Well here is a question – Is Cambodia Barrier Free? Cambodia, the country of world’s worst drivers and some of the world’s most severe personal safety issues – is it barrier free? This is without doubt a legitimate question as many travellers who like to visit foreign countries either suffer from disabilities themselves, or have someone with them who is disabled. So is Cambodia barrier free enough for them to safely move around? The short answer is simple – “No”. But let me elaborate with the long answer a little.

Photo: Cambodia - Not Barrier Free

When talking about barrier free countries, one could divide them into several groups:

• Barrier Free Countries – many western countries, such as my homeland of Canada strive excessively to be completely barrier free and most people with disabilities truly can make their way around without major issues
• Tricky Countries – moving around if you are a person with disabilities can be tricky, but can be done with some planning or little assistance
• Not Barrier Free Countries – some countries, such as Cuba have narrow, cobblestone streets that are tricky to navigate through, however locals are more than happy to help without being asked for it. When they see someone in need of assistance, they will be right there to assist
• Barrier Full Countries – those would be the countries that are very difficult, or impossible to effortlessly enjoy by the people with disabilities
• Forget It Countries – barriers exist in all walks of life making an enjoyable stay for people with disabilities an impossibility
• Cambodia – you take the most advanced barriers that prevent people with disabilities to navigate through, combine them into an impenetrable maze, enhance the level of difficulty by infinity and then add some extra barriers on top of it and you get Cambodia. If you find yourself in need of assistance, instead of being helped, you will be laughed at and mocked straight in your face. Cambodians don’t help others, only themselves. If there is something in it for them, then you will suddenly have more than enough of them willing to assist. Unconditional help doesn’t exist

Cambodia is not, by any stretch of imagination a barrier free country. People with disabilities will find it impossible to exist in Cambodia however Cambodia is also full of barriers and danger even for fully able bodied people. You do not have to be disabled to find it impossible to move around or otherwise exist in Cambodia. To add insult to injury, though – if you come to Cambodia as a fully able bodied, healthy and fit person, Cambodia will put you through some unfathomable dangers so if you leave the country in the same condition you have entered in, you can congratulate yourself for achieving the unimaginable.

In other words, Cambodia is not barrier free for people with disabilities, yet it’s not barrier free for people without either. And if you come to the country without any disabilities, you got to be extremely alert and careful at all times or else you could soon earn yourself some.

Road traffic is so dangerous in Cambodia, that no matter what means of transportation you choose to use during your stay, you will be constantly in danger of getting involved in a deadly accident. However the smaller the vehicle, the bigger a danger. Riding a motorcycle or a bicycle are particularly dangerous activities and one has to be more than careful and have their eyes affixed on the road with peripheral vision checking out the situation in all angles at all times. Yet the biggest danger faces you each time set out for a walk.

Photo: Motorcycles Blocking the Sidewalk in Siem Reap

Cambodians are extremely rude and self important people who need to repeatedly boost their egos (some say it’s the genitals they need to compensate for, but you will find both males and females behaving that way). You will be shown no respect from other traffic participants and if you’re a foreigner, the respect will be that much lower. Because sidewalks are unavailable for use by pedestrians because they serve as parking spots for cars, motorcycles and tuk-tuks, each time you go for a walk, you will be forced to walk on the road directly in the way of disrespectful drivers. Even though Cambodians should drive on the right, you will have traffic coming at you from both sides. It will be topped up by people pushing food carts around forcing you to go to the middle of the road to get by them and that’s where it starts getting super dangerous.

Yet the gravest danger lurks out from the side, where you would least expect it. Cars and bikes parked on the sidewalks – on those sidewalks you cannot use because they are parked there – will reverse into the traffic without any regard for pedestrians who are forced to walk on the road. They will back right into you unless you jump off their way and that’s where any form of being “barrier free” ends. You will have to be extremely vigilant and alert at all times to avoid getting disabled by a rude driver entering the road from a sidewalk and this will happen to you a hundred times a day.

The fact that you will be pressured, stared down and laughed at each time you get blocked off so you have nowhere to go makes safe decision making extremely challenging. Verbal abuse will be evident and you will know you are a subject to mockery but you will have no option but to take it right where they serve it to you. Many Cambodians carry guns and they are fully aware of the fact that law is not enforced in their country (none exists to begin with). There is nothing preventing them from blowing your brains off if you stand up for yourself. They are used to killing and raping so just take the humiliation and abuse and keep your eyes wide open because another out of control motorcycle is riding down the wrong side of the street and there’s no way he’s stirring away from a pedestrian.

