Phnom Penh, Cambodia — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
Flights to Phnom Penh are served by a number of different airlines, including Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, Air France and Air Asia.
Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH)
Tel: (023) 890 890.
Website: www.cambodia-airports.com
Phnom Penh International Airport is located 10km (6 miles) from the city and is one of two international airports in the country. It serves several Asian cities including Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Hanoi, Vientiane and Guangzhou.
Airport facilities
Include bureau de change, duty-free shops, bookshop, post office, cafe, bar, tourist information, as well as a business-class lounge and Wi-Fi.
Transport to the city
Taxis wait outside the airport with a fixed fare to the city (there are no meter taxis) for the 20- to 40-minute ride into town.
Getting There By Road
The roads around Cambodia vary from excellent to very poor tracks but conditions are improving slowly. Traffic drives on the right, but cars are both left-hand and right-hand drive cars, which can account for the rather reckless manner of driving adopted by the Cambodians. The road system around Phnom Penh is the best in the country with numbered routes leading out of the city. It is not possible to hire cars in Cambodia but it is possible to hire a car with a driver.
Routes to the city
Route 1 is the main road to the Vietnamese border at Moc Bai, Route 4 takes you to the only port at Sihanoukville and Route 6 to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor. The further you travel from the capital, the more the roads deteriorate and land travel becomes a grueling experience. It is important to remember that during the rainy season, May to October, even major routes can suffer disruption because of serious flooding. Most long-distance taxis leave from the northwest corner of the Central Market.
Driving times to the city
From Battambang - 4 hours; Kampot - 3 hours; Siem Reap – 4 to 5 hours; Sihanoukville - 2.5 hours.
Coach services
As the roads leading out of Phnom Penh are good, there is an extensive bus service to places such as Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Rattanakiri, Battambang, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City. These are operated by the main bus company, Phnom Penh Sorya Transportation (tel: (023) 210 359; www.ppsoryatransport.com), and buses depart from the southwest corner of the Central Market, corner at Street 217 and Street 67.
Getting There By Rail
There are two lines in Cambodia, from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and Battambang but neither line is operating at the moment. However, there is ongoing work to upgrade and reopen both lines by 2013.
Getting Around in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Public Transport
There is no public bus service within Phnom Penh.
Taxis
There is only one metered taxi company, Global Taxis (tel: (011) 311 888) in Phnom Penh, but unmarked taxis wait outside hotels or can be arranged through the hotel. Fix a price before you leave. Taxi companies which you can book in advance include Phnom Penh Taxi (tel: (012) 556 476) and Phnom Penh Taxi Driver (tel: (016) 886 544). Their rates are fixed by distance or destination. Motorbike taxis or motodops wait outside the hotels and cruise the streets offering their services to pedestrians. You should negotiate fares before starting the journey and be aware that the fare is higher at night. Also be absolutely clear about your destination as many of the motodop drivers are unfamiliar with Phnom Penh. Cyclos also cruise the streets and wait outside the hotels; these are ideal for shorter journeys or leisurely sightseeing tours, but tend to be more expensive than motodops.
Car Hire
It is only possible to hire a car with a driver. You can arrange car hire by private negotiation with taxi firms such as Cambodia Driver (tel: (016) 639 852; www.cambodiadriver.com) or through tour operators such as Exotissimo Travel (tel: (023) 218 948; www.exotissimo.com) and Diethelm Travel (tel: (023) 219 151; www.diethelmtravel.com).
Bicycle Hire
Cycling is common in the city but the traffic, which mainly consists of motorbikes, is chaotic. Many guest houses hire out bicycles very cheaply for the day. You can also hire bikes from The Vicious Cycle, 29 Street 130 (tel: (016) 337 363 or (012) 462 165).
