On arrival at Cambodia's Pochentong International Airport,I took a motordup to the Psar Thmei central market.
At 7:30am after immigration clearance walked to the main gate which was just 300yards away where the motordup guys will be calling out to render their services.
Only the tuk-tuks and the taxis were allowed inside the compound.
There were not many motordups guys out there and after much haggling managed to get the ride for USD2.00 without the helmet on.
Surprised to see Korean buses with their destinations stickers still on the buses.
This one here goes to Gimpo Airport,Gonchang Ro,Gangnam Bus Terminal,Gangnam Daero and the Lotte World (casino area).
The locals seemed to know where this bus is heading.
A master list of distances from Phnom Penh city:
Ho Chi Minh:220km
Bangkok:750km
Poipet:407km
Sisophon:359km
Battambang:291km
Pursat:186km
Siem Reap:314km
Kampong Thon:685km
Sihanoukville:226km
Kirirom:117km
Kampong Speu:48km
Kep:175km
Kampot:148km
Bouk Kon:189km
Banlung:605km
Stung Treng:481km
Kratie:340km
Nuol:355km
Kampong Cham:124km
Takeo:81km
Kampong Chhnang:91km
Vhney Thom:87km
Neak Leoang:60km
The Sorya Bus Company.
Booked the 8:30am bus to Ho Chi Minh city for USD12.00 (48,000 riels)
Nearby is the GST bus company but opted for the Sorya bus as it has a more presentable ticketing counters with all the destinations listing and fares.
Every one hour from 06:45am onwards there were buses to Siem Reap.
The same goes to Sihanoukville from 07:00am onwards.
For Koh Kong near to Thailand's Trat Province,buses available at 07:45am and 11:45am only.
To Bangkok will be 06:30am only.
HO CHI MINH:6:45 am,8:30 am,11:30 am & 2:30pm.
One hour into the journey,the bus driver discovered that the aircond fan was not functioning so he stopped the bus beside a chinese food stall while he called his office mechanic to get a replacement fan.
Unfortunately we had to wait for nearly 2 hours before we could continue our journey.
Henceforth my expected time to arrive at Ho Chi Minh city will be around 5:30pm.
This caused me a slight uneasiness as this was my first time travelling to Vietnam and not making any guesthouse prebooking.
A chinese house beside the foodstall and coffeeshop where our bus had the aircond fixed.
The chinese here are called Khmer-Chen (Khmer being the ethnic group of Cambodia and Chen meaning Chinese in the Khmer language).
The Chinese in Cambodia represented five major linguistic groups, the largest of which was the Teochew(accounting for about 60%), followed by the Cantonese (accounting for about 20%), the Hokkien (accounting for about 12%), and the Hakka and the Hainanese (each accounting for about 4%).
The people of some of these Chinese dialects characteristically tend to gravitate towards certain occupations.
Practically most of the side road leading into a Cambodian village has an entrance arc.
While waiting for the ferry to arrive,I could see that this part of river crossing is just a short distance between both point.
Neak Loeang Dockyard.
The bus was in the ferry as we approached the other side of Mekong river which is less than 2km apart.
This ferry terminal started operations in January 1997 and was initiated by Goutte d' eau Switzerland in September 1996,a Cambodian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).
The main town after the ferry dockyard is
Phumi Banam.
It was quite a busy township in the Prey Veng Province about 92 km away from Phnom Penh just after the Mekong River crossing along National Highway 1.
According to history,Funan, the earliest of the Indianized states, generally is considered by Cambodians to have been the first Khmer kingdom in the area.
Founded in the first century A.D., Funan was located on the lower reaches of the Mekong River in the delta area.
Its capital, Vyadhapura, probably was located near the present-day town of Phumi Banam in Prey Veng Province.
The earliest historical reference to Funan is a Chinese description of a mission that visited the country in the third century A.D.
The name Funan derives from the Chinese rendition of the old Khmer word bnam (meaning mountain). What the Funanese called themselves, however, is not known.