Below is the video that briefly shows how “barrier free” Cambodia is. It’s one of those countless cases where I was walking down the street and because of piled up motorcycles, tuk tuks and cars I had to get on the road facing bikers swishing by me from both sides. Soon after I had a car that was parked on the sidewalk start reversing onto the road, completely disregarding the fact that a pedestrian was coming and had I not responded swiftly by slowing down when I noticed the reverse lights come on, I would have been struck by it. This is by no means an isolated incident. This happens all the time and then some. Motorcyclists don’t even seem to shoulder check at all. They are particularly happy to hit you with their two wheelers.

I’ve been in Cambodia for a week now. I’ve been pretty familiar with Siem Reap town and the way things go around here. I got myself a mountain bike so I was able to move around at my own leisure, completely independent of annoying Tuk Tuk drivers. I wanted to be ready for my big Cambodian adventure – an exploration of ancient temples of Angkor so I never rushed into it unprepared. But now as I got familiar with Cambodia and had everything necessary to do it my own way, I was ready. The only thing I would still need was good weather.

I got to Cambodia in the middle of the rainy season so it rained a lot, however it wasn’t as bad as one would think. Downpours usually occurred at night, or in the afternoon and would typically only last for a few hours. During those few hours, the rain would be coming down like there was no tomorrow, however the sun would come up afterwards and the city would be back to its sunny self. I was in no rush, though. I was determined to patiently wait for the right weather so I get the most out of my trips to the Angkor Area. Afterall, admission fees are pretty steep so you best make sure you are going there on a nice day, not on a rainy one.

I spent my first week living in Two Dragons guesthouse. There were certain things I didn’t like about it, so after a week long stay, I was going to make a move. One thing I did like about Two Dragons was responsiveness of the owner to pre sale enquiries. This was the deciding factor which not only tipped the scale in favor of Two Dragons as my first guesthouse but it was also a factor when deciding which guesthouses not to take into account. If it takes you two weeks to respond to a simple email and your response doesn’t address any of my questions, you get instantly put on a black list of places where not to stay.

My new guesthouse of choice was called Prom Roth. Meang, the guy who exchanged a few emails with me was the second most responsive guesthouse owner, after Gordon from Two Dragons but there were other advantages to Prom Roth. First and foremost, it was located right next to the Preah Prom Rath Temple where I was teaching English. Secondly, it was right around the corner from Pokambor Avenue, which is the road that leads all the way to Angkor Archaeological Park. Furthermore, Prom Roth Guesthouse was close to everything that’s worth while in Siem Reap. Two Dragons was in the middle of nowhere, too far from everything. I was really excited about the move.

Great thing about Two Dragons Guesthouse was the fact that you could pay for your stay and meals with a credit card. Because Prom Roth Guesthouse is Cambodian owned and run, cash is the only payment option. Unfortunately, despite this great positive, leaving Two Dragons did not go without issues. The issues were not directly associated with the guesthouse itself, but people connected to it.

Photo: Same Tuk Tuk Driver Who Rode me to a Bicycle Shop Also Rode me to Prom Roth Guesthouse

I paid for my dues and went to get a Tuk Tuk to drive me with my bags to the Prom Roth Guesthouse. The Tuk Tuk driver, which was the same guy who tried to rip me off when I was buying the bike insisted that he knew much better a guesthouse and that he’s gonna take me there, not where I wanted to go. I was well familiar with the commission scam deeply embedded in the Cambodian culture so I have vehemently refused and insisted that he takes me to Prom Roth or else I’m getting another Tuk Tuk.

I also knew very well that fair price for a Tuk Tuk ride from anywhere within Siem Reap to anywhere within Siem reap was $1. If any Tuk Tuk driver is asking for more, he’s trying to rip you off. But having been in Cambodia for a week, I assumed the driver would realize I was aware of this. Yet, he attempted to quote me way more like I’m a newb. I had to put him back in place and again and pointed at dozens of other Tuk Tuk drivers hungry for my dollar so if he was gonna keep trying to overcharge me, all I would need to do was give someone else a wave. Siem Reap is not a big town so a Tuk Tuk ride from Two Dragons to Prom Roth would only take a few minutes.

