My original plan was to travel north from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang by train and then on to Da Lat by bus. Unfortunately, in March of this year a barge struck and destroyed a span of a railway bridge in Dong Nai province. Built by the French more than a century ago, the Ghenh Bridge is scheduled to be replaced by July, but some have speculated that the completion date is overly optimistic. Until the bridge over the Dong Nai River is completed, railway service in southern Vietnam will effectively begin and end at Bien Hoa Railway station. Passengers who purchase tickets from Saigon station will make the 22 mile (35 km) trip to Bien Hoa by bus.
Although taking the bus to Bien Hoa is really only a minor inconvenience, I decided to take a break from trains and buses and flew to Da Lat. The former French hill station is very popular with Vietnamese for weekend getaways. Da Lat’s cool temperature and rolling hills are the perfect escape from Saigon’s heat and humidity. On weekdays discount flights can be booked on Jetstar or Vietjet for less than $25 USD. Da Lat is also a popular backpacker’s destination, although most of the sights in the city are fairly underwhelming. Being a history buff, I enjoyed visiting the summer palace of Vietnam’s last emperor Boa Dai. Like the Reunification Palace in HCMC, the summer palace is another time capsule filled with relics of the 1950’s. The other highlight of my trip to Da Lat was the cable car ride to Thien Vien Truc Lam Monastery. The cable car ride takes roughly 25 minutes and costs a mere 50,000 VND, or just over $2 USD. The four-hour bus trip between Da Lat and Nha Trang is well traveled by foreign visitors. The winding drive through the mountains is absolutely breathtaking. A number of companies make this trip daily for as little as $6 USD. Tickets can be purchased through guest houses and hotels in Da Lat. Travelers in Nha Trang can buy tickets from one of the many travel agencies in this tourism hub. On many internet forums bus travel in Vietnam is often described as unsafe and is discouraged. I can see the merit in these arguments; roads are often narrow and the drivers tend to operate the buses in such a way that definitely appears to be unsafe. I suppose you have to weigh the risks against the rewards. Some people suggest to only travel during daylight hours. That makes sense to me; you would miss all the beautiful scenery taking the night bus. Nha Trang is a beach resort town which is especially popular with Russian families and couples. It also attracts its fair share of backpackers and other travelers as Nha Trang is a major stop on the railway line connecting HCMC and Hanoi. It is also considered to be Vietnam’s premier SCUBA diving center. Besides the beach the city has a number of interesting sites to see which include the Cham built Po Nagar temple and Long Song Pagoda. Until next time, Mike Pollock With a population of over eight million inhabitants Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam. The city was named Saigon by the French after they invaded and conquered Vietnam’s southern provinces in 1859. Following the Vietnam War the city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of North Vietnam’s first president. The city is still referred to by many as Saigon, particularly district 1; the city’s tourism hub.
This large and modern city can be accessed by bus, train, and both international and domestic flights. With its large and modern airport (SGN), the city is on most travelers’ itineraries and is certainly worth visiting for a few days. The city has a number of historic buildings and museums, many of which are in easy walking distance from the Bến Thành market area where many budget hotels are located. One of my favorite sites in the city is the iconic Independence Palace, also known as Reunification Palace. The current building’s construction was started by South Vietnam’s president Ngô Đình Diệm in 1962 after a failed coup attempt badly damaged the original French-built Palais Norodom. Independence Palace was designed by the highly acclaimed Vietnamese architect Ngô Viết Thụ, whose goal was to create a building which combined both Eastern and Western styles. Completed in 1966, the Palace would serve as the headquarters of South Vietnam’s presidents until the fall of Saigon on April 30 1975. Renamed Reunification Palace shortly after the end of the war, it appears that the building and most of its furnishings have remained unchanged since it was occupied by South Vietnam’s last president. The building is a time capsule of sorts; its contents could fill a museum of 1960’s art and design. Relics from the war include a HU-1 helicopter, a gift to the former president from the US government and two Soviet-built tanks like the ones that crashed through the palace gates in 1975, effectively ending the war. The building’s basement is one of the most intriguing areas of the Palace. Constructed with thick concrete walls as a bomb-proof bunker, the “war room” contains many maps that the president and his generals once used to plan the battles against the North Vietnamese. Located throughout the bunker complex are massive amounts of American-made radio equipment which not only connected the president to the various battle fields but also to Washington D.C. Judging from the many offices and numerous telephones it’s likely that a very large staff must have been needed to run this operation. One of the things I really like about Vietnam is the admission prices to enter museums and historical sites. An adult ticket to the Palace is 30,000 VND, roughly $1.30 at the current exchange rate. Vietnam is one of the most economical countries to visit in Southeast Asia and has plenty of things to do and see. Within the first few weeks of my visit to this extraordinary country I began planning my return trip. Until next time, Mike Pollock Most people will find that three days is enough time to see the sites in and around Phnom Penh. Travelers who are starting their journey in Cambodia will head out to popular destinations such as Kampot, Sihanoukville or Siem Reap. People who are ending their Cambodian tour will often head to Vietnam, particularly Ho Chi Minh City, which is still often referred to as Saigon. Regardless of your next destination, there are many travel agencies around the Sisowath Quay (Riverside) tourist area which can arrange transportation by bus, boat or private taxi.
