Cambodia - A Brief Guide
Created | Updated Jun 21, 2003
'You're going where? You must be crazy!'
I shrugged, I was getting used to the reaction. Mentioning Cambodia seems to be like announcing that you're planning a trip to Mars.
Still, not to be put off by the incredulity of my friends, between 8th April and 3rd May 2000 I travelled from the United Kingdom to Cambodia. Having had enough of whistle stop tours, every night a different location, I decided to concentrate solely on Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat. What follows is an account of my trip and a short introduction to what I saw of that amazing country.
Getting There
'But you've just been on holiday!'
My brother looked across the bar at me; I'm sure that, deep down, he suspects that I'm just a bum. Actually, by the time I would get on a plane, it would be five months since my last holiday. The only question was; 'where to go...' One country that had been in the back of my mind for a long time was Cambodia, so I started making plans.
There were two main reasons for choosing Cambodia; first, it is off of the beaten track and I hadn't been there. Second, the temple complex at Angkor Wat. Ever since I first saw a documentary about it I have wanted to see the ancient temples reclaimed from the jungle.
The first step, as always, was to buy a copy of the relevant
Lonely Planet. After a brief check I found that visas could be obtained on arrival quickly and cheaply, so there was nothing to stop me from going.
Getting to Cambodia from the United Kingdom is easy. For the independent traveller there are a range of cheapish flights. As usual I booked mine through
Trailfinders for a reasonable £578. Trailfinders also provide a
competitive insurance plan. I was suprised that the cheapest scheduled flight at the time was with
Singapore Airlines as I have always found their service to be superior.
My flight left from Heathrow Airport, taking off at 12.20 just twenty minutes after the scheduled time of 12.00 BST (British Summer Time). The flight was long but comfortable. Although there were initial problems with the in-flight entertainment system, the crew had that sorted out in about half an hour, after that there was a choice of 21 channels of films and tv, plus video games. For the record I watched 'Tumbleweeds', 'The Talented
Mr Ripley', 'Girl, Interrupted' and 'The Cider House Rules'. As usual the service was exemplary and the food as close to restaurant standard as you will find on an economy ticket.
It was a hazy morning as we approached Singapore. The sea was like a mill pond flashing with golden highlights from the early morning sun. The waterways were crowded and the light conditions turned any moving craft into delta waves gliding across the glasslike surface. We landed at 7.20 local time (00.20 BST) so the flight took exactly twelve hours. I rushed through Changi Airport as, officially, my next flight boarded at 7.40. There was a delay however and we didn't board until 8.20, finally taking off at 9.03. The flight was with Silk Air, the regional branch of Singapore Airlines, so again the service was above average. The flight took just over one and a half hours and we landed at Cambodia's Pochentong International Airport at 9.38 local time (03.38 BST).
I was near the front of the plane and so was quickly off and across the hot tarmac into the Arrivals Hall. It is possible to obtain a visa at the airport on arrival and so I went straight over to the desk, handed over my passport, form and a photo then went to the end of the counter. There were ten officials behind the counter, each did something obscure and then passed my papers down the line to the last person who, on taking $20, handed over my passport with my attached visa. As I left the counter I saw that a big queue had built up, so it would be a good idea when travelling to try and book a seat with a low number. Immigration and Customs were dealt with quickly and so it was only about half an hour after landing that I walked out of the airport into the bright sunshine.
There were crowds of people around but, through the crush, I saw a sign for taxis at $7. However, before I could get there, I was approached by someone who said he would take me for $2. He was a 'moto' driver (a moto is a motorbike taxi). The driver sat with my rucksack in front of him on the petrol tank. I sat behind with my knapsack on my back (faldaree, faldarar!).
It is a seven kilometre drive into town. When I told my driver I wanted 'The Hotel Indochine' he wasn't very happy with that. He said it wasn't a good hotel, but I said that The Indochine was where I wanted to go (I believe it is always best to be definite, even when wrong). I had based my decision on The Lonely Planet and the fact that the hotel was on the banks of the river, but found when I got there that the driver was right, it was pretty dingy. The four years since the guide was updated hadn't been kind to the hotel. By mistake I actually walked into the 'Sunshine Hotel' (the doors are right next to each other!)
Being my usual definite self I decided to stay at least for one night. I asked the price, signed in, then went upstairs to settle in. My room was one of the cheaper ones ($13) and so, as a consequence, was in the centre of the building and had no windows. There was aircon, 40 channel cable tv, fridge and an ensuite bathroom, so I was happy. Finally I was able to lay down and get some rest. It was now 10.45 (4.45 BST) so, including my train journey to Heathrow, the total travelling time was twenty two hours. I needed sleep!
More next week!
