Cambodia Getting around

Cambodia - Getting around

Flying is the quickest (and of course most expensive) way of getting to places like Angkor, Ratanakiri, Koh Kong, Stung Treng and Mondulkiri. Road travel is safer than it's been for years, but your body is still going to suffer for travelling by bus - the country's highways are in truly pathetic shape. Train travel is back on the agenda for visitors - and it's ludicrously cheap - but the journey will take much longer than by bus. Trucks and jeeps tackle the dreadful roads to Siem Reap, Battambang and Kratie, and share-taxis scoot around the south coast. With some 1900km (1180mi) of navigable waterways to utilise, boats play a major role in getting around. The most popular services operate between the capital and Siem Reap - the express service cuts the journey time down to a mere four hours. Fast boats also head up the Mekong to Kompong Cham, Kratie and Stung Treng. An effective local bus network makes travel to sights around Phnom Penh much easier than driving, particularly as cars can only be hired with a driver - and when you look at the country's highways from hell, perhaps that's all for the best. Taxis are more common in the cities these days, and cyclos and motos (small motorcycles) can be flagged down for short hops.