Cambodia forum

Hi Aiden,

The Phnom Penh to Siem Reap ferry (runs daily) stops near Kompong Chhnang -- is that the one you are thinking about?

Hello

I was just going to write this up from when we took the ferry from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap . It is very expensive compared to the bus, however it is a lovely trip and well worth the extra of $34 each - yep, $34!! I don't know if it is cheaper if you shop around, we didn't really have time to unfortunately. The ferry is very sleek, long and pointy sort, fast too.

If you do decide on taking the boat it is possible to sit on the top the entire journey (approx 5 hours) however do not for the suntan lotion! Because of the speed it can feel cooler and we have been told that many people have been caught out that way. I recommend trying to get near the front on top if possible, best view and not much spray. If you can't hop up there is a foot plate further down to climb up - the deck does get wet though so be careful.

Remember not to sit right in the middle at the front - several tried on our trip and got loudly tooted at by the driver - who couldn't see!!

As the ferry does not stop very near Siem Reap there are tuk tuks at the other end, we arranged a free pick up through our Guesthouse with the mini van as there was 5 of us (although they expressed a hope that we would hire such van while we were there!)

Expensive but worth it if you have the extra cash.

Enjoy

Missis

Memory fades so quickly! We think it was about 15 minutes, by tuk tuk may be a little longer. Yes you do see a lot of scenery, and when Tonle Sap opens up and there is nothing on the horizon all round you realise how big the lake is (in December anyway, which was just after the wet season). You also see a far amount of floating houses/villages too, the boat slows down going through them to minimise wash. It was a great way of incorporating a visit to Tonle Sap without making it a day trip.

We organised through a trip organiser/internet cafe on the front at Phnom Penh. We stayed at the Cozyna Hotel, turn left out of the hotel and hubby says it's definitely no further than 500 yards - again, memory fades on the finer details! I don't remember the name however it was the only one we saw and was obviously selling day trips and tickets for buses/boats etc. $34 includes a pick up charge of $1 - we had heavy bags! However you could walk to the dock, a few blocks further down again.

Another thing about the scenery, the olds said they saw a lot from inside, but I think that views would be restricted and outside is much better, so the trip is OK if you can guarantee no rain!

Remember also that the helpful people taking your bags to and from the boat will actually need paying, so if your bags are light enough do it yourself.

I am sure you will not be disappointed, glad to be of help.