During this early period in Funan's history, the population was probably concentrated in villages along the Mekong River and along the Tonle Sap River.
Traffic and communications were mostly waterborne on the rivers and their delta tributaries.
The area was a natural region for the development of an economy based on fishing and rice cultivation. There is considerable evidence that the Funanese economy depended on rice surpluses produced by an extensive inland irrigation system.
Maritime trade also played an extremely important role in the development of Funan.
The remains of what is believed to have been the kingdom's main port, Oc Eo (now part of Vietnam), contain Roman as well as Persian, Indian, and Greek artifacts.
By the fifth century A.D., the state exercised control over the lower Mekong River area and the lands around the Tonle Sap.
It also commanded tribute from smaller states in the area now comprising northern Cambodia, southern Laos, southern Thailand, and the northern portion of the Malay Peninsula.
Indianization was fostered by increasing contact with the subcontinent through the travels of merchants, diplomats, and learned Brahmans (Hindus of the highest caste traditionally assigned to the priesthood).
Indian immigrants, believed to have arrived in the fourth and the fifth centuries, accelerated the process. By the fifth century, the elite culture was thoroughly Indianized.
Court ceremony and the structure of political institutions were based on Indian models.
The Sanskrit language was widely used; the laws of Manu, the Indian legal code, were adopted; and an alphabet based on Indian writing systems was introduced.
Funan reached its zenith in the fifth century A.D.. Beginning in the early sixth century, civil wars and dynastic strife undermined Funan's stability, making it relatively easy prey to incursions by hostile neighbors.
By the end of the seventh century, a northern neighbour, the kingdom of Chenla, had reduced Funan to a vassal state.
(Source: U.S. Library of Congress )
Right across the So Nguon Dry Port(Bavet),the bus stopped for lunch break at a food court.It was aready 3:00pm.
So Nguon Dry Port in Bavet was established in year 2008 connects Cambodia by road to Vietnamese seaport (Ho Chi Minh City Port).
Their IMPORT
Foodstuff, beverages, cigarettes, tires, cooking oil, malt, empty beer cans, empty cartons for beer, electrical appliances, machinery cares, automobile spare parts, motorcycles, bicycles, agricultural diesel engines, iron & steel. raw materials for garment factories.
* EXPORT
Garments, furniture, pallet rubber, timber, handicraft, rice, plywood, timber, products, frozen goods, personal affects.
They also handles Document for Import Clearance, Duty Exemption Cargoes, Dutiable Cargoes, Garment Cargoes and for General/Personal Cargoes.
Today the 14th April is the Khmer New Year,similar to the Songkran Festival in Thailand.
Buddhist Khmer prepare a table covered with white floral cloth where they put 5 candles, 5 incenses, 2 bottles of perfume, fried rice, a pair of 5 Baysei prumbountnak (an ceremonial ornament made from banana trunk with 9 layers), a pair of Baysei prumpitnak (7 layers) and prumtnak (five layers), cigarettes, flowers and fruits to offer to the New Year Angel who will be visiting.
Then the family gathers around these offerings to pray for happiness, health and prosperity for the new year.
The Khmer believe that the families that prepare well to welcome the New Year Angel, will get what they pray for.
Due to poverty,this Cambodian child was left to sleep alone along the pavement while the parents were nowhere to be seen.
They don’t have the luxuries of their counterparts in other countries.
A Vietnamese cross country bus also stopped for lunch at the rest area.
To get this bus while in Phnom Penh,just go to No:313, St.274 (Sihanouk), Next to Olympic Stadium Fence, Opposite of Chan Penh Vong Phamacies.
Samco headoffice is at 262 Tran Hung Dao St., Dist.1, HCM City
- Tel: (84-8) 39.200.408 - Fax: (84-8) 39.201.876
while KUMHO-SAMCO Express Transport Co., Ltd is at: 292, Dinh Bo Linh St., Ward 26, Binh Thanh Dist., HCM City
Tel: (08) 35.114.648
Fax: (08) 35.114.617
Kumho Samco Bus Line office:
313,Sihanouk Boulevard,
Veal Vong Vard.,7th Makara,Phnom Penh.
