Korean Job Discussion Forums

Talia · Joined: 20 Apr 2005

Is a guide necessary / recommended or would a guidebook be sufficient while visiting the temples?

dharma bum · Joined: 15 Jun 2004

i would recommend using a guide just because hiring one is cheap and it can save a lot of trouble. with a good Angkor Wat guidebook (not something like LP's Southeast Asia on a Shoestring), however, you could do fine, especially with the main structures. it might be a little more difficult to get to and enjoy the more remote wats without a guide though.

JZer · Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Location: South Korea

What is the best way to get to there from Korea? Is it better to fly to Phom Phen or to Bangkok?

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

If you're "not that into it", to quote a phrase, and you'd rather be alone, I'd say don't bother with a guide. That's how I usually roll anyway.

However, you will need your own transport. Siem Reap is full of guys on bicycle rickshaws harrassing people to hire them. You can hire one for the day in front of your hotel in the morning (I don't remember how much I paid, but it was nothing), and he will take you anywhere you want to go. The entrance fee to the temple district is like $20, but they don't charge the drivers. If you want to see a temple, tell him to stop and he will wait for you until you come out, and take you to the next temple. My guy was awesome. His name was Lai. Cool kid. I arranged for him to to come by the next morning to take me to the airport.

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Talia · Joined: 20 Apr 2005

Thanks for the advice. I am debating between hiring a driver only or a driver/tour guide.

[quote="JZer"]What is the best way to get to there from Korea? Is it better to fly to Phom Phen or to Bangkok?[/quote]
I'm flying round trip, Incheon direct to Siem Reap. Asiana. You can PM me if you want more info.

deessell · Joined: 08 Jun 2005

The "procedure" involved with seeing the site is a nightmare. Be prepared for a half hour monotone, megahone list of all the rules and regulations before you are allowed to see the sun set then told to return tomorrow, when your pass is valid.

It is also owned by a Vietnamese Oil Co called sokimex(?). The cambodians don't get any money from the gate. So you do need to help the locals out by employing them. The one you hire should save you extra sales pitches.

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

They have direct flights to Siem Reap now? That's awesome, it'll save a lot of headaches. Pnomh Penh isn't that great a town to see anyway, although the Killing Fields are worth a look and the riverfront is interesting, but Angkor is much better.

Just watch where you step and don't go off into places off the beaten path. There are still a lot of active landmines around there.

hogwonguy1979 · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: the racoon den

Get a guide, its worth it. We paid $130 + admission fees for a car and driver for 3 days. Guide I had survived the killing fields so he was very interesting

You can also fly Vietnam Airlines to Siem Reap, change planes in Saigon and you get there by 5P. Bangkok Airways can be very expensive as they a monopoly on flights from Bangkok.

justagirl · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Cheonan/Portland

I just posted about this. We had an awesome driver named Mr. Savy, who was incredible. He gave us all the information we could have wanted about the temples, then let us meander around as long as we wanted. We could take as much time as we wanted for exploring, but no annoying guide following us everywhere as we took in the awesome sights.

Mr. Savy knew all the info about the temples, the history of Cambodia, etc. I don't know why you'd want a guide on top of that, especially if you have the guide book, too. Mr. Savy charges right at $20/day.

If you do a search with my name (justagirl) and Cambodia, you'll find all my info I wrote about a week ago about Mr. Savy, Angkor Wat and Cambodia. Save yourself $20/day or more by not having a guide. Smile

Have a great time--I'd love to go back! Just a little note, it's more like a national park than a jungle ruin. Lots of grass fields and paved roads, but definitely worth going to more than once in your life. We loved it!

justagirl

ps--aren't the killing fields hours and hours away from Siam Reap??? Maybe a guide for that would be nice, but for Angkkor, not really necessary with a good driver.

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

markeboy · Joined: 08 Oct 2005

when your in Phnom Penh, dont forget to visit Tuol Sleng (the infamous prison) not a heartwarming visit but a definite must!

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Canuckophile · Joined: 30 Jan 2003

Some people who bike between the Angkor Wat ruins don't use any kind of guide, but it's helpful to have a duk duk driver. (On another post I recommended MR SENG - also $20 a day - really nice young man, very decent English (wish Koreans learned English as well as these SE Asians), scrupulously honest, sweet as could be - and very helpful; he has his name on the side of his duk duk)

We used Lonely Planet guide and the local Siem Reap tourist guide (quite well written... there are some other Asian countries - ahem, no names mentioned here - that could learn a thing or two about hiring real western writers to do their tourist info stuff ... and it was definitely straightforward - not a lot of fluff.)

At the ruins sometimes a cop will pop up and start to give you the tourist rundown - actually quite useful if you are the sort who wants to know something about what you're looking at. They will take you through the entire ruin (better info than the paid guides, fromm what I could figure out from eavesdropping on the paid guides) and then wait for you to pay. Unless you run away from these "guides", you should tip them - $5 is usual amount. These cops (virtually all married with kids) make $20 a month so it's pretty necessary for them - I had one guy at one ruin who actually grew up in the ruin - h e was orphaned there at age 7. Amazing, e h? Now he has a wife and a kid - believe me, he needs the money.

You can stay cheap or expensive in Siem Riep - we opted for middle ground ($25 a night - 50% off regular rate at a good hotel called City River - quiet area and very convenient - close to market and obviously right in front of river)

No fluff needed anywa y on Angkor Wat - it's awesome.

You can fly to Siem Riep from several locations, I think - Laos, Phnom Penh and Bangkok. And there are direct flights from Incheon to Phnom Penh - makes the most sense if most of your trip will be in Cambodia.

I enjoyed Phnom Penh - the 2 museums (Royal Palace and National Museum ) are awesome. Good paired with trip to Angkor Wat - you'll understand a lot more.

Best way to get to Phnom Penh from Siem Reap (or vice versa) is NOT the highly touted river cruise (I talked to people who said you'll go deaf from the noisy engine and see little - river is so broad you rarely see the shore). Instead, take the air con tourist bus for the 5 or 6 hour trip; I think it was $12 or !4. The countryside is fabulous (still very "native" - many beautiful sights) and the bus is a fully escorted and very comfortable ride with hostesses who offer you free snacks etc (kinda cute: they use metal tongs to hand you your PLASTIC WRAPPED wet napking)

BTW bring your USD - they do more biz in USD than in Cambodian rial.

Canuckophile · Joined: 30 Jan 2003

One more thing about Angkor Wat - it's a tourist hot spot now and very crowded.

Lonely Planet suggests going to the main sites at the opposite time of day that they are considered most phohtogetnic. (Ex: Angkor Wat supposed to be seen in evening - go in morning.)

worked for us - also - just wait 10 minutes and most of crowds (usually guided tours including lotsa Koreans) will barrel thru and leave you in peace for quite a while.

Also see things during high noon lunch hour - it get s almost deserted then.