Crossing Borders: Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh to Siem Reap

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Mộc Bài

Our 2 full-day tour in Vietnam has been a good introduction to this Indochina trip. We engaged ourselves into a lot of walking and shopping!



Off to our next stop - Cambodia

We asked the assistance of our hotel in Vietnam, Bich Duyen, to book for us 5 tickets to cross border to Cambodia. Fee is $27 each.

This Vietnam to Cambodia cross border process was much easier compared to Cambodia to Thailand. Onboard Mekong Express Limousine Bus, we proceeded to Mộc Bài border. 3 hours from the time we left the hotel, we arrived at the border and now ready to exit Vietnam. We gave our passports to the bus staff, went out and left our bags in the bus and waited for our names to be called to get back our stamped passports. You really need to listen carefully to hear your name, it's hard for Vietnamese to pronounce our names correctly. 

Vietnam-Cambodia border map


Across the border of Moc Bai, we walked our way to its counterpart, the Bavet border gate in Svay Rieng Province, Cambodia to get our entry stamp.

Cambodia Arrival/Departure Card

Cambodia Road Trip


We had our lunch at a local eatery where our bus stopped. It will be a long trip down the sunny and sandy roads of Cambodia. Our bus boarded a ferry boat crossing the Mekong River which made the long road trip ride more interesting.

It's also interesting to see Cambodia's local palm trees and traditional houses which are fairly visible along the roads.

Palm Trees of Cambodia

Upon arriving to Phnom Penh, we were immediately transferred to another bus that will take us to Siem Reap. Our total travel time from Ho Chi Minh, as I remember, was roughly 16 hours. There was a delay due to immigration issues concerning some of our fellow passengers. It was indeed a butt numbing road trip. But hey, we love road trips!


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