularly good value, with taxis only costing $9. Tuk tuks are less safe but as one enthusiastic driver told me recently, "good way to see city, fresh air, nice ride." And while I do recommend the taxi in order to keep your bags safe, there is something magical about that first tuk tuk ride into the city that I won't ever forget.

If you do decide to take a tuk tuk, consider walking directly outside the airport gates. There will be a dozen tuk tuks lined up who will go to the city for $4. I pay $5 if there will be two stops, but I know of people who manage to pay far less. Your mileage may vary, but it's always much cheaper than the official tuk tuks inside the gates.

There aren't official motodops at the airport, but you can nab one just outside the gate for about $2 into town. A number of people have sustained serious injury after having their bags snatched while on the back of a moto, so ask the driver to hold your bag up front, or carry it between you and the driver. And welcome to Phnom Penh!

Tags: motodops, Phnom Penh International Airport, taxis, tuk tuks

As of this month, there's a direct flight to Burma from Phnom Penh with the option for VOA (visa on arrival). This is noteworthy because currently only flights on Myanmar Airways International from Cambodia and Guangzhou offer the possibility of VOA -- if you're travelling overland you'll need to get a visa the old fashioned way.

Sick of Cambodian pagodas? Check out some Burmese ones, instead.

But if you want to fly, Myanmar Airways International has a new Cambodia to Burma route -- it's a triangle that flies Phnom Penh to Rangoon to Siem Reap. This means that the flight from Phnom Penh to Rangoon is direct, but on the way back there's an hour-long stop in Siem Reap.

I was lucky enough to be on the inaugural flight from Phnom Penh. The gate was mobbed with reporters and camera crews, flowers were being handed out to passengers and the flight left a celebratory 30 minutes late.

Flights run on Wednesdays and Saturdays with a 13:50 departure from Phnom Penh. The return trips leave Rangoon on the same days at 08:50. Tickets cost $285 and can be booked through any local travel agent. MAI has also recently added functionality to buy tickets online, but they are slightly more expensive (and charged in Thai baht).

As of right now, tickets do not seem to need to be booked too far in advance, but that may change once the route becomes more popular. When I booked my ticket, I was initially told the flight was fully booked and asked if I wanted to be waitlisted. The next day, I was allowed to purchase a ticket. So it's worth trying the waitlist if you want to travel on a specific date, although this might have just been an issue on their first flight.

Your ticket to a VOA is flying MAI from PNH.

Most passengers chose to go with the visa on arrival option. VOA costs $30 in USD. If you work for an NGO, as a journalist or in any other similarly sensitive profession, it's still best to get a visa in advance. The Phnom Penh Myanmar Embassy is one of the slowest embassies to grant visas -- be prepared to wait a full 14 days from the time you drop off your passport and application -- and even subtle attempts at bribery will not speed the process along.

The silver lining is that visas issued in Phnom Penh only cost $20. If you are travelling through Thailand, you can get your visa in Bangkok in two days, although it costs slightly more. Bring a letter showing proof of employment to speed the process along -- and make sure it doesn't say you're an aid worker or writer.

Tags: Burma, Myanmar Airways International, Rangoon, visa on arrival

The cheapest and easiest way to travel around Cambodia is by bus. Flights out of Phnom Penh can be ridiculously expensive, so if you’re headed to Siem Reap or Saigon, the bus is a much more affordable alternative. Other local destinations are only accessible by bus, such as Sihanoukville and Battambang. Most of the major roads are sealed these days, making bus journeys fairly painless.

Your chariot awaits!

Those who are bus-phobic can rest easy -- buses in Cambodia are not too bad. Most destinations have a few bus companies servicing the route at varying prices. On many routes, the difference that a few dollars in price can make is substantial.

For example, on the Phnom Penh to Siem Reap route the cheaper buses cost $5. These often are over-crowded and have people and luggage in the aisles. They also do not have a toilet, and can stop four or five times along the way and as such, the journey can take an extra hour or more.

