Expert: Dick Walker Date: 2/22/2001 Subject: Cambodia
Question If travelling overland from Thailand where can you enter Cambodia and where is it possible to apply for a tourist visa in Thailand. Where can you exit Cambodia for Vietnam or Laos?
I have just read an article in National Geographic about Angkor Watt, is it worth a visit after all the vandalism and theft?, also any other places safe and worth a visit, scuba diving in Cambodia or Asia, anywhere to recommend?
Sorry for all the questions
Sean
Answer With all the vandalism & theft, not to mention the "disneyfication" of the site, it's still one of the great sites in the world. You can get a visa at the border. US$20. How to go overland is most dependent on the season. In the dry (Nov-Apr) via Aranyaprathet on the Thai side, Poipet on the Cambodian is the most efficient, the road is horrific, but it's only 125 miles. In the wet, the road is just about impassable, and you should go via Ko Kong, S'ville and Phnom Penh...longer, more arduous, but an adventure in itself. First route is train to Aranya, second route is bus to Trat. I can give all the details you need on either route, with places to stay, etc. Just let me know when you're going. As to diving, I was just in S'ville, and was amazed at all the dead/dying coral. Snorkelling is only so-so, but the beaches are nice, accommodations are cheap and the restaurants are top-notch.
