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[sandinista445]

I'm planning a trip through South East Asia, and I have a question regarding transportation through Cambodia. I'm wondering if there is a safe and easy way to get across Cambodia (from Vietnam to Thailand) other than flying?

I've read that train travel in Cambodia is dangerous. Is there a safe alternative? Is there a bus line that crosses the (tiny) country? I might stop for a day or so in Cambodia, but the main destination after Vietnam would be Thailand.

[anospi]

You're going to cross from Vietnam to Thailand, and you *might* spend a day or so in Cambodia?

Have you ever heard of Angkor Wat? Do you have any idea what Phnom Penh's nightlife is like?

Hmm, forget it. There are buses. They're easy, safe and cheap. Or you can get the boat up the Tonle Sap. The train only goes as far as Battambang, and that could take days. But you do get to sit on the roof.

[TravellingT]

Anospi is right - there's so much to see in Cambodia. Angkor Wat is not to be missed. I travelled through SE Asia a few years ago and I took a minibus from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Pehn and then took a boat to Siem Riep and then another minibus to the Thai border.

If you're only 'thinking' of spending a day there you're better off flying right to Thailand from Vietnam as sometimes the roads can be unbearable. They often pack you into minibusses so tightly that you would prefer to be in a sardine can and not to mention that it can be incredibly dusty at times. I had orange dust in my ears, up my nose and all over my body - it goes through your clothes.

Enjoy your travels.

[marklatham]

Some good advice there from the bros.
At present roads in cambodia are shocking,"road" is a very kind description of most of them.
I flew from bangkok to siem reap and then flew to PP.The bus to kep and kampot was a shocker,but I met a lovely young girl who was the bus girl's friend just along for the ride.
The road from kampot to snooky was under construction for half the way but still pretty good,the rest was a good toll road.
The worst ride was snooky to koh kong which included four major river crossings on dodgy ferries-what an experience.
But the country all in all-AWESOME.
PS worst road is up bokor mountain.

[ecalpemos]

To combine two of your replies here, when I travelled from snooky to koh kong some of the dust(read; mud, rainy season had begun) stuck to my t-shirt. No surprise! the surprise is that the stain is still there after three years! Nothing will get rid of it.

[Camwanader]

[nomad50]

It's easy and convenient to get to the Thai border from Phnom Penh. If you merely want to cross the country, forgoing Angkor Wat, then by all means take the bus (it's actually a van) from the Central Market to Koh Kong.(travel agents sell tickets to Koh Kong) The ride is about six hours, and crosses four rivers by ferry. At each ferry stop, you get out and mingle with the locals, eat, have a beer, take photos of the beautiful countryside, chat with the vendors, etc. It's great fun. Koh Kong is one of the best kept secrets in Asia. Since Angkor Wat is in the NE, and Poipet is close to Bangkok, virtually all visa runners and backpackers head there. The border town of Koh Kong is quiet and placid, a great place to spend a couple of days just relaxing. You cross the border there, to Ban Had Lek in Thailand. The border-crossing is hassle-free. A van leaves about every half hour for Trad, where you can pick up a bus to points west, including Bangkok. I've made the trip a dozen times, and loved it each time. Have fun!

[Serious_Fun]