hcmc to siem reap by bus

I%26#39;m finding conflicting and perhaps out of date information on tripadvisor and other forums, so I%26#39;m hoping to get some current information.

We need to leave HCMC on the morning of Monday, Dec 22 and arrive that evening in Siem Reap. We want to avoid changing in Phnom Penh if possible. I have read of a direct HCMC%26gt;SR bus, then I read it was canceled, then I read that it was still going.

*Can anyone confirm a bus company that is doing this route?

Also,

*If we must go HCMC%26gt;PP%26gt;SR, is it possible to buy the ticket for the PP%26gt;SR leg in Vietnam? Or can we call ahead? We would have to take the latest time bus, and we%26#39;re worried it might be sold out.

Just so you don%26#39;t waste your time: We know a flight would be best, but it%26#39;s not in the budget. Also, we would love to stay in Phnom Penh on our next trip, but we%26#39;re meeting people and can%26#39;t do it this time.

hcmc to siem reap by bus

Hi Larrance,

From the reply I got yesterday from Jason, it seems that Sapaco has reopened the SGN-REP route.

I am confident that Jason will get back to us in a day or two on this matter.

Since I will only be taking this bus on 06JAN09, kindly update me on this issue.

(For the time being, I am still enduring the cold weather and rain of Northern California).

Enjoy REP.

Cheers, charles

hcmc to siem reap by bus

We took this bus on December 22. There%26#39;s a sapaco office right on pham ngu lao, about a block away from the big roundabout that%26#39;s in front of ben thanh market. We just went in the day before, paid 22 USD each, and it was done. Here';s some points from our experience:

*The bus left at 7 from the sapaco office on phan ngu lao.

*The bus stopped at what seemed to be the main sapaco bus station. There all kinds of cargo was loaded on the bus. It didn%26#39;t really affect me, but I could see that some people could not move their chairs back because of cargo in the seat behind them. And some people had some things taking up their foot room.

*At the beginning of our trip, an employee collected everyone%26#39;s passport and 24USD for the Cambodian visa. One family took care of their own visas, and I guess they avoided the extra 4USD charge.

*Leaving Vietnam, everyone got out of the bus and waited while the sapaco employee gave the whole stack of passports to the immigration officer. Then we took our own passport and got back on the bus.

*At Cambodian immigration, we all got off the bus, handed our passport to an officer, and got back on the bus. The bus took us to a roadside market-type place to get food. After we ate, we got on the bus and a sapaco employee returned our passports that had already been processed.

*At Phnom Penh, the bus stopped at the Sapaco office, everyone got off, took out their bags, and waited while the bus was cleaned. When the bus returned, the cargo was gone, and there was a lot more room.

*Halfway between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, the bus stopped at a little roadside market for food.

*We arrived in Siem Reap at about 8:30.

*The ad for the bus says ';lunch and dinner included.'; What this really means is that the bus will stop for lunch and dinner, and you will pay for it.

Hope this information helps someone else!

does this bus run every day?

thank you for your detailed posting Larrence.

I%26#39;ve booked the bus for Monday 06JAN09 and was assogned seat 3A if one of you happend to board the same DAILY bus.

Cheers, charles

Dear Larrence,

Thank you for posting your experience... it is very much useful for our upcoming trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. We are also planing to take the bus to Siem Reap.

I take it from your experience that we can book only a day before our planned departure? We are arriving HCMC on April 6 at 4PM, is it possible to just go to Pham Ngu Lao as soon as we touch down and book the bus for the next morning?

Just to clarify, there is no direct bus from HCMC to Siem Reap?

Thanks and all the best,

Jane

betweenbites@gmail.com

yes, we bought our tickets the night before. actually, there were people buying tickets the day of.

as far as a direct bus, when we were there, this was the most direct bus offered by sapaco. it stops for a minute in phnom penh, but you stay on the same bus. i don%26#39;t know about any other. that%26#39;s what i was trying to find out when i originally posted this topic.

Dear Larrence,

Thank you for your immediate feedback. I really appreciate the help and clarification.

Do we need to join an Angkor Wat tour or do it on our own and just pay the $30 entrance fee? Did you do one on your own? How long did you explore Angkor Wat? I read it’s best in the morning.

Thanks and best,

Jane

Hi Jane,

While waiting for Larrence feedback:

I spent ten days in REP last January, on my own and a tuktuk driver, after reading 10+ books on the subject.

It worked fine for me.

If you do not have that much time, may be joining a tour would be best.

Cheers,

charles