Ho Chi Minh City was my next destination and I chose a combination of boat and bus to get there. It is important to note that most travelers to Vietnam will require a tourist visa which must organized before arriving in the country. When flying into Vietnam, the visa can be arranged on-line, but for overland travel or arrival by boat, the visa must be acquired before departing Cambodia. The Embassy of Vietnam in Phnom Penh issues tourist visas but most travel experts recommend using a travel agent to get the visa. A thirty day single entry tourist visa costs $45 USD; an agency will easily get the visa in two days or less and this saves multiple tuk tuk rides to the Embassy. In addition to the $45 USD you will need a completed application form, which can be downloaded and printed from the Embassy’s website, and one recent passport sized photo. I used the same agency to book the $35 USD combination boat and bus ticket with Mekong Tours; www.mekongvietnam.com. Mekong Tours provides transportation to the dock which is located at the Titanic Restaurant just to the north of Riverside at the junction of the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers. The border between the two countries is roughly 59 miles (95 km) south of Phnom Penh. On each side of the border, on the Mekong’s west bank, are check points. The boat stops at each one to clear passengers out of Cambodia and into Vietnam. The immigration process is very easy, taking around ten minutes at either check point. From the border the boat continues down river for another eight miles (13 km) before turning west into a narrow canal which leads to the Bassac River and the town of Chau Doc. The trip took just under five and a half hours and was quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, the bus ride to Ho Chi Minh City was not particularly pleasant and in retrospect I should have spent more time in the Mekong Delta. It would have been better to break up the bus trip into several legs and seen southern Vietnam, which is the reason that most people take the boat trip to begin with. The bus that I had booked departed Chau Doc at 07:00 PM, and was a “semi-sleeper”, a method of transportation that I will avoid in the future. Instead of regular seats, the semi-sleeper has rows of tiny bunks which are much too small for the average Westerner and I found it impossible to get into any comfortable position. In addition to the discomfort the bunk caused, the air conditioning must have been at maximum cool, as the bus was absolutely freezing. The icing on the cake was that the speaker directly over my head was blasting Vietnamese music which my ear buds could not quite block out. The one positive thing I can say about the bus company was that upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City they had a car take me to the hotel. Here is a link to a map I created which shows most of Cambodia's major temple groups and towns that are often used to visit these sites. An approximation of the boat route from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc is included as well. Until next time, Mike Pollock With a population of over two million people, Phnom Penh is Cambodia’s largest city and the nation’s capital. It became the Khmer’s royal capital in 1432 after the King Ponhea Yat abandoned Angkor Thom in 1431, in part due to repeated attacks from the Siamese. Phnom Penh became the permanent seat of government and the capital of modern Cambodia in 1866. While seeking protection from the Siamese, in 1867, King Norodom I signed a treaty with France making the country a French protectorate. Cambodia was gradually incorporated into French Indochina and by 1897 the French stripped the Cambodian royal family of their power. The country was essentially a French colony until it was granted independence in 1953.
