Cambodia, home to the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat, and where monks wear Ray-Bans, what a country… As soon as we arrived here we felt this amazing cool and hip vibe you feel all over Cambodia. We could have stayed months touring around this beautiful country. Whether you are looking for beaches, culture or adventure, this country has it all.
Where we went
Suggested itinerary
Cambodia has several international airports but the two most obvious ones are Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. If you are coming from a neighboring country like we did (Thailand) it makes sense to land on Siem Reap to visit the mighty temples of Angkor first, and keep going south from there on to Phnom Penh and then down to the coastline.
To go to Phnom Penh from Siem Reap, you can either take a direct but which will take between 5 to 6 hours (around 10 USD), or you can take a flight which will take less than an hour but will be more expensive. From Phnom Penh you can then take a bus to Kampot or Kep (3 to 4 hours bus but wouldn’t recommend staying more than 1 night here) from where you can continue on to Sianoukville (around 2 hours) where you can board to boat to Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem islands. You can also take a bus or fly directly from Phnom Penh to Sianoukville if you want to go straight to the islands. There are loads of boat companies offering ferries to both islands, and you can very easily get a ticket at the harbour. We started with laid back Koh Rong Samloem and finished with Koh Rong.
NOTE: they will try to sell you a round ticket trip to the islands but note that in that case you are tied to the boat company you booked with and cannot get a return with another company (whose schedule might suit you better).
NOTE: if you are planning to visit the island of Phu Quoc in Vietnam after Koh Rong, you need to get a SPECIAL VISA which allows access to Vietnam OVERLAND. You can obtain this visa at the Vietnamese embassy in Sianoukville or through a local travel agency. If you only have an eVisa (booked online) you will be REFUSED at the border as this visa is only valid for arrival in international airports.