jor8 wrote:Hi Guys,
I'm John, I'm going to visit Cambodia for 10 days 6th October to 20th October From Australia Sydney
I'll start at Siem Reap and work my way to Phnom Pehnh and then down to Sihanoukville.
Will be bring my camera to take pictures of Angkor Wat and anything else I can find interesting.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Regards John
For serious temple exploration shell out for the 7 day pass, 3 day is $62 and 7 days only $72. Really worth it since You don't have to stress but can explore at a leisurely pace. October is not the hottest season but still it takes a toll running around Lara Croft style for 8-12 hrs a day. TIP - limit Yourself to 4 hrs per day or so, depending on Your fitness. Rent a tuk-tuk for every day (negotiate the day before, I paid generally $15-20 per day depending on the length, Banteay Srey was $30 due to length of journey) and take your time. My first day included Ta Prohm, Bayon and Angkor Wat and this was quite heavy. Also Preah Khan is well worth a visit. I find some of the less mentioned temples are also very interesting, Pre Rup was a favourite of mine also Prasat Kravan was unique in its' simplicity. But they are all impressive. Bring a good camera and a spare battery, count on 5-6 hundred shots per day at least. USB charging is good. Make sure to get something decent, not a $100 Wal-Mart thing.
Oh, and the new ticket booth is not on the way towards Angkor Wat, instead before the ticket check point the tuk-tuk turns right and then it is $3 each way to the ticket booth. So, either be prepared to walk (like a tough Aussie) or more realistically the first morning negotiate this detour into the total price for the daily trip. The ticket is checked everywhere and penalties are stiff so do not think of buying a used ticket from anyonw else, just buy the real thing and carry it on You at all times when inside the temple complexes.
I stayed at the Tea House hotel in PP which, at $47 per night for a family room with two beds, was nice. A bit expensive maybe but nice attached tuk-tuk mafia (do not be taken to any destinations of their advice, it is a waste of time, know where you want to go) and awesome breakfast. Also St 242 is a very central location for the major tourist sights like Central/Russian market, Tuol Sleng, Wat Phnom etc. They have cheaper rooms for singles.
When buying souvenirs (assuming this is Your thing) two large 20 cm Khmer dancing statues are $10 as are two framed plaques (You know those things looking like a framed painting but usually with some stiching on and them some ceramic figures) same price. In SR opposite Le Meridien there is a nice souvenir store with products allegedly made by orphans, women and handicapped people and they had good selection. Tried us on $30 each for the plaques but eventually settled for $10 for two. Says a lot how You must bargain.