| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Distance | Minibus + 10km |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Terrain | Flat |
| Cost | $6 per person, $4 per bike |
| Blog | 8th Mar - Finished! |
The journey
The Apsara Angkor guesthouse sold us tickets for a bus run by ATTA. It was $6 per person (others paid $4 we later found out) and $4 per bike. We were picked up between 7.30am and 8.00am. We'd been told the bus would be large but it turned out to be a small 20-seater with the glass missing from several windows, so the ride was extremely dusty and cramped. Our bikes had their front wheels removed and the handlebars taken off the stems. We saw many large air-con buses run by companies like GST and Capitol; it's best to organise your ticket directly with them. Our bus had a blow-out on a back tyre which took some time to change, with help from the passengers.Out of Siem Reap the seal immediately became pot-holed before vanishing altogether. From then on the road was unsealed to the border, apart from a short stretch at Sisophon. The worst stretch was between Siem Reap and Sisophon where there were detours around several bridges which are no longer in use - there's little structure to the road. Sisophon was sealed and was a reasonably size with 3 guesthouses. The dirt road was better from Sisophon but was still very bumpy and dusty. Overall it's flat, straight, totally exposed, busy and dusty - cycling would not be pleasant or safe. We stopped at a snack stop with toilets (5 baht or 500 riel) after 2hrs, then at a roadside restaurant just before Sisophon around midday for an hour. We arrived in Poipet bus station at 3pm. From there it was a couple of km to the Cambodia border, past a string of massive casinos and then through the Thai border. Immigration was a fairly quick process.
There's a very large market on the right immediately after the border. After the large roundabout just beyond the market we took the third left turn under an archway onto Raduthit. This is a back road into Aranyaprathet which takes you past the Market Motel. There were several hotels in town and some restaurants with English menus.
The room
Market Motel (sister to Aspara Angkor guesthouse)105/32 Raduthit Road
Aranyaprathet
Sa Kaeo, 27120
400B for twin room with air-con, bathroom with hot water, TV (only cartoons in English), big fridge, pool.
Large room and smartly furnished; good facilities.