Today Phnom Penh’s main tourist area lies along a stretch of the Tonle Sap River known as “River Side”. Preah Sisowath Quay is the name of the busy road that parallels the river, and in the neighborhoods that lie to the west, many buildings remain from the French colonial period. The congested streets are a mix of architectural styles; a blend of old and new, Asian and European. A number of the cities most visited sites, including the Royal Palace and the National Museum, are within walking distance of Sisowath Quay. Everyone traveling to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh should plan on seeing the National Museum for an introduction to Angkor Period art. The Palace is surrounded by parks, temples and government buildings constructed in the same unique Southeast Asian style as the Royal Palace. A visitor strolling around this lovely area can’t help thinking how similar it is to Bangkok. A few blocks to the north of the National Museum, along Preah Ang Eng Street, is Kandal market. This chaotic area could be called the “real” Phnom Penh, often described as “rough around the edges” or “gritty”. The streets here are dirty, smelly and crowded, and have probably horrified many a faint-hearted westerner. Much of Phnom Penh has a slightly edgy feel to it, probably due to a combination of poorly light streets, badly maintained infrastructure and inefficient garbage removal. However, the people here are just as nice and friendly as they can be. Cambodians live their lives out in the open; working, cooking, eating, bathing and laughing on the street in full view of their neighbors. No visit to Phnom Penh would be complete without wandering through one of the city’s market areas. Sadly, throughout its long history, the tiny Kingdom of Cambodia has been involved in numerous armed conflicts with its neighbors. During the Vietnam War, Cambodian head of state Norodom Sihanouk made a nominal attempt to maintain the country’s neutrality. However, by the mid 1960’s both the People’s Army of North Vietnam (NVA) and the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) were using bases in Cambodian territory to move troops, arms and supplies into South Vietnam. As early as 1965 the U.S. military began bombing rural Cambodia in an attempt to drive out the Vietnamese and their supply lines. Continuing until 1973, it is estimated that over 2.7 million tons of bombs were dropped, killing over 150,000 people. In 1970 the US government approved a coup that replaced the left leaning Sihanouk with General Lon Nol, a staunch anti communist. Protracted U.S. bombing, the overthrow of a popular leader and support from the North Vietnamese drove poor Cambodians to join the Communist Party of Kampuchea. The CPK would later become known as the Khmer Rouge. On April 17, 1975, after five years of civil war against the U.S. backed Cambodian government, the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh. Lead by the infamous ultra Marxist Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge would lead the country into further ruin until they were driven from power by the Vietnamese on January 7, 1979. Scholars and historians disagree on exactly how many people died under the Khmer Rouge; estimates range from 1.7 to 2.5 million. Phnom Penh has several sobering monuments to the unfortunate souls who perished during the dark period under the Khmer Rouge. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, also know as S-21, is the site of a former high school which was used by the Khmer Rouge as a prison / interrogation center. It’s estimated that 17,000 to 20,000 political prisoners were held in the prison. No one in certain of the exact number of detainees; however it is generally agreed that only seven survived. Almost all of the prisoners were members of the Khmer Rouge with the exception of approximately 500 foreigners who, unfortunately, became entangled in the insanity of this horrible period. Tuol Sleng was used principally as an interrogation center; generally prisoners were not intentionally killed at the former school. Detainees were tortured until they were willing to dictate and sign ridiculous confessions, most commonly implicating themselves as U.S. CIA operatives. After giving these false statements they were taken away to be killed at other locations. The Choeung Ek Killing Fields, made famous in the 1985 movie of the same name, is the site of a former orchard and Chinese cemetery used by the Khmer Rouge to execute and dispose of their victims. Over 8,800 people were killed and buried in a series of mass graves. Located 11 miles (17 km) from Phnom Penh, the site is now a memorial to the men, women and children who were brutally murdered there. Although these sites can be very depressing to say the least, one has to admire the survivors and applaud the people of Cambodia for having the courage to openly acknowledge their dark past. Foreign tourists are welcomed and encouraged to visit both these locations. In Phnom Penh tuk tuks can easily be arranged to make the round trip journey for $15-$20 USD. Until next time, Mike Pollock After nearly three weeks of using Siem Reap as a base to explore Cambodia’s remote northern temples, I got on a bus headed south on Highway 6 towards Phnom Penh. I had one more temple group on my list so I decided to spend two nights in the highway town of Kompong Thom. I was already familiar with this stretch of highway as I passed through it on my long journey to Prasat Preah Vihear. Located 90 miles south of Siem Reap (145 km), this town is on the busy route to Phnom Penh. Buses and vans pass through day and night, many of which stop in the town center at the Arunras Hotel and Restaurant for bathroom breaks and meals. This is a very easy town to get in and out of. The only problem that might be encountered is if the bus does not make its usual stop and you drive right on through. It’s advisable to remind the driver where you’re planning on getting off well before you get there. A smart phone and Google maps really come in handy when making these rural bus trips. The bus fare from Siem Reap, or to Phnom Penh, is $6 USD.