Tel:-(+855)023215844,032525313
Ho Chi Minh office:
239,Pham Ngu Lao
Tel:09 45 611611,08 62915389,62915474
Titan King Casino & Hotel.
The hotel rates are:
Deluxe Room:80USD
Luxury Room:150USD
Luxury Suite:350USD
President Club Suite:500USD
Royal Grand Suite:1000USD
The gaming hall offers a free 24-hour buffet so players can enjoy hot food and beverage at any time of day or night. Set meal times are displayed and noodles and snacks are available at any time of night or day.
In house restaurants offers chinese cuisine,Mediterranean style cuisine,Japanese food and
a cafe at the Black Piano bar.
As for nightlife,there's a disco nightclub and the karaoke rooms.
Le Macau Casino & Hotel is located in Bavet, Svaay Rieng Cambodia and is open Daily 24 Hours.
The Casino has 35 slot machines and 25 tables.
Casino Royale was opened on the 19th of June 2009.
Established in 2004, New World Casino & Hotel features 2 buildings of hotel (172 rooms), other services (such as spa, karaoke, restaurant, beauty salon and duty free shop) is fast becoming one of the most popular casino hotels for gambling and entertainment in Bavet.
Silver World Casino.
On 1st December 2010, the Group, through its subsidiary company, RGB Ltd. has commenced its operation under a concession program at Silver World Casino which is located at Bavet, Cambodia with 24 units of electronic gaming machines.
The Crown Bavet Casino and Hotel.
In all there are about 11 casinos and a cock fighting arena in the Bavet (Svay Rieng Province) area of Cambodia hence becoming an entertainment centre, ‘much like Las Vegas and Macau’.
Although residents of Cambodia enjoy small-bet tables and gaming machines, the real business in this country is the high roller industry.
Most casinos in Cambodia offer private tables and VIP rooms for those wishing to bet large amounts of money.
Most people don’t realize that Cambodia is a premier gambling destination.
The Vietnamese Moc Bai border police manning the entry point.
Moc Bai is located in the south western part of Tay Ninh Province in Vietnam which is 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City and 170 km from Phnom Penh.
This Moc Bai border gate area is very wide and spacious and you never see any touts nor vendors around.
You'll feel very calm and relaxing in such a surroundings and less crowded.
Covering 21,283 ha, Moc Bai is the biggest land bordergate in the south. It is located on the trans-Asian Highway.
Once the trans-Asian Highway is complete, Moc Bai will become a vital crossroad on the route, which links Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Guangxi province of China.
A development scheme for the Moc Bai border zone is envisioning an over-400-ha industrial zone, a 286-ha residential area, a 152-ha trade and eco-tourism area.
The Moc Bai economic zone has become an attractive destination for investors thanks to its simplified procedures and preferential treatment.
Enterprises operating in the trade and industrial zones will be exempted from import-export and value-added tax.
In addition, investors in Moc Bai will be exempted from land rent in the first 11 years since the signing of their land rent contracts.
At the Moc Bai (Vietnam)border immigration checkpoint,bus passengers will have to carry along their luggage while awaiting for the Sorya bus company's conductor to have our passport being stamped at the office.
Similarly while at the Laos Bavet checkpoint,the bus conductor did a great job on behalf of all the passengers.
He will called out our names to collect the stamped passport at the immigration entrance.
After making your entry,another immigration officer sitting beside the exit door will double check your passport to ensure that it has been stamped.
Everything was done professionally and with a breeze.I really appreciate the efficient English speaking Sorya's bus conductor.
It was close to 5:00pm when the bus passed by the Tan Binh Industrial Park.We were now 10km away from town centre and the road is getting more busier with loads of motorcyclist and cars leaving their workplace.