The most expensive $11 ticket on Mekong Express buys a ticket on a old-but-clean Japanese bus with a toilet and only just as many passengers as there are seats. The ticket price includes a snack and bottle of water, and the bus stops just once along the way. The difference between the cheap and expensive is not life-or-death, but it's definitely worth paying the extra for the added level of comfort if you aren't on a tight budget.

The more expensive buses, particularly Mekong Express, have the best reputations and are generally filled with tourists and a few locals. The cheapest companies are used for transporting locals and cargo and have a reputation for over-crowding and breaking down often -- the Phnom Penh to Siem Reap trip is one that can end up taking 10 hours or more with the wrong bus company. Rith Mony is one better avoided.

Some buses will play movies on them, usually dubbed in Khmer, but sometimes they will be in English. Although you aren’t always guaranteed a movie, you can count on getting to see at least a few, and possible a few hours, of Khmer karaoke videos. If you’re not interested in this level of cultural immersion, bring earplugs. Also bring a sweater as some of the drivers are overly-enthusiastic about air-conditioning.

* Buses shown are an artistic impression of a bus. Actual bus may be neither shiny or blue.

Depending on which route you take and with which company, you'll have between one and 10 bathroom breaks. The buses usually stop at designated rest stations with public bathrooms. Most will have squat toilets and no toilet paper so bring your own if you require it. Not the best toilets you'll find in Asia, but certainly not the worst, either, as they are generally clean. The rest areas will also usually sell snacks such as fresh fruit and boiled eggs as well as cold beverages. You'll be given 10 to 15 minutes at each stop. Be sure to keep an eye on the bus, because although they will make sure to look for the barang before they leave, people have been known to be left behind.

Night buses run between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, and are better avoided. Last month two night buses had serious accidents, and in general, the roads in Cambodia get increasingly less safe as the night wears on.

Overall, even though they may not be as nice as those in Malaysia or Thailand, buses in Cambodia are a fine way to get around and see the country.

Tags: Cambodia buses, Mekong Express

Getting into a traffic accident anywhere is serious, but in Cambodia it's particularly so. In the evenings, many drivers are distracted, intoxicated and not particularly swayed by the few stoplights the town has to offer.

Cambodian roads can vary considerably in quality

The only traffic laws that are regularly enforced are ones that involve small fines for improper licenses or lack of rear-view mirrors, rather than more serious moving violations like speeding or drunk driving. And what's most frightening is that the number of fatalities are growing as Cambodia continues to develop -- new sealed roads allow for faster speeds and more traffic deaths. Medical services haven't kept pace with the road work, though, and going to a hospital here can be just as dangerous as driving.

One only has to spend a few days cruising around Phnom Penh before seeing at least a few traffic accidents, ranging from minor to major.

During my first week in Phnom Penh I saw a group of freshie boy-types drive their car directly into a moto driver. After being thrown to the ground, the man dragged himself up, clearly in pain. The car full of young men began honking and threatened to run the man over again if he didn't move his now destroyed moto out of their path. I wrote down their license number -- thinking, with the naivete of a new expat, that I could report it -- only to find out that there's generally no enforcement and no punishment, especially when the perpetrators are the sort of connected young men that can afford cars.

Looks can be deceiving: Cambodian roads often appear little trafficked

I hate that I've become the type of person that acts like an adult, but after hearing some of the most recent horror stories of expats or tourists that have been involved in traffic accidents through no fault of their own, and being thrown from a moto myself this week, I've vowed to make more of an effort to keep myself safe.

Here are some tips:

Get insured
This may seem obvious. Having insurance is really important, yet a huge percentage of my friends are living in Phnom Penh without insurance of any kind. If you come from a country with national health care, travel insurance may be enough to cover you if you have a serious accident, because they will send you back to your home country. If you're from a country that doesn't have health care (I'm looking at you, America) you need to get a real insurance policy.

