Siem Reap

Great info guys! Thanks from those of us who want to get the most out of our SR visit.

[QUOTE=Dinghy]hours - "daylight to darkness" (angkhor wat itself is pretty much closed after dark - not many if any lights that I remember) The hill opposite (sunset temple) is open after dark but the bugs will eat you alive - if you walk down take the elephant trail ($15 ride up on an elephant) - not so steep and easy walking - otherwise it's a rock climb - sun goes below horizon, get down before the bugs get up there

great photos at bayon - as good as any postcard. and angkhor wat as well - the wall carvings are particulalry photoworthy. it CAN be done in 1 day but it's 6am to 630 or 7 pm in the process... and the rains seem to come at night right after dark and it gets pretty DEEP on the streets - 15cm was what I remember

good books were cheaper at the wat rather than buying in bookstore - probably cheaper still in the market (where ever that is) The local guidebook is good for the non-mongering stuff. I remember at least 2 free guidebooks (magazines)

there were 3 temples under reconstruction (giant puzzle work) 2 years ago when I went there[/QUOTE]

Yes to all this, and would add - if you stay at a decent hotel or B&B they will be able to recommend a good guide... three of us shared one who drove his own car and guided us... $25 a day for guiding and something like 20 for the car -- more expensive than other ways, but worth it in the heat to be taken in an a/c car and have someone who knew when to go where (e.g. to avoid crowds and get the best photos, etc.).

Books are all around - the street urchins and landmine victims walk around town with books you can buy, and there are a couple used bookstores in town. Cheaper buying there than before you leave home (but of course, you may not have time to read while you are mongering at night, so on second thought maybe you should read up before leaving home!).

[QUOTE=Saltydog]Can anyone help with the cost from Saigon to seam reap? VN airlines will not quote me a price on the phone.[/QUOTE]

Hope this might help,
[url]http://www.traveller2000.com/vietnam/international/airfares/reservation.htm[/url]
[url]http://www.royalkhmerairlines.com/fares.html[/url]
[url]http://www.tourismcambodia.com/Flights/[/url]

I think most of the hotels in Cambo under USD20 per day do not have in-room safe.

Thanks alot for all the information. VNA didn't say if the $166 was round trip from Saigon to Siem Reap and Khmer at $89 is diffently a much better price. The information didn't say round trip either. Either way the airfare is a good price to fly there from either airline. I hope Khmer airlines isn't still flying those Russian airplanes. I read an article about 1 plane flying into a mountain because it didn't have the kind of radar that can see thru fog and see the terrain. I saw a picture of it and it was an older model style plane. I hope to drink a cold beer on the elephant ride though. Need some more information on where exactly that's at. 1 week in Saigon and! Week in Siem Reap should be enough for me. Thanks for all the help.

Salty,

If you have arrangement with tuk-tuk driver to Angkor, Ask him to take you to see the sunset before you go back to the hotel at around 5pm. That place is also at a ruins but the trails going up the hill is quite a hike for those young man only at heart. There is elephant ride going up from here.
If you have time, you can go by bus from Saigon to Phnom Penh which around 8 hours ride and is less than USD20, party in the capital and then to Siem Reap at <= USD10 by Bus also for around 6 hours.

Capitol does the trip to S.R. for around 6 $ and (sometimes) stop at their downtown office after letting people off the bus at the official bus station.

Just thought I'd update, sitting here at the Golden Orange hotel at the bar on the free internet they have. Out last night, near pub street with Doug the owner, great guy and very knowledgable on the scene around here. Went to regular places like Zone One and Sok San lot's of cuties all over the place. Had a friend with me so I couldn't pick up but it seems even though it is low season that there are plenty of choices and ladies available.

After getting over a nasty hangover aquired at the laid back X BAR upstairs across from the end of pub street, I headed over to some of the special massage locations that others had posted on. Went to Blue wave passed it and found the massage sign and went down the dirt alley to find a house around 6pm, one cute spinner friendly but a bit of a Mr. you do me kinda girl. and spoke some Thai aquired working in the Poipet casino brothels. 10 bucks but took some haggling with my tuk tuk driver.

Doug just closed the restaraunt (great food bye the way) so I'm off to pub street for a meal then to the places around the corner from Zanzibar where I found a cute little Viet girl but the performance of a pornstar. Stopped by and had her put herself on hold for a 11pm pick up by me.

If you get a chance come to Siem Reap and see Angkor, the nightlife is decent and allows you to round off the trip with various activities. Price a bit more than PP but not terribly bad if you put forth a bit of effort.

If you need anything just ask the staff or Doug here at the Golden Orange and they can get it for you. I didn;t try the in room massage service which I have heard to be great but maybe next time.

Off to Battambong in the morning by boat pick up at 6am then I will post on Battambong in other areas once I get to PP.

Barang

[quote=saltydog]can anyone help with the cost from saigon to seam reap? vn airlines will not quote me a price on the phone.

i hope it's not too expensive as i would like to spend the money in cambodia. the golden temple guest house seems like a nice place to stay according to the reports but what is the security like there. do they have in room security boxes so i can keep my stuff in? hotel looks good but is my first choice to the golden orange so i'the like to know. i kind of like the appearance of the golden temple but they will not email my questions regarding security boxes. better safe than sorry. there's a speed boat i read but how long does that take to get to seam reap and cost. the 1st week of october i hope is not too busy of a time to try to get a room at either of these to hotels. guys help me out as i got 6 weeks to try and figure out how i'm going to get from saigon to siem reap. all the reports were very helpful an am getting anxious to get the details of my trip done. 1st stop in siem reap will be martini's. later[/quote]glad to hear so many have tried my advice and stayed at the golden orange. as far as lock boxes golden orange has a huge box. large enough to put computer and camera. i personally am looking forward to going back to sr in november, for those that have not been there make it a stop. am seriously thinking about spending 6 months a year over in cambodia and sr so far top of list. planning on 3 month trip in november to explore more of cambodia. like to get to know snooky since what i have read could be very laid back. fromn what i remember rental condos going up left and right in sr with rent in the $150us per month.

