The Cambodia Coastal Visitors Guide 52nd

transportation

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ARRIVAL

The town and beaches are quite spread out over the Sihanoukville peninsula. From the downtown area to Ochheuteal Beach is almost 2.5km, to Victory Beach about 3.5km and to Otres more than 7km. Tuk-tuks and motodups are readily available at the beaches and across town and usually hired for short jaunts as needed. To avoid misun- derstandings make sure that the exact price and destination are understood before tak- ing the ride. Generally speaking you can get a better price from tuk-tuks and motodups away from the tourist areas, sometime less than half the price. GETTING AROUND TOWN

security. The police seem to be taking a particular inter- est in tourists driving these days so obey traffic law, especially the helmet law. Always lock your motorcycle or leave it in guarded parking. Motorcycle theft is not uncommon. PHNOM PENH to/from SIHANOUKVILLE Air At time of printing there were no flights between Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh. Bus Several daily a/c buses. 4 hours. Buy tickets at the bus station or from one of the many local tour and travel agents. Due to road safety concerns we do not recommend night buses to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap or any destination within Cambodia. Deluxe buses such as those offered by Giant Ibis and Mekong Express are a bit more expensive but offer a significantly superior ride. Taxi Private taxis run about $45-$55. Share with friends and split the cost. In Sihanoukville taxies can be found at the bus station. Train After years in retirement, the train service between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville has recent- ly restarted. The price is $6 one-way for the 8 hour trip via Kampot, currently running 3 times per week. Buy tickets at the train stations in Sihanoukville or Phnom Penh. to/from sihanoukville Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville; $6/pax, 8hours. Departure: Friday at 3:00PM; Saturday at 7:00AM; Sunday at 7:00AM Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh; $6/pax, 8hours. Departure: Saturday at 7:00AM; Sunday at 7:00AM and 4:00PM Bus Station Sihanoukville’s bus station has moved back to the center of downtown. Tuk-tuks, motodups and taxis are always available. Transportation from the bus station tends to be more expen- sive than the usual prices. From the bus sta- tion, a tuk-tuk to Ochheuteal Beach runs $2-$3; to Victory Hill for $2-$3 and Otres Beach for about $4-$5. Within the downtown it shouldn’t cost more than $1-$1.50. Airport The airport sits 18km north of town. The airport shuttle bus runs $6 into town. A private taxi costs $20. Train Station On Pher Street near the Port at the north end of town. A tuk-tuk should cost $1-$2 to Victory, $2- $3 to downtown, $3-$4 to Ochheuteal and $5- $6 to Otres.

Moto-remorques (Tuk-tuks) The traditional Cambodian ‘tuk-tuk’ - ‘ moto-remorque ’ in Khmer - is a multi-passenger covered trailer pulled by a motorcycle, common across the city. Sihanoukville also has a second sort known as the ‘Tico tuk-tuk,’ which are actually converted subcompact cars, a bit faster and better on the hilly terrain. On average tuk- tuks charge about 2-3 times as much as a motodup. ‘First price’ is usually around $2-$5 for nearby and cross town. Bargain! Motorcycle Taxis ( motodup ) the beaches. Prices go up at night. To protect against bag snatching, keep your bag between you and the dri- ver or in front of the driver, not on your back. Motorcycle Rental Rentals are available everywhere: guesthous- es, tour operators, restau- rants and bars. The usual 100-120cc bikes are the most popular and useful for town/beach travel and run $5-$6/day. Most rental places require a passport as Motodups are the cheap- est way to travel. Drivers expect foreigners to pay about 3000-5000R for short hops in town, and 3000-8000R from town to

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