Prasat Sambor Prei Kuk is a temple complex located 18.5 miles (30 km) north of Kompong Thom. Built by the Chenla people, this site pre-dates the temples of Angkor by as much as 4 centuries. The site consists of three main temple groups in a heavily wooded area which can be toured in two to three hours. This area is far off the regular tourist path; visitors are much more likely to encounter locals than travelers as the temples are still used as places of worship. Hotels and guest houses in Kompong Thom can easily arrange tuk tuks or motorcycle taxis to make the 40 minute trip to Sambor Prei Kuk. Much of the journey involves traveling over dirt roads which is a bumpy and dusty ride in a tuk tuk. It must be a real adventure getting there during the rainy season. Drivers charge $15 USD round trip, or for an additional $5 USD will include a stop at Santuk Mountain. A number of stone carving workshops are set up along the highway between Santuk Mountain and Kompong Thom. It’s well worth stopping and checking out the locally produced artwork. Miniature pieces are available for purchase at very reasonable prices. Until next time, Mike Pollock Prasat Koh Ker is a large group of temples located 80 miles (130 km) north of Siem Reap. The site covers an area of approximately 30 square miles (80 km²) and contains over 180 temples and monuments. Many of these ruins have been lost to dense forest and are not accessible to visitors. Due to its remoteness, this site is well off the tourist path and sees few visitors when compared to the temples of Angkor. When King Jayavarman IV became the ruler of the Khmer empire in 928 AD, he moved the capital to his home city of Koh Ker. He is credited with building the road connecting Angkor with Koh Ker, one of four legs of the “Angkor Highway”. This system of roads would eventually stretch into present day Thailand, connecting the Empire’s distant cities with Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. King Jayavarman IV’s son, Harshavarman II, also ruled from Koh Ker, making it the kingdom’s capital from 928-944 AD. The highlight of the site is a temple complex known as Prasat Thom. These ruins are surrounded by a (mostly dry) moat and were built of a combination of sandstone and brick. Very little restoration work has been completed other than shoring up walls and structures to prevent further deterioration. Just to the west of Prasat Thom is an enormous 115 foot (35 m) tall sandstone pyramid, which served as the temples prang. The original stone stairway to the top is no longer usable; a wooden stairway has been built on the north side allowing visitors access to the highest part of the pyramid. The view of rural Cambodia from the peak is very impressive as is the stone structure itself. The center of the prang has partially collapsed, but you can still see great carvings of demons holding up a base that was to have supported a statue of Shiva’s bull Nandi. Towards the east and south of Prasat Thom are an additional 17 small satellite temples which are easily accessed from the main road. Koh Ker is very difficult to get to using public transportation. There is a small town to the south of the site which has at least two guest houses. However, there does not appear to be bus service there. The best option would be to base out of Preah Vihear City, 37 miles (60 km) to the east, and take a motorcycle taxi or car to the site. Unfortunately that would be a very long ride, perhaps 90 minutes, on the back of a moto. I was fortunate enough to find a really nice guy in Sra’aem with a car who offered to take me to Koh Ker and Beng Mealea and on to Siem Reap for $70 USD. I invited a fellow traveler whom I had met on a bus to join me. After splitting the fare with my new friend, it worked out to be quite the bargain. The driver, Mr. Roth, wanted to take his daughter to the Children’s Hospital in Siem Reap, so his wife and two charming daughters came with us. We departed Sra’aem at 07:30 AM and arrived at Koh Ker an hour later, travelling by private car is definitely faster and more comfortable than by public bus. We spent several hours touring Koh Ker at a very leisurely pace before heading off to Beng Mealea. The Beng Mealea temple complex is located 37 miles (60 km) from Siem Reap on Highway 64. Its modern day position, on a direct route between Angkor Wat and Koh Ker, is no coincidence. Scholars believe that Suryavarman II built Beng Mealea during the Angkor period of the early 12th century. It was clearly positioned along the Angkor highway that Jayavarman IV had constructed nearly two centuries before.