I loaded my bags on the Tuk Tuk and sat in giving the driver a hint to go, but he asked me about my bike. I said it was OK, I was gonna leave it at Two Dragons, deliver my bags to my new guesthouse and take an easy walk back to get the bike. I had no problem walking, I did it every day prior to buying a bike. But as the Tuk Tuk driver insisted that he can fit the bike in with me and my bags without a problem and started working on it, I didn’t object. I have only repeated that I had no issue walking back here so I can get on a bike and ride, but since the bike was already on a Tuk Tuk, I went with it.

We took off with all of my stuff, including my bike on the Tuk Tuk. I really didn’t see an issue with walking to get my bike, but I was cool being saved from having to come back. We got to Prom Roth Guesthouse, I have unloaded my bags and the driver asked for $2 from me despite agreeing on $1 before hand. He explained his reasoning by the fact that he also took my bike here so it should be $2, not $1. I guess he didn’t get me with the bicycle scam a few days prior, so he was doing what he could to make up for it. I really wasn’t in the mood to argue with him and was very happy to have found myself in a new guesthouse that was bright and open, rather than gloomy and dark – which was the case of Two Dragons. I paid for my ride and moved myself in being greeted by ever smiling Meang and his business partner.

After my failed attempt to buy a bicycle with help from a Tuk Tuk driver, I knew I was gonna have to take some risk and rely more upon myself in dealing with shops where English is not spoken. The question of “where to buy a mountain bike in Siem Reap” became more pressing as did the question of how to buy it without excessive overpaying (aka getting ripped off) just because I’m a foreigner in Cambodia. In all this melee, I’ve managed to get help from people on Couch Surfing.

It became apparent that National Road 6 is the place to go shopping for bicycles. That’s exactly the place where I was taken by a Tuk Tuk driver the day prior and had been over quoted. The hints I have received clearly suggested that there are more bicycle selling shops on National Road #6, they are just further down east. And that’s where I went.

I strolled down National Road 6 in Siem Reap, passed by the bicycle shop I went to day prior and just a bit further there was another. As it goes with National Road 6 – the shops are primarily geared towards locals so nobody, absolutely nobody speaks English and if a tourist shows up, everyone starts the smell big cash-in as that’s what Cambodians see tourists as (walking bag of money, or walking ATM machine if you will).

Realizing my options were limited, I popped in next bicycle shop and started looking at available mountain bikes and attempted to use sign language to ask about price. Everything was far more reasonable that the day prior and even though I knew I was gonna pay way more than a local would for the same piece of bike wreck, I was OK with it as prices quoted seemed to be in a more reasonable level than yesterday.

The bikes were obviously second hand (aka stolen), no names, all made in China. One way or another, I was gonna end up with a piece of junk, but this was Cambodia, I could go with the junkyard items or pay Tuk Tuks to drive me everywhere. The latter didn’t seem like a good option so bike it was gonna have to be regardless of how awful a piece of scrap metal I would get.

I tried a couple, each seemed as though it was gonna break apart upon third use but I eventually settled with imitated mountain bike that was probably stolen from a guy in Japan as it had a Japanese name painted on it. It had gears and looked a bit like a mountain bike which was a step up from most other bikes which look like they belonged in the 70′s. Pedals seemed to click in an awful way, making unpleasant rattling noise and trembled as used, but it was the best I could get for $38. Yeah, that’s what I paid for my primary means of transportation in Cambodia. Mighty $38.

Picture of My Bad-Ass Mountain Bike I Took in Angkor Wat Area

It was all worth it. I noticed the difference right upon my first ride from the bike shop back to the guesthouse. I rode past several Tuk Tuk drivers who all just stared at me. Bike eliminate a lot of annoyance from Tuk Tuk drivers and other touts who are everywhere, never leaving you alone from the day you set foot in Cambodia till the time to leave. It was awesome not being harassed by them just because I was on a bike, the only tricky part was extreme heat which made bike riding a bid challenging, but that (nature) I could deal with. Vastly encouraged, I drove my bike everywhere.

I didn’t know where to start with my bicycle purchase so regardless of how much I have already hated Tuk Tuk drivers, I have jumped on one and asked him to take me to a bicycle shop. I primarily needed to know where the good shop is and wanted to see what they have and what the prices are like.