Driving quickly and carelessly are often the norm

For travel insurance I've used World Nomads. For an expat policy, I went with Aetna Global Benefits Major Medical Plan purchased through insurance agent AG Cambodia. They recommended Major Medical only because the cost of outpatient care is cheap enough in Cambodia that insurance is really only necessary for major accidents.

Be prepared
Organise your information. If you were hit by a truck, would your friends know where your insurance information is stored, who your emergency contact is and whether or not they should call your mother? Sending a group email to a few people you trust can mean that your tuk tuk driver isn't the only one there to make life and death decisions for you.

Have these numbers on hand
Police: 117 (from landlines), T: (023) 366 841; (023) 720 235 (from mobiles)
Fire: 118 (from landlines), T: (023) 723 555 (from mobiles)
Ambulance: 119 (from landlines) T: (023) 724 891 (from mobiles)
Tourist police: T: (012) 942 484

Try and remember these numbers because if you're the victim of a traffic accident, odds are good that your phone will be stolen while you're bleeding out on the pavement.

Helmets are not worn as often as they should be

Medical
Because most medical treatment is piss-poor in Cambodia, having an idea of where you'd like to get care before you're in an accident is a good idea. If your accident is serious, you will need to go to Bangkok or Singapore.

Local options include International SOS, the one clinic in town that is to "international standards", although some reports indicate that they still leave a lot to be desired. (T: (012) 816 911). Royal Rattanak is affiliated with Bangkok Hospital and is said to operate at Thai standards. There are many reports of expats who have been quite happy with the level of care they received there. (T: (023) 99 1000). See other options here.

Vehicle maintenance isn't always what it could be

Embassies in Phnom Penh
Your embassy can advocate for you and help contact your loved ones.

Australia Embassy: T: (023) 213 470
US Embassy: For emergencies during business hours call (023) 728 281; (023) 728 051; (023) 728 234. Outside of normal business hours call (023) 728 000
UK Embassy: T: (023) 427124. Outside of normal business hours call (023) 427 124; (023) 428 153

See a fuller list of embassies on Travelfish.org here.

My final advice is that if you choose to ride motos, even as a passenger, please wear a helmet and don't be afraid to get off if you realise the driver is intoxicated. None of us want to see your pretty brains splashed all over Sisowath Quay this weekend.

From the "Only in Cambodia file" the PhnomPenhPost reports on a surprising new law to hit the streets in Cambodia, seat belts for tuk tuks -- and who are the cops going to target? tourists.

Click clack back and back

The story quotes transport minister Tram In Tek as saying:

"The public transport in Cambodia is quite primitive and the tuktuks are really quite unsafe. Seatbelts will be very helpful and foreign tourists are used to wearing them from the laws in their own country".

Later in the piece, when asked about enforcement, Tek went on to say that the Cambodian police have been specifically asked to target foreigners as they often overload tuktuks and, as they have larger bodies, carrying them is more dangerous. The fine is an extraordinarily high US$5 per passenger. The driver is not required to wear one, though the story doesn't explain why.

Phnom Penh driver Suyse thought the law sounded good to him, saying "I think anything that makes safer for my customers is good for me and them, but I worry about the Cambodian police as they can be tricky sometimes and maybe they ask me to pay too. $5 is a lot of money for a Cambodian person."

The story also doesn't mention when the first batch of seatbelts are to be fitted, but we'd assume given there's a buck in it for the local constabulary, the seatbelts should be out on the street this afternoon.

Watch out!

Negotiating with a tuk tuk driver isn't as difficult as you might think.

There’s no public transport in Phnom Penh so those who aren’t brave enough to drive themselves or sweat it out on foot are stuck with three main options: motos, taxis and tuk tuks. Most visitors and quite a few expats choose to travel by tuk tuk. It’s a great way to ride in style and see the city while giving, if nothing else, the illusion of safety over riding in a moto.

When I moved to Phnom Penh last year, I spent the first few months dreading getting from one place to another. I’d ask to go somewhere, agree on a price and we’d end up lost for 45 minutes. Then on arrival the driver would insist I pay him double because he had to drive so far -- despite him having sworn up and down he knew our destination.

