Backpacking Cambodia 

Getting around Cambodia

Various transport options available to the backpacking traveller

Backpacking around Cambodia is tiring, time consuming and physically hard. The roads around the country are rough and mainly unpaved and while a journey may look short on a map it is probably going to take a lot longer.

Domestic flights can be a quick and handy way to travel around Cambodia, but the local Cambodian airlines are renowned for their extremely poor safety records and we here at Travel Llama do not recommend you use them. Some flights between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are operated by some Thai airlines but these change fairly regularly, so you will have to check when you are there.

Buses that connect the main Cities and Towns are regular on the main routes and fairly regular on the more obscure routes. We call them buses here but most of the time they are little more than converted pick ups and trucks and the likelihood is you are going to be crushed in with too many other people and even their livestock. In some cases it may seem that the animals travel better than you do, but just remember that these animals are the local people’s livelihood.

The Cambodian Train network is extremely inferior to even the poorest of systems and most travellers only travel by this mode of transport just to say that they have experienced it. The trains regularly breakdown and rarely pass the 20km/hr mark. They are also very bumpy, though the local Khmers on board usually make foreign travellers very welcome.

The train network extends from Phnom Penh North West to Battambang and Sisophon via Pursat and south to Sihanoukville via Takeo and Kampot. While the threat of ambushes from the Khmer Rouge is now gone, it is not the most comfortable way to travel through the country.

Local travel between regional settlements and in the larger towns is a more comfortable affair. Small motorcycle taxis can take you to surrounding Villages and Towns and if you negotiate a price before you leave it can be very affordable. If there is a group of you it maybe cheaper to hire a taxi and it would obviously be a lot more bearable.

Cyclos, the omni-present of South East Asia, are seen all over the country and you will no doubt use them at least once during your trip. They are made up of a small 2/3 person cart pulled by a man on a bicycle. They are a little bumpy but quite charming. When travelling longer distances it is recommended to organise a price before you leave. Do not be afraid to give a tip for good service as a little amount like 1 dollar may be small to you, but to the local driver that can mean as much as feeding his family! Don’t be a skintflint!

It maybe hard and frustrating to travel around Cambodia, but it is an experience. Many travellers to the country have said that the feeling of bouncing along a dirt track to an ancient temple was one of their greatest memories, so don’t despair.

Before you leave for Cambodia

Things to do in Cambodia

Places not to miss in Cambodia

How to budget and costs whilst in Cambodia

Accommodation in Cambodia

Getting around Cambodia

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