Laos forum

Don Det-Siem Reap/Phnom Pehn

suecatwoman

newbie
Posts: 4

Posted from within Vietnam.

Whatever you do, do NOT book a ticket from Don Det to Siem Reap/Phnom Pehn! I booked one at Mr.B's and they left me in Kratie only to get scammed by the people at riverside hotel(horrible place)! Book a ticket to Kratie and figure it out from there.

And another thing, stay away from Indian Food in Laos!

#1 Posted: 19/2/2008 - 13:36
somtam2000

admin
mahout
Posts: 5884
Located in:

Private message

Hi Sue,

Sorry to hear about your experience...

For those who are looking for a blow by blow explanation of how to do this trip, we've got the skinny right here.

#2 Posted: 19/2/2008 - 14:23

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CunningMcFar

tuk tuk driver
Posts: 161

I quite enjoyed the Indian food we had at Nazim's in both LP and Vientiane and would certainly recommend to others, very tasty, cheap, cold beer, good lassis, no problems

#3 Posted: 19/2/2008 - 22:09

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ckay

newbie
Posts: 3

I been personally travel to Phnom Penh from Vientiane by road recently. My only advise on this is, buy your ticket in Stung Treng (the nearest town after the Lao border). Express buses will be leaving everyday to Phnom Penh in the morning only.

If you travel by public transport from Laos to Phnom Penh, for sure you have to stay over night at Stung Treng because express buses only available in the next morning.

In return, NEVER buy direct ticket from Phnom Penh to Vientiane!! You may end-up yourself at the border, waiting for the transport to pick you up!!

#4 Posted: 22/2/2008 - 17:46
buncis

newbie
Posts: 1

I agree with the second poster that the Indian food in Pakse at the Jasmin cafe was very good on the two occasions we ate there; probably some of the best dinners so far in Laos.
As far as travel from Vientiane to Siem Riep, we have just arrived after purchasing through transport from Pakse Travel in Pakse; the cost was $36 US per person and included a variety of mini-vans, ferries amd AC buses. There were several bus changes in Cambodia and it took about 36 hours with an overnight in Kratie. A bit slower and rougher than advertised, but were here now in Siem Reip.
We were wble to get a visa upon arrival at the Cambodian border for $21 US; no muss, no fuss.

#5 Posted: 23/2/2008 - 09:03
mercyboocoo

newbie
Posts: 1

Posted from within Vietnam.

Indian food in Pakse was really good in Pakse. In Don Det, Jasmin cafe has a restuarant there now, but not as good. They don't seem to have all necessary ingredients for Indian food.

Travelling to Siem Reap/Phnom Penh from Laos for me was a disaster. I booked my ticket with Pakse travel which was fine until the Cambodian side. It seems like tour operators on Don Det island have picked up on this desired route. It's not hard to find a good deal to get into Cambodia. But many delays! I waited in Stung Treng for our bus for five hours!

Here's some advice if going to Siem Reap. A person working for the tour operator will take your ticket and replace it with a new one at the border and at Stung Treng. Try to keep your ticket, or at least get the name of the person. It's a paper trail basically from Laos into Cambodia for these workers to get their cut. and when you get off the bus in Kratie and end up talking to one of those guys that offers you accommodation, chances are they might know the person you dealt with from Stung Treng or the border. And they're more likely not to scam you. it's really who you know, not what you know.

We were almost scammed in Kratie, but one of the guys I was travelling with remembered the name of a guy working at the border. It took 3 hours to get our official bus tickets, but we left first thing in the morning.

Oh yeah and another thing, if you have an overnight in Kampong Cham when going to Siem Reap, don't be surprised if you overnight in Kratie.

Hope this helps!

#6 Posted: 20/4/2008 - 20:08