Cambodia Siem Reap - without car or tour, how much can I see? (1 Viewer)

[earlytorise]

I know about the Sam Veasna tour company,

But in order to save money I want to know how much I can see myself, and then maybe add on top of it a couple of day or half-day tours.

The hotspots in this map, can I basically arrange safe affordable transport both ways? (NB: I don't have a driving license.) With an obvious path or trail to follow at the hotspot?

And are the different temples distinct for birdlife, or will it be repetitive if I go to several? (There are still other temples beyond this map, I think.)

Any suggestions are welcome.

Then I could perhaps do the Florican tour.

 

[opisska]

10 years ago it was very easy to arrange a Tuk-tuk with driver for the day and then just tell the driver where you wanna go next, as soon as it's a named temple - if you stayed within the obvious temple area then the whole deal was surprisingly cheap for how touristic the area is. That was and I assume still is the default way how people not on tours get around - arranging to be picked up is much harder, so you just have your guy for the day and waiting for you.

 

[Montereyman]

When we visited we hired a government approved driver/guide for the time we were there. He took us to the temple complexes and would often drop us off at one end and pick us up at the other side. We also had the air conditioned car to recover from the heat and humidity. We took his recommendations on eating places during the day. He also took use to family operated palm sugar operation and to a silk worm operation that made clothing on the looms as well as extracting the silk.

The cost was trivial for the driver with his car if one adds up the cost of airfare, lodging, food, and other expenses. I found a great hotel in town that cost me $22 a night for my wife and I and this included breakfast at the cafe next door. There were places where we could have paid $400 a night but we are not into such tourist traps. The $22 a night hotel has AC and a firm mattress and hot shower and HBO in English.

 

[earlytorise]

10 years ago it was very easy to arrange a Tuk-tuk with driver for the day and then just tell the driver where you wanna go next, as soon as it's a named temple - if you stayed within the obvious temple area then the whole deal was surprisingly cheap for how touristic the area is. That was and I assume still is the default way how people not on tours get around - arranging to be picked up is much harder, so you just have your guy for the day and waiting for you.

How about Tonlé Sap lake, or Florican grassland, or some further-away place I might not have in mind? Did you go there, and if so did you pay a tour operator for it?

 

[opisska]

We went to "Tonle Sap" by just hiring a tuk-tuk on the street. Admittedly this was not optimal - we ended up on a village still pretty far off the lake, thr way towards the lake was partly flooded. We walked around, ended up in a wetland, got picked up by locals in canoes and then escorted away by police, because "there is many cobra".

 

[Frank van Drogen]

We went to "Tonle Sap" by just hiring a tuk-tuk on the street. Admittedly this was not optimal - we ended up on a village still pretty far off the lake, thr way towards the lake was partly flooded. We walked around, ended up in a wetland, got picked up by locals in canoes and then escorted away by police, because "there is many cobra".

Sounds adventerous

 

[YuShan]

If you want to bird around the temples, just rent a bicycle in town (unless you are carrying a scope). This is how I got around in my pre-birding days (2011) when visting these temples, and I would do so again if I wanted to bird the area.

 

[Montereyman]

We found our driver at the airport who was sent by the place we rented a room. The hotel operator did not want a driver to take us somewhere else. With humidity and high temperatures we relished being able to take a short break in the air conditioned car. No need for tour operator anywhere in Cambodia. We used the trunk for storingg extra gear when walking through the temples.

Great place to hire a boat for a few hours during the wet season.

Do recommend using permethrin on your clothing and picaridin on your skin to avoid mosquitoe bites.

 

[James Lowther]

Didn’t do proper independent birding round Angkor but traveling round by tuk tuk (provided via the hotel) was good. I’m sure a car has its advantages but the breeze and the sounds and the general sense of being outside was really nice.
They aren’t super fast though so maybe not ideal for more distant sites like e.g. Koh ker
Cheers
James