Beng Mealea can be reached from Siem Reap in approximately one hour which makes it squarely on the tourist path. The temple can get very busy with visitors but is well worth a visit as the reliefs (carvings) here are fantastic. There are a number of Naga (serpent) statues in excellent condition which are very popular with photographers. Little restoration work has been completed here and much of the temple is overgrown with plants and large trees. The main complex is accessed via series of raised wooden walkways which are partially shaded by the encroaching forest. The shade gives the visitor some relief from the midday heat and the walkways make this temple unique compared with other sites like Angkor Wat. We toured Beng Mealea for about an hour and a half before heading to Siem Reap. Upon arriving in Siem Reap around 04:00 PM, Mr. Roth was kind enough to drop us off at our respective hotels. We had a fantastic day touring temples at a leisurely pace with a very kind family. I am grateful to have met Mr. Roth; I might not have made it to Koh Ker without him. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail for Mr. Roth’s phone number. Until next time, Mike Pollock Prasat Preah Vihear is an ancient temple complex perched on top of a cliff in the Dângrêk Mountain range along Cambodia’s northern border with Thailand. At its highest point, the temple stands 2,051 feet (625 m) above sea level. Initial construction of the complex began in the 9th century A.D. and continued under the rule of a number of Khmer kings including Suryavarman I and Suryavarman II. The site’s remaining ruins were constructed during the 10th to 11th centuries. The site is unique due to its remote location, spectacular mountain view and troubled modern geopolitical history. For over one hundred years the Thais and Cambodians have disputed, often violently, ownership claims to Preah Vihear. In 1954, well after the last French troops left Cambodia, the Thai military occupied the temple. It was not until 1962 that the International Court of Justice ruled that the temple was “situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia”. In July of 2008 tensions rose again as soldiers from both sides of the conflict began occupying various temples and monuments along the border. By October the standoff became violent when troops engaged each other in firefights with small arms, RPGs and mortars. These sporadic clashes intensified and by early 2011 long range artillery and multiple launch rocket systems were used by both sides. Luckily civilian casualties were relatively low due to the sparse population on either side of the border. Presently the site is peaceful and perfectly safe for travelers to visit. However, new bunker complexes have been built on both sides of the border and the presence of the Cambodian military is proof that things could change. We recommend visiting this unique site now before conflict resumes or the area is invaded by tour buses. After my failed attempt to reach the temple from Anlong Veng, I decided to travel to Sra’aem and use the small highway town as a base. Sra’aem is less than 19 miles (30 km) from the temple’s main entrance and there are a number of small hotels and guest houses along both highway 62 and 2625. For independent travelers this is for sure the best way to reach Prasat Preah Vihear. To reach Sra’aem I visited several travel agencies trying to confirm a bus route and purchase a ticket. There are daily mini buses (vans) that make the three hour journey but I made the mistake of requesting a full sized bus thinking it would be a more comfortable option. I paid $12 USD for a ticket from Liang U.S Bus Company which conveniently provides hotel pick ups. When the booking was made I made it quite clear that I wanted to go to Sra’aem and the sales lady wrote that on the ticket. It wasn’t until I got on the bus that I realized it was bound for Kampong Cham, a town almost exactly five hours in the opposite direction from Sra’aem. As the bus proceeded south on highway 6 I assumed that at some point I would be transferred to another vehicle. I was correct, but unfortunately the stop where the change occurred on was 15 miles (20 km) south of the junction with highway 62. So, instead of taking three hours, my journey took seven and a half hours. By coincidence there was a traveler from Germany on the bus who made the same mistake of not booking the mini bus. Another option to reach Sra’aem is to take a bus from Siem Reap to Preah Vihear City and change buses to travel the second leg to Sra’aem. Preah Vihear City is a small town 53 miles (86 km) south of Sra’aem and should not be confused with the temple. When speaking about the temple it should be referred to as Prasat Preah Vihear to avoid confusion with the city or province of the same name. One big problem with bus travel in Cambodia is that many buses depart a particular town once or twice in the morning and only make one way trips. Upon arriving in Preah Vihear City, travelers will have to arrange a share taxi, or wait until the next day to catch a bus to Sra’aem. After stepping off the bus in Sra’aem we met motorcycle taxi drivers eager to take us to the temple. Good, this part was going smoothly, I booked a moto for the next morning at a price of $15 USD. The 18 mile (30 km) trip