I was taken by the same Tuk Tuk driver who drove me to Two Dragons Guesthouse from the airport when it was raining cats and dogs. The bicycle shop he took me to was not far from the guesthouse at all. It was just up the Wat Bo street and then turn right on National Road 6. This whole area seemed vastly local, full of shops with signs in unreadable Khmer language and full of Khmer people shopping there.

View of Wat Bo Road from the Tuk Tuk on My Way to the Bicycle Shop

We went probably only about a kilometre (likely less) down National Road #6 and stopped at the bicycle shop on the side of the road. The entire road is lined on both sides with shops of all sorts. The bicycle one we stopped at had dozens of bicycles piled up one next to another outside of the shop for easy access form the road.

I got off the Tuk Tuk and the driver offered me he would help translating since as he had claimed, none of the staff spoke any English. The offer was a kind one and I welcomed it with a smile, but unfortunately, the greed and intent to take advantage of me were the real reasons why I was offered this “help”.

Riding a Tuk Tuk Down National Road #6 in Siem Reap, Cambodia

I started looking at the bicycles and mostly saw second hand, bad quality bikes I thought went extinct at the end of 70′s. But not in Cambodia. These looked like overused rejects from perhaps China or maybe somewhere else. Most bikes looked in very poor shape but as I took a closer look at locals riding along the National Road 6, I noticed that this is in fact what they ride here.

My Tuk Tuk driver translated for me that these are “only” $40 each. I thought he was joking, but he wasn’t. Further at the back of the store, they had a few, also overused second hand bikes, but these were with gears and resembled mountain bikes, hence did not have the 70′s feel and were presumably newer. When I asked about prices for those, I was translated that they were going for about $185 each, depending on the model.

At this time I surely knew he was messing with me. First of all – I imagined what kind of mountain bike I could buy in Canadian Tire for $50. It would be a no name, not much bike, but it would still be a usable mountain bike with frontal suspension, derailleur made by Shimano and would come with 1 year warranty. And here I am, in a country which is far less expensive than Canada and they are allegedly asking $185 for a visibly inferior beater that was no longer usable for its previous owner and was replaced, discarded and somehow made its way to Cambodia. This beater would come with no warranty whatsoever, had no recognizable components on it and would require constant flow of money on maintenance to keep it going. I kept doing my math, but in no way did I see myself spending this type of inadequate money for this type of piece of crap bicycle.

I firmly assumed that the Tuk Tuk driver was abusing the fact that this is the second time I was riding with him and wrongly assumed that since this is only my second day in Cambodia, I won’t know any better and will pay vastly overquoted price. He was obviously “translating” actual quotes and bumped them up sky high to keep the difference for himself. He did not take into an account that while this is my second day in Cambodia, I am not new to budget travelling and have spent a lot of time in other third world countries. I instantly knew the “free translation service” he offered was not a service but an attempt to make money at me.

There was truly no way why a beater like that was to cost $185 and whatever was the real reason behind such high quotes, I did not see myself spending this type of money for that type of bicycle no matter what. I closed it with “I will think about it” and told the Tuk Tuk driver I would walk back to Two Dragons. I explained my reasons by saying that I wanted to go to a nearby open air market and have more look around other shops in the area.

I have come to solid conclusion that asking Tuk Tuk drivers for help translating is not the best of ideas. Unless it’s someone you know well and trust, you may be subjected to overpaying. How to deal with these situations, when you want to buy something from a store where they don’t speak English is a whole new issue I had to face.

Straight after I have come to Cambodia I wanted to buy a bicycle. There were several reasons why I didn’t want to wait with it and needed to get myself one as soon as possible:

• Bicycle is the most environmentally friendly transportation option, which is extremely important to me
• Bicycle is a neat form of exercise that one may not otherwise get a chance to do due to busy schedule
• Bicycle is an inexpensive form of transportation, ideal for travelers on a budget as it doesn’t require gasoline to keep going
• Bicycle makes you independent. There is nothing worse than having to depend on other people and/or means to move from point A to point B
• In Cambodia where Tuk Tuks – primary means of short distance transportation for majority of tourists – are driven by excessively irritating and rude people, bicycle gives you an option to show them all a finger and make yourself self sufficient, aka completely and entirely capable of moving yourself around without ever needing a Tuk Tuk
• Also in Cambodia where Tuk Tuk drivers clap at foreigners from across the street and yell at them like they are cheap whores, riding around in your own means of transport (bicycle, since tourists are not allowed to drive motorcycles or automobiles) makes you unreachable for any of them. Taking this into an account, a bicycle will help you retain sanity as at least 90% of those irritating Tuk Tuk drivers will be unable to clap and yell at you ala crack whore style. The remaining 10% will still do it and ask you whether you want Tuk Tuk even though you are well off on your own way with your own transport. Tuk Tuk drivers simply don’t try to make their living by offering quality service or good price, but rather by irritating the crap out of tourists who will not take a ride with them because they need it, but just to get spared from being repeatedly approached in an uncivilized way
• To further preserve your sanity, having a bicycle gives you the peace of mind because you know Tuk Tuk drivers will not see a penny from you which is awesome way to pay back for treating you like cheap hooker. If you didn’t have the bicycle, from time to time you will catch yourself needing transport other than your feet. You are likely to go ahead with a Tuk Tuk because they are omnipresent and represent a less expensive option to get moved around. An example of needing a transport even though you can do long distances walking is after you went for a beer in the evening and it’s time to go back to the guesthouse. Unless your guesthouse is located immediately next to the pub where you went for a beer, taking a walk through seedy neighbourhoods populated by local Cambodians will give you creeps and you will rightfully fear for your life. While everyone says that violent crime is low in Cambodia, the same people and publication warn against walking the streets after dark. No matter what the name of the publication that talks about Cambodia, they all warn about the same thing – there truly must be good reason for this unison. And there really is. Hence unless you have your own transport (such as bicycle), sooner or later you WILL get to a situation in which you will need to take a Tuk Tuk regardless of how irritating and rude those drivers are. Bicycle solves this issue once and for all

Bicycle is absolutely the way to go in Cambodia. I understood it right off the bat and would recommend it to everyone who is heading this way. I knew I was going to stay in Cambodia for a while so I decided to purchase one, however most guesthouses and hotels rent bicycles and if yours doesn’t, you can rent one from countless shops selling tour tickets or simply specializing in renting bicycles. There is no shortage of bike rentals in Cambodia and prices start at $1 for a basic one without gears. I once met two guys riding Cannondale mountain bikes – Cannondale is a pro line of bicycles so I immediately enquired whether they brought them with them to Cambodia but was told they rented it out here in Siem Reap for $5 per day. I don’t know where exactly it was, but there is a way to also rent quality bikes for those who prefer reliable and well equipped bicycles.

Area around Siem Reap and Angkor Archaeological Park is predominantly flat so riding bikes is easy. There are virtually no hills here whatsoever. The only challenging part is heat. Cambodian sun is scorching and difficult to handle especially if you putting your body through a workout by pedalling. Keep yourself hydrated and drink a lot of coconut water which costs only 2000 Riel ($0.50) and has all nutrients you need to keep you going in this sun.

For me it was a no brainer that I was going to buy a bicycle, I just didn’t quite know where to go to buy one. I have only been in Cambodia for one day and Siem Reap was small enough to manage on foot, but I needed a bicycle to keep me free from Tuk Tuk drivers and to have transport for Angkor (one way lift by Tuk Tuk to Angkor area from Siem Reap costs $5, or you can hire one for $15 a day, unless you want to visit more remote temples, such as Banteay Srei). Since I wanted by purchase a 7 day pass for Angkor and explore the area relentlessly as much as possible, I’d be looking at quite a bill for Tuk Tuks hence bicycle was absolutely the way to go for me. Furthermore – I’m very environmentally concerned and support transport option that don’t harm environment. Having nice exercise is an added bonus of riding a bicycle. As I had said, for me, this was a no brainer but I would highly recommend it as hands down the best option for transport in Cambodia, especially if you have primarily come here to see Angkor Wat and other temples from the Archaeological Park.

This was it. I was gonna face the streets of Siem Reap for the first time and was gonna do it on my own. I arrived late previous night, my pre-arranged Tuk Tuk waited for me to take me to Two Dragons guesthouse, I spent my first night there, even though I didn’t particularly get much sleep, I’ve applied sun screen and mosquito repellent, picked up my free copies of Angkor Siem Reap Visitors Guide and OutAbout Pocket Cambodia Guide and stepped out of the guesthouse into the Cambodia’s open to explore Siem Reap on foot. I had just stopped raining and street on which Two Dragons is located is not paved so each step I made ran mud up my feet. Cambodia is close to the equator, so temperatures are tropical year round. During rainy season, it’s not only hot, it’s also extremely humid so my sweat glands would be turned to the max anywhere outside of an air conditioned room. Undeterred by sweat that instantly covered my body temple, not heeding the muddy road before me, I proudly stepped forward in a completely random direction.

