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Date of the journey:- March 2020
Distance travelled:- 199 miles
Whilst in Siem Reap we booked our onward travel to Phnom Penh. Using Capitol tours bus company, we paid 6.25 USD each for the 6-hour journey. After booking the tickets, we found out that the 6-hour journey was more than likely going to be 8 or even 9 hours. Not happy at the prospect of a 9-hour journey when we were told it was only going to be 6 we chose to change our booking from the bus to a minivan. The change cost an additional 3.75 USD each and the journey was only going to be 5.5 hours.
Pick up was from our hotel, the Grand Elysee La Residence. The minivan left the Capitol tours office in Siem Reap on time at 0815 hrs. The driver made a couple of toilet/food stops on the way and the journey was on smooth straight roads. The scenery was fairly bland, mainly brown, dry paddy fields and so flat.
Arrival in Phnom Penh was at 1345 hrs. Exactly 5.5 hours after we departed. The city was a complete contrast to everywhere else we had been in Cambodia so far. A modern, vibrant, bustling city sitting at the junction of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers. It was once known as the “Pearl of Asia,” as it was considered to be one of the loveliest French-built cities in Indochina during the 1920s.
Our drop off in Phnom Penh was at the Capitol tours office on St 111. As one would expect, the hovering tuk tuk drivers descended on us as soon as we got out of the minivan.
Our accommodation whilst we were in the city was at the House Boutique Eco Hotel, booked through Booking.com. To get there, we made use of Pass App and the office wifi to book a tuk tuk for the 15 minute journey.
We extended our stay in Phnom Penh, choosing to move to an alternative hotel, the Balconitel Boutique Hotel, again, booked through Booking.com.