[melodyhk]

I am planning to travel in Cambodia and/or Laos this winter. Will have to arrive many days earlier than my friend. Am wondering whether it's safe to travel there alone, and what I should pay attention to. I'm a girl. Also, does anyone have a guidebook to recommend?

Thanks a lot!

Melody

[thetokyoproject]

yea, both are safe to travel in - there was a rumour about not going out in parts of phnom penh on your own after dark, but as long as you don;t into really secluded areas, then you should be ok.

as with anywhere, being a lone girl, just be cautious as you would going out at home on your own.

otherwise, both, but especially laos and it's people are particularly wonderful.

happy travels.

[Oz Girl]

I travelled solo in Cambodia last year and am off to Laos this Christmas. I had no troubles at all in Cambodia. Just take the usual precautions you would anywhere and you'll be fine.

[melodyhk]

thanks a lot tokyoproject and oz girl! where in Siem Reap did you go other than Angkor Watt? Where in Laos did you/ are you going? I read about those NPAs in Laos and they sound really good! want to go hiking to Nong Fa one day.

Happy traveling Oz Girl!

[cessie]

i was just in cambodia last week! awesome country! for siem reap, visit angkor wat, angkor thom, bayon temple, ta prohm temple, and banteay srei. also try to take a river cruise along tonle sap. if you are going to phnom penh, go to the royal palace and the genocide museum. the museum is a bit creepy but it will help you understand the country more. for shopping in PNH, go to the russian market.

for laos, i believe you're going to luang prabang? if so, visit phoussy temple and phoussy hill, then cruise to the pak ou caves.

[thetokyoproject]

Originally Posted by melodyhk

thanks a lot tokyoproject and oz girl! where in Siem Reap did you go other than Angkor Watt? Where in Laos did you/ are you going? I read about those NPAs in Laos and they sound really good! want to go hiking to Nong Fa one day.

Happy traveling Oz Girl!

i just stayed on the touristy route and did angkor and surrounding temples in SR - it was a 3 day pass - tbh, it;s so spread out that you do a lot of travel between locations. SR is just the main accommodation strip with restaurants and bars and don;t think there's much happening around there.

phnom penh was just a busy capital with a nice palace and good silk/art shops, war museums etc. we also went to the beach resort of sihanoukville which was so so for a a beach resort, but mainly to catch up on relaxing after pp. i heard bokor national park/hill station is refreshing and worth a visit from mates.

went straight to saigon from pp and headed up to hanoi with stopovers.

although laos was my favorite of indo china, we only went to 3 places - vang vien could be left out unless you're into the drug culture and lazing about on rubber rings. vientiene is a nice capital that feels like a small town - luang prabang is definitely worth a visit and the water falls nearby -esp from thailand and the slow boat.

my vote definitely goes to laos and if you want to venture out - burma (prob one of the est in SE asia) (i know all the news reports, but visitors usually get no strife)

i also can;t say enough good things about malaysia yet, i;m still to visit borneo or indonesia - prob my next objectives in asia.

[amseiko]

Hey, I would recommend Sihanoukville at the seaside in Cambodia. You can take the bus from phnom penh.

http://www.travelfish.org/province/c.../sihanoukville

Once you re there, you may want to stay longer than you expect.

Travelling in Cambodia is very safe, but it s not the habit of most people to walk long distances in the city, e.g. in Phnom Penh. Either rent a bicycle or motorbike yourself or take a moto taxi at night.

Let me know if you need any practical info. I lived in Phnom Penh for more then a year.

AmSeiko

[melodyhk]

Thank you all for the info! Unfortunately I can only find a round-trip ticket to Siem Reap. Any recommendation for places nearby other than the temples? How's the floating village? I have 10 days including transportation days there.

Thanks!

[ontheroad]

Originally Posted by melodyhk

Thank you all for the info! Unfortunately I can only find a round-trip ticket to Siem Reap. Any recommendation for places nearby other than the temples? How's the floating village? I have 10 days including transportation days there.

Thanks!

There are some temples that are further afield and require a day trip- and Tonlé Sap lake (floating villages) is definitely worth a trip as well.
You can also take a boat ride on the Mekong to Phnom Penh and spend a day or two there...

Regarding safety issues, the only thing I would say is don't take moto-taxis (the ones where you ride at the back of a motorcycle), take tuk-tuks instead. It's safer, as well as being a nicer way to enjoy the sights! A young woman was killed last month when she had her purse snatched from the back of a moto-taxi and fell onto oncoming traffic.

[melodyhk]

Thank you ontheroad! That's very useful! (and could be life-saving )