Omnipresent Tuk Tuk Drivers

There were several Tuk Tuk drivers just outside of Two Dragons. I did not see the one who drove me in last night from the airport among them. It could be because he was sleeping. He had to wait for me there till late hour and deliver me to the guesthouse and it was still very early morning. As I stepped my foot outside, I was immediately jumped by the Tuk Tuk drivers who seem always ready to get right down on someone who doesn’t look Khmer (Cambodian). Being immediately approached by every single Tuk Tuk driver in vicinity plus a few dozen who you don’t even know where they came from is a given, every Tuk Tuk driver does that, however if at the same time you are seen leaving the guesthouse, it would be almost a sin of they did not jump you right away. I have heard a lot about vicious and omnipresent Tuk Tuk drivers of Cambodia, but I did not think they were gonna get right on my neck the very second I step out of the guesthouse.

Even though I was entirely and completely clueless about where I am and where to go, I have gracefully rejected their “generous offers” to get me to the best restaurant, etc. in town and at the same time I managed to strike a conversation. Somehow in this melee I have successfully made a point that I don’t want to go anywhere and only want to take a general walk in the area on my own so they all stopped insisting on giving me a ride somewhere, yet at the same time I was able to stir a conversation and get a general sense of direction from them. I did not know which way was which after I stepped out of Two Dragons. But after brief convo with Tuk Tuk drivers I knew which way the river and the downtown area was. I still made it sound as though I was merely after brief walk in the neighbourhood, but with good sense of orientation, I set on my merry way to go towards downtown of Siem Reap on foot.

I have only gotten as far as few steps and new set of Tuk Tuk drivers started approaching me with offers to give me a ride. They have watched me reject previous batch yet they still wouldn’t leave me alone and had to ask. Like broken machines that never quit. I have simply said that I was good and further ignoring everything else they kept saying, I was pacing my way with confidence. Knowing where I was and where I was heading, I no longer looked dazed and confused which made me less vulnerable to ever preying Tuk Tuk drivers.

Exploring Cambodia on Foot Allows You to See and Photograph Scenes Typical of Cambodia You Could Otherwise Miss from a moving Tuk Tuk

Navigating Through Siem Reap with Guide Map

All I had for the map of Siem Reap was that simple illustration in Angkor Siem Reap Visitors Guide which has everything you’d need form a simple map. To my pleasant surprise, Siem Reap is not a large town and can easily be done on foot. As a matter of fact, it has only taken me a few minutes to get from Two Dragons guesthouse which is rather remote to the downtown area where Old Market and Pub Street are. Entire Siem Reap can be covered on foot easily.

Exploring on Foot vs Exploring from Tuk Tuk

The only challenge is extreme heat tripled with even more extreme humidity a guy like me who just came to Cambodia from Canada is not used to. I was leaving a sweat mark behind me everywhere I went like a snail. You can’t keep up with wiping the sweat off your face with your short sleeves as they instantly get drenched in sweat after first few wiped. Taking that into account, a ride in a Tuk Tuk would make it easier on a person as you wouldn’t put your body through physical activity (walking) and you’d get your sweat washed off by the flow of the air you’d be run against in an open Tuk Tuk.

If you like walking and don’t mind a little bit of sweating, then don’t bother with a Tuk Tuk. It’s fast and easy to get from anywhere in Siem Reap to anywhere in Siem Reap on foot. Plus walking won’t drain your wallet as fast, even though Tuk Tuk rides within Siem Reap should not cost more than one dollar (if you are asked for more, take another Tuk Tuk). You can’t go anywhere in Siem Reap without running over 10 of them.

Cambodia is an impoverished country so when tourists come, the locals automatically (often mistakenly) assume that they have lots of money so as a tourist, you will always be seen as a packet of walking bank notes. Cambodians (Khmer) are generally nice people, but their tight economic situation forces them to take firm grasp of opportunities that deliver easy income. To earn an equivalent of one dollar in wages, a Cambodian would have to spend many hours at work busting his ass off. Realizing that one dollar is an easy tip and a cheap transport rate for most westerners, when an obvious tourist comes to vicinity, they get swarmed by dozens of locals at the same time, each competing for that much desired dollar that a tourist can easily afford to spare, but it means so much for them.