to the temple took around 30 minutes; we arrived before the ticket office opened at 07:45 AM. The entrance fee is $10 USD, after purchasing the ticket; you go to a second window to arrange transportation up to the temple. The mountain road is very steep. Private vehicles are not allowed to carry tourists from the ticket booth to the temple. There are three options to complete the journey; walk, which will take an hour, motorcycle for $5 USD or in pick-up trucks which will charge either $25 USD per person, or upon filling the truck with travelers, around $4 USD. Regardless which transportation option is chosen to make the final ascent, visitors are dropped off at a checkpoint at the base of the temple. Adjacent to the entrance is a large area containing food stalls. This is a good place to buy water as the remaining hike to the top of the cliff is hot and tiring. Most people will spend an hour our two touring the ruins but I found the mountain top temple very interesting and spent the entire day there. I highly recommend that visitors to Siem Reap make a trip to this unique site. Until next time, Mike Pollock The sleepy farming village of Banteay Chhamar is home to one of Cambodia’s largest and least visited temple complexes. The site is said to be “one of the greatest architectural marvels of South East Asia”. Located less than 12.5 miles (20 km) from the Thai border, the town’s remote location and lack of infrastructure keeps the temple off the main tourist path. The temple receives less than 300 visitors per month in high season; there is a very reasonable chance of having the 741 acre (3 km²) site all to you. Just like the Bayon at Angkor Thom, the complex was built under the reign of King Jayavarman VII in the 12th to 13th century. Visitors to Banteay Chhamar will surely recognize the huge face towers that Jayavarman VII commissioned for both Mahayana Buddhist temples.
From 2008-2014 the Global Heritage Fund over saw a 1.5 million USD project to survey and protect the site from further deterioration. The work included the reassembly of much of the outer enclosure walls where some of the best bas-reliefs can be viewed. The interior of the temple is very much in a state of ruins; trees, vines and dense foliage growing on, over and through collapsed sandstone walls. The visual effect is stunning and one can’t help but think this would have been the perfect location to have produced an Indiana Jones movie. In addition to the main temple, there are a number of smaller satellite structures and a large, mostly dry, man made lake known in Khmer as a baray. There are no hotels or guest houses in the village or surrounding area but home stay is available through the Banteay Chhamar Community-Based Tourism Group (CBT). Their website, Visit Banteay Chhamar, provides a wealth of information on touring the area, lodging, meals and contact information. Rooms cost just $7 USD per night and while the facilities are typical of rural Asia they are very primitive by Western standards. Delicious and inexpensive meals are provided by the organization at the visitors’ center across the road from the temple entrance. The CBT staff can organize taxis from either Siem Reap or Battambang or taxis can be booked in Siem Reap for around $120 USD each way. After visiting a few of the many travel agencies in Siem Reap, I decided to get on a bus headed to Bangkok through the Poi Pet border crossing. This route up highway 6 passes through the town of Serei Saophoan, 64 miles (103 km) from Siem Reap. From there it was supposedly easy to find a motorcycle taxi to travel north to Banteay Chhamar. For $7 USD I got a seat on a tourist bus which conveniently picked me up at my hotel. Unfortunately, we spent one hour picking up passengers before leaving the city. Once we got on the highway the trip took two hours including a quick bathroom break. The bus dropped me off in front of the Nasa hotel at the junction with highway 56 in Serei Saophoan. As soon as I got off the bus a motorcycle taxi appeared to complete the remaining 35 mile (57 km) of the journey. We arrived at the temple entrance an hour and a half later. The taxi fare was $15 USD. On the return trip to Siem Reap I got a car from Banteay Chhamar for $25 USD, which only took an hour to arrive at the old bus terminal in Serei Saophoan. From there I bought a bus ticket from Capitol Tour which cost $4 USD and arrived in the center of Siem Reap in less than two hours. The next thing on the agenda is another attempt at Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border. I’ll get on a bus Friday morning and make the three hour trip to the town of Sra’aem. Sra’aem is less than 19 miles (30 km) from the temple so with any luck I will arrive around noon. I might try to get to Koah Ker on the way back to see Prasat Thom (temple). Either way I will be back in Siem Reap early next week. Until next time, Mike Pollock On February 29th I started my journey from Thailand to Cambodia. My plan was to travel to Anlong Veng and use the town as a base to visit Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border. My second goal was to see Banteay Chhamar, a seldom visited temple in Banteay Meanchey province. Much of the following information will be included in the existing Thailand and the upcoming Cambodia pages.
