Siem Reap/Angkhor Wat Guide Jan 2012

[anakot]

Can anyone recommend a guide with car for a trip to Siem Reap and Ankhor Wat 23 -26 Jan 2012
You can either post here or send me a PM
Many thanks
Anakot

[Janus]

I recomend you buy the best book to guide you around: "Angkor - Cambodia's Wonderous Khmer Temples" by Dawn Rooney. Prepare your stay ahead. As you only have 3-4 days to visit the temples it is important you have decided where to go as you can not se it all. The local guides usually have two options if you do not aks for your own tour: Either the Grand Tour Circuit or the Small Tour Circiut. I think both tours are too much for one day and do not give you the best experience.
Read about the temples, make an appointment with a tuk tuk driver and tell him where you like to go/stop ( App. 15$ /day). Of course you will go on the roads around the site and pass most of the temples in the Angkor area. But you do not have to stop and visit each one. When you come back next time you can choose better.

My suggestions:
First full day: Go to Banteay Srei, Kbal Spean and Beng Mealea. Hire a car with a driver. App. 50$.

2. day: Prasat Kravan, Sras Srang, Pre Rup, Ta Som,Neak Pean, Preah Khan, Phnom Bakeng.

3. day: Banteay Kdei, Ta Prohm, Ta Keo, Angkor Thom ( Terrace of the Leper King, Baphoun, Bayoun).

Half day: Angkor Wat

When you go on your own you will be meet be local guides at each of the bigger site. He will like to show you the temple and expects a tip.

Enjoy your trip and take your time. It is important that you do not leave your heart and mind behind. I am sure you will come back to catch up with what you missed on this your first trip.

[Beachlover]

Hey Anakot... Some of my suggestions contradict those above. You'll just have to decide, which options sound more suitable for you.

1. I suggest getting your hotel to organise a guide and car. They should generally only offer guides who've done a good job for other guests in the past.

2. Doing your own research is great, but I found it best to let the guide handle the details as they have a more intimate understanding of when the best visit times are and how to work around restoration/renovation work etc.

3. Hire a full-time guide! I.e. One who will stay with you the whole time. It only costs around $20-$30/day.

4. Allow some flexibility. When you have a day where the weather is perfect, consider using that day to visit Angkor Wat.

5. Use a car, not a tuk tuk. It only costs an extra $10 or so. Some of the distances are quite far (especially for Beng Melea) and many roads aren't sealed. Most importantly, it can be fairly hot, hard work climbing up and down these ruins so when you get back to your vehicle to go to the next site, it's nice to get into an air conditioned one.

Can anyone recommend a guide with car for a trip to Siem Reap and Ankhor Wat 23 -26 Jan 2012
You can either post here or send me a PM
Many thanks
Anakot


Anakot,

The guides have to be government trained and recommended and don't usually do a taxi service.

You can obtain a goverment approved and licensed taxi/car for all day at $30 at siem reap airport. Your hotel can usually do this service for you as well.

A guide is around the $20/$30 USD mark and some are even available cheaper than that if you require them when you arrive at Angkor Wat, they are waiting outside.

I preferred to go to the National museum which has a headset audio tour in all languages as you walk around to give you the fullest understanding of the Angkor Wat and surrounding temples. It' s amazing and a once in a lifetime must do, if you can get there!

I used a tuk tuk and he is a pal that I met there and it had nothing to do with price. I found it much more fun.

Whatever you decide, have a great trip,........ :occasion5:

You have to be fit to walk around angka wat I couldnt do it with my walking stick it had been raining and I nearly fell over a few times its very up and down and climbing around

[anakot]

Many thanks Beachlover, kquill for your suggestions. The bf has organised a guide at $US50 perday... What the hell he's paying! Go for Chinese NY so will report back on how it goes. In the meantime off to Sukothai, Chaing Mai and a few other places in LOS end of next week.

Fortunately for us no walking stick yet BrisbaneGuy but thanks for the advice.

