hi all,
my mate and I are booked onto the Vietnam Adventure on December 11th. We are doing 2 weeks solo (a week either side of tour) as well as the 2 weeks of tour. Starting in Thailand and heading into Cambodia. I just have a few questions:
How much local currency should I take (Dong) ?
Should I keep my main currency (dollars or pounds) in the bank and get from ATMs when required but keep some dollars as pocket change? and if so how much ? Not planning on buying anything (gifts) till after tour end - so just need cash for beer, food and transport. Not sure how cheap things are... Also will a Visa Debit card work ok for booking hotels etc ?
Also can anyone advise on a good hotel for a couple of days in Siem Reap and also best transport for :
between Siem Reap and Ho Chi Min City hopefully avoiding Phnom Penh !
Thanks in advance !John
Hi John,
Hopefully I can answer all your questions.
ATMs are everywhere and you should have no problem getting cash from them. However be wary of strange appendages on the front on any ATMs mainly in Malaysia and Thailand but also other pleaces in the region there are gangs who install a card reader onto the front of ATMs so that when you slip your card in the information is read and passed to the crims. I've been here about 9 years and never had a problem though.
Dollars are King in Cambodia and a bit less so in Vietnam. You can base your budget on about $1 for beer, about 10c for a bottle of water and the glorious food well you've the whole array from simple very cheap street food to 5 star dining. For your week the other side you can go upto Sapa in the mountains or out to Halong Bay. Loads of options around Hanoi or nice to site at Bia Hoi Corner where they serve frosty cold perfect homebrew beer for about 20c a glass! Dont be confused and go to the touristy BHC make sure you get to Bat Su Junction in the old city, its where the locals sit at the end of the day. You'll love it! Lastly the national breakfast is Pho Bo or beef noodle soup. The most famous shop is in Bat Dan Street where the locals line up to get their fave soup in the mornings. Whenever I'm in town I usually forego the hotel breakfast and walk to Bat Dan Street.
Visa Debit Card, not sure and it will depend upon the hotel itself. If you are booking online quite often they wont be set up for international transactions.
Hotel in Siem Reap
We use the Bunnath Guesthouse in Siem Reap, its cheap and cheerful, basic but clean. The staff are wonderful. If you want something a bit nicer I personally stay in the Day Inn Hotel, nice old buildings around a swimming pool. You can look on the net for rates.
Transport. You can take buses all the way or you can take the boat across Tonle Sap Lak cutting the time to Phnom Penh (not actually recommended, found it a bit unsafe myself). Not sure why you wouldn't want to go there its not called the 'Heart of Darkness' for nothing. It is one of my favourite cities in the region. Have a beer at the Foreign Correspondents Club by the river, go out to the Killing Fields at Cheong Ek and the S21 Torture Centre at Toul Sleng. The Central Market is one of my favourite pieces of architecture. If you want a private car to PP its about $60 and takes about 5 hours. PP to Saigon is an all day jaunt, the public buses are about $15 per head. In Siem Reap you can hire a motorbike tuk tuk for about $10, pay your entry fee ($20 for the day) and spend the day in amazing Angkor Wat. If you have time you could also visit the Landmine Museum set up by a legendary local Akira (look it up on the net) amazing source of info on Cambodia's tragic past but he is a real good guy and builds schools and clears mines all over the country. We at Imtrav have been supporting him for years and have happily seen his project grow.
If you have any other questions please feel free to ask. Hppy travels John to you and your mate.
Craig Roach
Destination Manager - Southeast Asia
Imaginative Traveller
Mobile: +66 (0) 898166013
Email: roachie@imtrav.net
• Imaginative Traveller
Thanks Roachie :-)
Kate Hudson