Bus number 1485 departs the terminal in Surin Thailand for the Chong Chom border crossing every 15 minutes between the hours of 05:30 AM and 06:30 PM. This is a regular intercity bus which makes many stops, dropping off and picking up passengers as it works its way down highway 214 towards Cambodia. The trip takes at least an hour and a half and costs 45 baht. This bus is not a full sized motor coach, any baggage storage that the bus had was not utilized and my bag took up an entire seat which no one seemed to mind. The final stop in Chong Chom is about 300 feet (92 m) from the Thai immigration booth. This step is the same as departing Thailand from an airport, hand over your passport, receive an exit stamp and you are free to go. Another 300 feet past Thai immigration on the Cambodian side is a small building with two windows, one signed “visa service”, the other “immigration”. Go to the visa service window to receive a visa application form. Complete the form and return it to the same window with your passport, one passport sized photo and $30 USD. It should be noted that the fee for tourist visas increased from $20 to $30 USD on October 1st, 2014. Your passport will be handed back to you with a 30 day tourist visa decal affixed in it. At this point you need to take your passport to the immigration window, complete an arrival form and wait for an entrance stamp. The entire process from departing Thailand to entering Cambodia takes about 40 minutes. While going through the process of completing forms and waiting for Cambodian immigration to hand the passport back, taxi drivers touted their services virtually non stop. At immigration I was quoted a fare of 1500 Thai baht to Anlong Veng which I declined. Taxi and tuk tuk fares always decrease the further you get from the bus or train station exit. It is no different at a border crossing, as I walked down the road the taxi driver reappeared with a counter offer of 1000 Thai baht. Looking down the long road from the border I really didn’t see too many other options. I took this particular taxi but unfortunately when we arrived in Anlong Veng he just dropped me off in the center of town, refusing to try and locate my guest house. Upon being dropped off at the roundabout that serves as the town center, a moto taxi stopped at my side and offered to take me the rest of the way to my guest house. After checking in to my room and eating lunch I went for a walk around this dusty little town. Many motor cycle taxis stopped and offered to take me sight seeing and were more than willing to take me to Preah Vihear the next day. The trip up to the temple should have taken at least an hour and a half each way. The small motorcycles that are the popular among the locals were not my ideal transportation choice for a number of reasons. I never did ask for prices as I put this idea on the back burner. There is not a bus station or terminal in Anlong Veng but at least three busses owned by different companies operate from the town. They each have a parking space and next to the bus is a plastic table and chairs which is the ticket “office”. No one I met in this town spoke more than a half dozen words of English, this makes it difficult to do much more than to determine the departure time and buy a ticket. After “talking” with the ladies at the plastic table I was informed that I could get a ride at 06:00 AM for Preah Vihear. I assumed it was a share taxi and had some doubts about the return trip to Anlong Veng. I arrived at the bus stop at 05:45 the next morning for the trip to Preah Vihear but after speaking to different women it was confirmed that it would be a one way trip in a van operated as a share taxi. I could only return the following day with another share taxi. It quickly became apparent that it would be much more difficult to arrange transportation than I had anticipated. At 06:30 I made the decision to go get my bags from the guest house and get on the 07:00 bus for Siem Reap. When looking at the list of destinations posted at the bus stop you can’t help but notice that one bus is scheduled to make numerous stops in cities and towns which are nowhere near each other. In fact, some are in completely opposite directions. What happens is that the bus stops at major highway junctions and passengers are transferred to share taxis arranged and paid for by the bus companies. About forty minutes from Siem Reap I was put in a car with two other passengers for the remainder of the journey. The entire trip took around two hours and cost $5 USD. The share taxi stops at a bus station on the outskirts of the city but from there it’s very easy to find a tuk tuk into the city center for $3 USD. I spent the last four days in Siem Reap visiting the temples of Angkor, the former capital of the Khmer empire. In addition to sightseeing I have been planning another attempt at the country's northern most temples. In Cambodia it is not possible to rent a car without having a local driver. To hire a car and make the round trip drive to Preah Vihear or Banteay Chhamar costs in the range of $110- $130 USD. In the case of Preah Vihear, one can join a group tour which departs Siem Reap at 07:00 and returns at 05:00 for around $70 USD. I may do the latter, but in the mean time I believe that I have a bus route sorted to Banteay Chhamar and plan on making this trip on Saturday. Regardless of how this trip pans out, I will have a full report on the journey next week. Until next time, Mike Pollock After visiting three of the best known cities in northeastern Thailand, my train journey through the Isan region is coming to an end. I’m currently in Surin; Tomorrow I’ll catch a bus south to Chong Chom and cross the border into Cambodia.