Have been gyming it here in HK in view of the upcoming exertions... Sometimes THAT is more fun than LOS... Ha!! :evil4:

[Beachlover]

Ask your BF if the $50/day includes the car and driver too. That amount sounds about right for a guide, driver and car or tuk tuk.

Otherwise, it's way too much!

[lonelywombat]

Came across this by accident. Good info re hotels, cars,guides, massages. Very helpful

http://angkorhotelsguide.com/

[anakot]

Ask your BF if the $50/day includes the car and driver too. That amount sounds about right for a guide, driver and car or tuk tuk.

Otherwise, it's way too much!

This was the price but we had to pay extra to Kbal Spean. Spent 3 days doing the ruins and it was most enjoyable. An amazing place. Here is the driver we used:
http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm229/matspj75/sun.jpg

He did an OK job. He got told off for keeping us waiting one morning for 30 minutes. Turned out he was doing another job... Naughty boy. Anyway the BF knocked him to shape and from then on he was good. You just gotta be firm. Of course this ones not gay but...

We stayed here
http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm229/matspj75/pearl.jpg $US25 per night.

Got WiFi after we moved on the first night. Breakky was a struggle with umpteem Koreans and Mainlanders but achievable if you ignore them and try to crush one underfoot. :violent1: Then and only then do they get the message.

The staff were great, under the duress of a hopelessly organised outfit. My usual dark imagining is the owner is being driven around somewhere in a mercedes, his pants down in the back seat while gobbed off by some chick bit. Clearly too busy for anything else... But then you get what you pay for... May pen rai.

As far as Phnom Penh we stayed in Eureka Villas $US50 pernight. This is a great spot.
http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm229/matspj75/eureka.jpg

and also over the road in G Eleven by the upstairs pool. Also very good $US36

http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm229/matspj75/g11.jpg

Thanks to all those who helped with ideas and comments. They made the trip much better. Its the sort of thing would probably not do again but was a fantastic insight into an amazing history.

By the way the Cambodians are absolutely the most polite people I have met anywhere on the planet... Without exception no matter where I was in the temple trek the guys assigned to check your pass were so nice and polite. Not seen it anywhere really with the exception of Japan.

It was so consistent that it was amazing in itself. What a great group. :notworthy:

This was the price but we had to pay extra to Kbal Spean. Spent 3 days doing the ruins and it was most enjoyable. An amazing place. Here is the driver we used:
http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm229/matspj75/sun.jpgWhose privates did he guide you around?

[anakot]

My lips are sealed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[paulo15]

Hi,
Don't use Sun Same... He touts himself all over the trip advisor forums and as a result double, triple and quadruple books himself all the time, you get a cousin or someone else. Much better to go with your hotel, they don't even inflate the price these days as there are so many guides and drivers. Tut tut, $15 a day, a/c car $25 a day, guide (English speaking) $25 a day, extra for sunrise or further temples, ie Kabal Speen, Beng Melea, Bantaey Sray etc.
Cheers

[anakot]

Hi,
Don't use Sun Same... He touts himself all over the trip advisor forums and as a result double, triple and quadruple books himself all the time, you get a cousin or someone else. Much better to go with your hotel, they don't even inflate the price these days as there are so many guides and drivers. Tut tut, $15 a day, a/c car $25 a day, guide (English speaking) $25 a day, extra for sunrise or further temples, ie Kabal Speen, Beng Melea, Bantaey Sray etc.
Cheers

We paid Sun Same $50 per day which included Eng speaking guide ie $25 each! The same as you are quoting.

Sun Same is fine. I would recommend him no problem.

[paulo15]

We paid Sun Same $50 per day which included Eng speaking guide ie $25 each! The same as you are quoting.

Sun Same is fine. I would recommend him no problem.

Didn't suggest he was bad, just saying he double books himself a lot, so if you might get someone else... Sure he's real good, but then so are a lot of other guides. You paid $50... That included the car right? Because the costs I mentioned are per car or per guide, not per person.

Cheers