Eventually, I got the hang of it. Here's what I learned you should do:

Decide when to negotiate

Locals usually don’t negotiate price before the trip, but pay what they think is fair once they arrive. Many expats do this as well, but it requires knowing what’s a fair price. I’ve found that tuk tuk drivers are more likely to argue with foreigners -- particularly women -- after the fact if a price hasn’t been decided on upfront. I usually negotiate first with drivers that I don’t know, but if I have a relationship with a driver, I decide what to pay when the trip is complete. If you’re not confident about prices, negotiate upfront as this gives you the leverage to walk away if you don’t like the price. Negotiating on a weekly or monthy basis usually costs more than hiring on a daily or per-trip rate.

Know your pagoda

If you think tuk tuk drivers will know the names of the major streets in town, you’re probably wrong. Many of the tuk tuk drivers working in Phnom Penh are from the provinces and have a different frame of reference than you or me. They will almost always know the locations of all of the pagodas or wats, so it’s best to find out the name of the pagoda closest to where you are staying to use as a navigational point. Once you get to the pagoda, give directions from there.

Get a map and learn how to give directions in Khmer

Most tuk tuk drivers don’t know where that really cool bar you heard about is, but they will inevitably say that they do. Generally it comes out that they don’t know once they are hopelessly lost and have wasted $2 of petrol. Many hotels and most of the restaurants on the riverside offer free maps. Pick one up and give your driver turn by turn directions - most drivers are map illiterate. If you can give directions in Khmer, even better. You’ll get there faster and it will end up being less expensive.

Here are a few phrases in Khmer that will help you get started:
Turn left - bot ch’wayng
Turn right - bot s’dum
Go straight - dtou dtrong
Turn back - dtou grao-ee
Stop - chop

Learn to negotiate

Most visitors will at least once pay too much or try to pay too little. You are not a local and you won’t get a local rate. Trying to bully a driver down too far is embarrassing to anyone within earshot -- walk by a petrol station and have a look at prices and you’ll see why you’re paying “so much”. Drivers are just trying to make a living. That said, the goal is not to overpay, either. Every foreigner that rocks up and pays whatever is first quoted -- often two to three times the actual price -- makes the situation harder for the next foreigner who comes along. It also makes Khmer customers less appealing to drivers; they’d rather hold out for the big payout of a dumb backpacker.

Some rules of thumb:

English-speaking drivers charge more. Trips at night cost more. Groups of people cost more, but only once the group gets quite large. If you look blatantly like a tourist, you will pay more.

Tuk tuk drivers can tell if you are a tourist or an expat, and price the trip accordingly. If you learn to negotiate in Khmer, you’ll get a cheaper price. When a high price is quoted, pull your head back as if in shock and exhale loudly, the way the locals do. Say, t’lai nas! or “so expensive!” Usually they will offer a lower price.

To get an idea of how much your trip should cost, try to negotiate. Very short trips of around five minutes are usually $1, and prices never go below $1. 5,000 or 6,000 riel ($1.25 or $1.50) will get you pretty far in the daytime and 8,000 or 10,000 will easily get you from Russian Market to the riverside or one end of the city to the other during the day. If you’re going to a few places, a good rule of thumb is about $2 an hour if the driver is waiting around a lot and $2.50 an hour if he’s driving.

It’s almost unheard of for drivers to reject a fair price, so if you’ve tried two or three times and they won’t take it, you’re not offering enough.

If you’re doing the same trip over and over, ask a long-term expat how much they would pay to get an idea of what the price should be. When I moved here I found the advice I got on forums like Expat Advisory and Khmer440 invaluable for things like this.

Don’t be intimidated. I found myself spending more money than was necessary because I let myself be bullied into feeling guilty or because I was too nervous to negotiate. Learning a few words in Khmer, even for a short visit, makes life exponentially easier.

Tags: Khmer language, transport, tuk tuks