Cambodia forum

3 weeks with a toddler - Good Planning required

demirdanny

newbie
Posts: 2

hi folks
my wife and I will be travelling with our 2.5yo boy through cambodia in late february.

we will be entering from thailand and moving on to vietnam.

i'd like to avoid flights as they are expensive, but the overland journey from bangkok to SR seems arduous enough even without a small (active and impatient!) little boy.

so was thinking of getting the cheap air asia flight into PP. from there we want to see Angkor. Anybody have the latest on the road? - what would a bus journey take realisticslly?

Also i've seen Cambodia angkor Air advertise cheap flights from SR to S'Ville. this would be great as we could then see the coast and travel on to Kampot/ Kep from there. cant book these online though. whats the reality on the ground with booking these?

and finally - any updates on the proposed Kep to Phu quoc ferry http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Travel/2011/12/98842/ which is mooted to start in Q1 this year? this would be a great way to bring us into vietnam.

basically we want to get around - without too many flights, but avoiding road journeys of more than 4 hours or so at a time.

any info or suggestions appreciated

#1 Posted: 5/1/2012 - 15:16
busylizzy

under-employed
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I've had no experience with travelling with a child, so can't help you with that (nor with some of your other questions.. But here is what I do know:

The bus ride between PP and SR is fine (as an adult, at least!). The road is good, and it's a nice view of rural life along the way. Cost is around $7-8pp for a VIP bus, and it takes about 6 hours all up. It stops at a half-way point for 1/2 an hour in a small town where there is a big restaurant (with decent toilet!) plus a smaller pizza/ice cream-type cafe (and possibly others).

#2 Posted: 5/1/2012 - 17:31

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caseyprich

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i love it when people bring little children on long uncomfortable bus rides with me

#3 Posted: 5/1/2012 - 19:09
eastwest

som tam seller
Posts: 699
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flights SR-SHV. Try the Vietnam airlines website. I reckon that in Feb you shouldn't have difficulty booking from SR from any travel agency but it's hard to judge since it's all very new.

Ferry from Kep to Phu Quoc. I wouldn't count on it but it isn't a problem if it isn't operating yet. There is now serious talk about it happening but seeing is believing since they've been talking about it for years. If it's not running you can take the ferry from Ha Tien which would add an hour and a half to the trip. That still very manageable, even with a child.

#4 Posted: 5/1/2012 - 19:40
MADMAC

mahout
Posts: 3997

Take night buses. Kids almost always sleep straight through. And buy them their own ticket so they have their own seat. The seat is huge and comfortale for them. They can really stretch out. Don't wake them up at the stop, let 'em sleep through. If there is no night bus, then break your trip up. You put a little kid on a six hour bus ride and he ain't gonna be happy most of the time. If he has a toy that he can play with in his seat, that works.

#5 Posted: 5/1/2012 - 23:20

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