None of the cities that were on my route are particularly interesting or have much to offer travelers; they are most definitely off the tourist path. I like to visit working town and cities, places where tourism is of lesser importance or non existent. Mostly I picked these places because they are all within striking distance of ancient Khmer temple ruins. Also, from Surin the border town of Chong Chom is easy to reach by bus. Chong Chom has a reputation as a stress free border crossing point and is close to my first stop in Cambodia Anlong Veng. Here is a list of towns that I visited and a summary of Isan’s best known Angkor era temples: Korat / Phimai / Prasat Hin Phimai Located 37 miles (60 km) from Korat’s city center, in the town of Phimai, is Prasat Hin Phimai Thailand’s largest Khmer built temple. This fantastic historical site is considered to be the most important of the Thai Angkor era temples. This is not only due to its impressive size but also its position at the end of the ancient “highway” from Angkor Wat. Most of the temples built at this time (11th-12th century) were oriented in an east to west direction. However, Phimai faces to the south, in the direction of Angkor, the former capital of the Khmer empire. After extensive restoration this temple is now in excellent condition and is well worth a visit. Also worth a visit is the Phimai National Museum, a ten minute walk from the historical park. This is an excellent museum which contains many interesting artifacts recovered from Phimai. In addition to the local finds, the museum displays antiquities from a number of different areas and time periods of Thai history. It is very easy to reach Phimai from Korat by either bus or van (mini bus). Large air-conditioned city buses depart bus terminal number two approximately every 40 minutes to an hour. The fare is 50 baht and the trip takes around an hour and fifteen minutes. The Phimai Historical Park is less than a five minute walk from the bus stop in Phimai’s town center. Buriam / Nang Rong / Prasat Phanom Rung / Prasat Muang Tam Located 43 miles (70 km) south of Buriam City are the restored temple complexes of Phanom Rung and Muang Tam. Built in the 10th-13th centuries Phanom Rung is the larger and more impressive of the two, it sits at an elevation of 1,319 (402 m) on the rim of an extinct volcano. Muang Tam lies another 4 miles (7 km) to the south of Phanom Rung. My original plan was to visit Phanom Rung by bus from Buriam’s bus terminal but after thoroughly researching a suggested route I found on the internet, deemed this journey to be impractical. These temples can really only be reached from Buriam by car or motorcycle. Tours can be arranged using taxis at a cost of $50 USD which includes stops at several sites. The other option is to use the town of Nang Rong as a base. However Nang Rong is still 26 miles (40 km) away without any public transportation options. I decided to give these two sites a pass as I still have many more Khmer temples to visit. Surin / Sikhoraphum / Prasat Sikhoraphum Prasat Sikhoraphum is a small temple complex built in the 11th to 12th century, located in the town of the same name. Sikhoraphum is easily reached by train from Surin, the 22 mile (35 km) trip takes approximately 40 minutes and third class tickets can be purchased for as little as 7 baht or 20 cents each way. Tuk tuks and moto taxis are available at the Sikhoraphum railway station or take a twenty minute stroll through town, past the central market, to the temple. Until next time, Mike Pollock |