Tuk Tuk Driver Taking a Nap During Rainy Season When There Are Few Tourists Walking the Streets

Unfortunately for you as a tourist this means that you will be hackled to no end on every step, repeatedly and unceasingly over and over, non stop at all times throughout your entire stay. None of the locals will let you just pass by without approaching you. You will be constantly hackled about something, being offered this and that and then something else and then yet some more. You will have those locals breathing down your neck non stop and if you say you’re good, they will continue harassing you never the less in hopes that eventually they will hit the spot and offer something you will need so you agree to use their services.

They will always make it look like they are “offering you their service and complimentary advice” but that is only because you don’t know what really is going on. The thing is – everyone in Cambodia, including business owners who cater to tourist will want to get the business of sa many tourists as possible. As such, there is this deeply embedded and omnipresent commission system that works everywhere and all the time. Basically, in 99% of cases involving a transaction with a tourist, somebody will collect a commission for that tourist. In other word, each time a tourist spends money – whether it’s for the food in a restaurant, or for a room at a guesthouse, or for a boat ride, or whatever else it is you are going to pay for, if you were taken there by a Tuk Tuk driver or other referred to (even if you don’t realize), your referred will collect their commission from the business you spent your money on. This commission system always works and never stops. And what’s best – oftentimes it’s you who covers the difference in price so the business can pay their commission to the referrer. In other words, you end up paying extra – you pay regular price plus the commission.

For a Cambodian, commission money can add up to a lot. Few regular jobs can earn money equivalent to the commission they can gather by “helping” tourists with advice. Because of that, there is never a shortage of locals preying on tourists offering Tuk Tuk rides to a better and cheaper restaurants than the one you are intending to use, offering stay in much better and cheaper guesthouse than the one you are intending to stay – often having any and all stories at the ready to deter you from going to your intended location. You could be told that the guesthouse is no longer in business because the owner dies last week, or that they had a recent rat infestation, or “fill in the blank”. These claims are hardly ever true. The real purpose behind them is to argue you into being taken to a place that offers then highest commission – at any cost to you. They will do anything and everything in their power to get you to a place that offers the highest kick back. Period. Never any other. Not for any reason.

Whether you see it or not, this commission system is deeply embedded in Cambodia and is a natural part of local life. As visitor to Cambodia, you will become a part of it by being hassled non stop, mostly by Tuk Tuk drivers. Because commissions can earn locals far more money than regular jobs, Tuk Tuk drivers heavily outnumber tourists even in the most tourist dense areas. You will have dozens of them on your back at any given time. You will have rejected scores of them yet you will continue getting approached. It will make you wonder what the deal is – can’t they see that if you wanted a ride in a Tuk Tuk you would have taken one of last two hundred who asked if you needed a ride in past 2 minutes? They will run to you, point at you, yell at you, clap their hands at you or use any other means to attract your attention. It is a nature of every person to not be rude and ignorant so you will turn your head and will have to explain yourself to them.

It truly is aggravating and pushes you to the limit. However despite all that, Cambodians are a friendly bunch and affordability of the place makes it extremely attractive. Afterall, they are just trying to survive. They do it in the worst way possible, but this is the way it is. Commission system always works. If you are a traveller on a budget, you can keep your stay in already inexpensive country down by going everywhere on your own and never taking on an advice for trying a different place from locals. No matter how friendly and genuine their “advice” may seem. It’s not. It’s always and only an advice to get you to a place that offer the highest commission.

Even though I didn’t get near enough sleep my first night in Cambodia and even though that night was followed by a relentless 27 hours traveling trip, once I was awaken, I have braced myself, got dressed and stepped outside to explore Siem Reap. Rain had stopped with first morning light and I was too excited to get my first feel of Asia on my own. Two Dragons guesthouse had several free brochures available on the desk right by the reception so I’ve helped myself. The larger one was called Siem Reap Angkor Visitors Guide and there were two issues of this one available – one from February 2009 and the latest one from June 2009. Aside from Siem Reap Angkor Visitors Guides, there was also a smaller, pocket sized guide called O&A Out and About Pocket Guide to Cambodia, Siem Reap Edition.