Does any one know if there is a safe or security box at the Mandalay Inn?

I am staying at this hotel in Oct.

Does anyone know if its GF?

[QUOTE=Mauldid]Does any one know if there is a safe or security box at the Mandalay Inn?[/QUOTE]I was there in May, had a small room on the second floor with a double bed. I did not see any safety boxes, and there weren't too many hiding spots. Nothing went missing although i always locked my bag before i went anywhere. Nice place, never brought any girls back but after researching the forum before i left most reports were positive with bringing the girl back. Nice hotel with nice staff and close to pub street.

Nice to know I'm not the only one concerned about being safe. Who would think about carrying around a bunch of money into town. Sure it's good to know where it's at but it is a little crazy. Of course we all will leave stuff in the room but our stuff is always on your mind. I appreciate the feedback on the security of the rooms in a few hotel mentioned here. While going on tour it's good to know what the hotel is like. There was a report on a hotel in PP and the guy said when he went to his room unexpectedly there were a bunch of people hanging out and one of the guys was wearing one of his shirts. Imagine that one! Kind of hard to believe but Cambodia is not VN. The police in VN have a thumb on the people there and I believe they know how to behave. Not long now and I'll find out.

Will be in town the first weekend of October.

If anyone's going to be there at that time PM me.

Just got thru spending a week at the Golden Orange Hotel and like the report said everything there is good. The Austrailian beef was excellent, can't beat the T-Bone, Rib Eye for just $7 bucks. What a nice hotel and bar. Spent a little time at Martini's, Zone One, Blue Wave and didn't like those places so just had a few beers and left. What ever happened to the chase? Buy a drink and they want to go. Didn't like what I saw anyway. One evening a group of guys from Mexico, Spain, Australia, England decided to jump into a couple of tuk tuks and take a ride to the Sok San Palace. The group went into the disco and I got lost and ended up at the end of a hallway staring thru a glass to see about 20 girls sitting with numbers. I went in and told the guy that I just wanted to look. He said $50 and I was gone. I caught up with the guys only for a short time. There was this Kymer girl fumbeling for a lighter so being a nice guy I lit her cigerettte. We were talking and then I noticed the guys moved to another area of the disco. We talked some more for maybe 30 minutes and finally asked if she would like to go with me and she held up 4 fingers. I said no and she put up 3 so I said ok. She was 20 years old and I would say a good 40 kilos. Very good looking Kymer woman and we spent the night and 2 times was enough for me. Had to get up early and hit the temples again. Many of the tuk tuk drivers have a look of disgust when you mention Vietnamese women. They all said bad, bad, very mean so I took their advice. Went back to the disco and noticed many young very pretty women there hanging out. Talked to another and off we went. The Kymer womem have very hard names to remember so I can't tell you guys any of the names. I haven't been to PP but I think next time in Cambodia I will see less temples and more of the Sok San Palace Disco. Like one guys said here "One pile of rocks looks like another. " I'm back on the side.

Sorry this is long overdue. I have explained myselfin the PP forum. Please read this in conjuction with that report also.

5/9/07 - Arrived from PP in am. Got to the Mandalay Inn where I was staying. Got settled in and spoke to staff and the owner's wife. Her hubby is Burmese apparently. Anyway, arranged all my tours etc with them. Went out to Banteay Srei and Pre Rup. Also caught my first glimpse of the mighty Angkor Wat before sunset. In the evening I went on a wild goose chase around various bars and clubs with no success whatsoever. There didn't seem to be any normal girl bars like in PP. Zanzybar near my hotel was dead. My hotel staff warned me off Martinis due to local troubles. I ended up getting an alleged, young Viet girl from one of the brothels with pink lights on the road that Zone One is on. It was agreed on $25 for 2 hours. $15 paid to the guy there and $10 to the girl on completion. Her english was non-existent but she seemed to suggest she wasn't Viet. Anyway, at the hotel she also refused to shave down there. Also pictures were not really allowed. DATY & Oral waer ok but she did have a fine body all round. Sex was average and I didn't cum. No anal of course.

6/9/07 - early start for sight-seeing. Bayon at dawn with no-one else there - amazing experience. Preah Khan and then the whole afternoon for Angkor Wat, which nearly killed me in the heat! That night I went out expecting to just go back to those brothels. Spotted though, the Zanzybar was kicking. Full of Khmers and I was in a Viet mood. Played pool with this lively older-looking, thin chick that I really wanted to nail. Ended up asking her to call me next day around 12 pm. I was sure I made it v. clear that I was leaving for PP at 3pm. Ended up leaving and going to another brothel in the same area as before. Picked out another gorgeous, young Viet girl for $25. Practically identical service to the night before but sex was better and I came whilst doing her doggy and spurted all over her backside!! Success at last!!

7/9/07 - Went to Rolous in the am. Shopping and lunched whilst waiting and hoping for a call from the Zanzybar chick. My mobile rang but then hung up. It called again from the same no. and I answered. I started explaining to her that time was of the essence etc. It soon transpired that it wasn't who I expected but the useless chick from PP from my 1st day there. I told her I had asked her to call on Sat and it appeared her friend had disappeared. I hung up, knowing I wouldn't hear from her again. Time passed and no other call came. Before I knew it, I was flying back to PP.

As it happens, that girl did call me that night but I had to explain I was back in PP. She was gutted!! Please return to the PP report for the rest....