Cambodia's history

Not only is Cambodia beautiful in scenery but it also has a very rich history; it's almost a shame if you do not try fully understand what the Cambodians went through in the past 30 to 40 years. Their past is filled with anger, violence and despair and you can still see this in many of the older generations.

You are all most likely aware of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. The consequences of this regime are still being felt today. From this genocide many of the brightest people were killed to stop any uprising and because of this massive brain-drain, once the regime ended the country had to rebuild with under educated citizens.

Some of the soldiers involved in the Khmer Rouge were put to trial and sentenced, however, some people still believe that even though they were punished, it is the locals that are still being punished more for what they and their ancestors were put through.

It is quite a scary thought that this was still very recent. After learning more about their history while in the country, I found out that the faces of the regime were out there in meetings with the UN, however, what was actually happening to their countrymen were so well hidden that the rest world wasn't aware of the devastation that was happening at the same time.

The Cambodians will not let their people forget the suffering they endured as they believe it will make them stronger. They have turned former fields used for the massacres and prisons as memorial grounds and museums to educate the younger generation and visitors wishing to know more about their culture and what makes them who they are today.

Your hostel should help you get to both the places below. We paid between the three of us about US$10 roughly each for the tuktuk driver to get us here. Although, you can haggle with other tuktuk drivers instead for a better price.

1) Choeung Ek Killing Fields Memorial / Genocide Centre
There is a small entrance fee and you get given headphones and a recorder which will narrate what happened at each stop. They come in difference languages too, otherwise you could pay for a tour guide. You will need a good two hours at least here, depending on how quickly you want to walk through the grounds.

2) Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21 Prison)

This high school was converted into a prison by the Khmer Rouge and used between 1975 to 1979. Here the prisoners were tortured and coerced to release names of associates, family members and friends who the Khmer Rouge thought were against them. In turn, they were then captured, tortured and killed. 

This is a chilling site as they still have many records of all the prisoners that went through this place. Headshots and disturbing images line some of the rooms and they have kept the cells the same since the last day this prison was used. Dried blood spots still stain the floors and in some areas there are still footprints of the last prisoner that was kept in that cell. 

Cambodia and Vietnam

A friend of mine made this little video of our travels through Cambodia and Vietnam in January this year. It is a collection of our videos and photos. Enjoy!

Cambodia and Vietnam on Vimeo

Crossing the Cambodian/Vietnamese border

OVERLAND VS FLYING

*Crossing the border by bus

My journey went from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. There are about five or so buses that depart a day between these two cities and to make the most of our time in Phnom Penh we decided to take the 2pm bus. The cost of this bus was only USD$11.

This ride was supposedly only 6 hours however from our experience we knew that we should give or take one or two hours, just in case. As part of the bus company we rode with the price of the ticket also included a shuttle van pick up from our hostel (88 Backpackers) to take us to the bus station. On board we were also given each a free bottle of water. This is  a good little drive through the countryside and it was interesting to see the varying styles of housing built, which were between brick two-story complexes to just raised bamboo huts. You also experience being on a five minute ferry ride crossing a river before having a short stop at a roadside restaurant before the border.

Before this stop the driver will explain in both English and Vietnamese the procedures. You are also expected to hand over your passport to the driver’s assistant at this point as well. The bus will stop at the Cambodian side where you then exit the bus as the driver’s assistant calls out your name. You receive your passport, stand in line at a booth where an immigration officer will then stamp in your exit date and you make your way onto the bus again. Again you hand over your passport to the driver’s assistant and it’s about a 5 to 10 minute ride to the Vietnamese border. In-between these two borders the area is lined with casino after casino and locals employed as promoters handing out discount cards to those trying to cross the boundary.
The process is the same again. You wait for your name to be called out to receive your passport. This time you must take your entire luggage with you before you head into the customs building. No matter how much the driver explains what the procedure is at the border it did not prepare us for what to expect here. The best I could describe it was more so of an organised chaos, using the word organised very loosely. There were no lines as such, a lot of people cramped in the building and a lot of waiting around. It is up to the driver to get your passports to a custom official to get all the documents needed before being able to go through security and over to the other side. It also didn’t help that there seemed to be only two custom officials working for the amount of people that were trying to enter the country. There were two lines or booths, one for Vietnamese passport holders and one for foreigners although I don’t think those rules were being followed. I never timed it exactly but I’m pretty sure we waited about an hour or so before my bus’ passports were done. It also seemed like if the driver had slipped over some extra money then our passports would have been pushed closer to the front of the queue, but either way we got through in the end. It was definitely an experience.

Once you received your passport and your bags went through security you boarded the bus once more and it was roughly another hour to two ride to the drop off point in Ho Chi Minh.  With the bus ride and the waiting time at the border I’d say the overall time took about eight hours.

*Crossing the border by plane

If you are limited on time this may be the fastest and hassle-free option. However, having a quick look at flight tickets today from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh you are looking at paying approximately USD$145 for a flight opposed to only USD$11 for a bus. Although, the journey does only take 45 minutes so this is definitely the more time-efficient way of travel. Also, you would expect the normal procedures at immigration like any other airport rather than just a waiting game/who is down to give a little bribe!

Buses: Cambodia

So this is a short post to give you a rough idea on what prices you should expect when travelling between certain cities in Cambodia on their inter-city bus system. One thing about the transport- always expect delays.

*Siem Reap to Sihanoukville
Sleeper bus (approximately 11 to 12 hours). This bus left at 8pm and was supposed to arrive in at 7am the next morning, however, we were an hour late.The back of the seat is at a 45 degree angle so it's pretty comfortable. I'm about 5'4ft and I just fit; however, those that are a little taller may want to try request the seats/beds at the back as they had slightly more leg space. If you have ear plugs, an eye mask and a neck pillow, you'll be good to go!

Cost: USD$18 per person

There are other companies as well that have an hour or two earlier departure times and prices are all similar. From memory the earliest bus may leave around 6-7pm and the latest around 9pm.

*Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh
Unfortunately, as we had a very windy day on our last day out from Koh Rong Island to the mainland our ferry was delayed due to the large swells so we missed our 2pm bus. These buses are typical passenger buses and costed only USD$6. 

There were about 5 to 7 buses going throughout the day between these two cities and a few different bus companies; however, they do book out quite fast. The travel time between these two cities is supposed to be around 5 hours.

TIP: If you do happen to have a group of 3 or 4  you can order a taxi instead. This takes only about 3 hours opposed to the 5 and there was a set price of USD$50-60 depending on what time of day you leave. Split this between the group and it's not much more than a bus.