Siem Reap Angkor Visitors Guide and Out & About Pocket Cambodia

I found both of these publications extremely helpful and would recommend every visitor to Cambodia pick one of each up. They are free and widely distributed throughout touristy establishments. Your guesthouse/hotel is likely to have them at the reception and if not, you will find them in restaurants or information centers.

Granted, both Siem Reap Angkor Visitors Guide and O&A Out and About Pocket Guide to Cambodia are 90% advertising, however the rest is a whole pile of useful info. I have particularly come to like the map of Siem Reap that is provided at the beginning of the Siem Reap Angkor Visitors Guide. It’s an illustration that leaves out everything you don’t need, keeping the map simple which makes the town easy to navigate even for first time visitors. I was a first time visitor that day myself, never been to Siem Reap or anywhere in Cambodia for that matter before and the map in Siem Reap Angkor Visitors Guide has been all I need to get my way around town.

O&A Out and About Pocket Guide to Cambodia also has a map of Siem Reap. Theirs offers more of a bird’s eye perspective of the town and is split into two parts. It focuses less on listing hotels and restaurants and more on listing pagodas, gardens, museums, malls, etc. Both guides are very useful for everyone who wishes to explore Siem Reap on their own, not through the advice of Tuk Tuk drivers which is always, and strictly biased.

Explore Siem Reap on Your Own, Ignore Tuk Tuk Drivers

Tuk Tuk drivers will prey on unsavvy tourists and act like they are your best friends who will serve you with free advice. Whatever it is you may be in need of, they will hook you up with it. Trick is, they will only and solely hook you up with whoever pays them the highest commission. They will always try to advise you against going where you are heading and for going elsewhere and will have millions of arguments at the ready to present and back up their “whys”. In the end of the day, they are only looking for a kick back from establishments for each customer they deliver. This commission system is deeply embedded in the way Cabodia works. Whether you see it or not, changes nothing on the fact that it’s always working and is always present. Don’t become a victim of it. Pick up your free copies of Siem Reap Angkor Visitors Guide and Out & About Pocket Guide to Cambodia and go where your heart leads you, not where Tuk Tuk driver gets the highest kick back for you.

This is my personal review of Two Dragons guesthouse in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It reflects my personal impressions and experiences after staying in Two Dragons for a week. All the positives and negatives, all the pluses and minuses in this review are presented without bias and without misleading.

Front End of Two Dragons Guesthouse in Siem Reap Camouflaged by Lush Green During Rainy Season

Why I Chose Two Dragons Guesthouse

Prior to leaving for Cambodia I have contacted several guesthouses, homestays and low scale hotels in Siem Reap about their availability and pricing. I specifically wanted to know which establishments offer special pricing for long term stay (both week long and month long) since I was planning on staying in Cambodia for a while. In my email enquiry I have mentioned that I was interested in a single bed room with en suite shower (preferably with hot water).

In addition I also wanted to know if the establishment offers free pick up from Siam Reap airport, whether wireless internet is included in price and whether they had laundry facility on site that’s available to guests.

Two Dragons was the fastest to respond. Before I was done contacting all of the guesthouses I wanted to contact, I had a reply from Gordon – owner and manager of Two Dragons Guesthouse. That was a big positive and this first impression made major impact. I have not heard from most other guesthouses till following morning. There were a few that took several days to respond – I did not deal with those at all.

After impressive first impression from Two Dragons Guesthouse and elimination of most other guesthouses because of cut and paste responses or not answering any or all of my questions, I was left with three of my favorites. The reason I eventually opted for Two Dragons was that it was owned by an expat, a westerner who’s lived in Cambodia for many years plus I liked the approach Gordon is taking on his website – he’s addressing right audiences in the right way. He’s not too formal and says it the way backpackers would want to hear it. According to Two Dragons official website – twodragons-asia.com, they do not B.S. and provide truthful information based on what is best for the tourist, not on who offers them the biggest kickback.

On their website, Two Dragons management also claims that they have English speaking, reliable Tuk Tuk drivers who unlike many other Tuk Tuk drivers in Cambodia, can be trusted. All this information was presented in a very inviting way setting Two Dragons safely apart from competition. Given that a tourist is most vulnerable during initial hours of his/her stay and subsequently rather lost and confused for the following few days, staying at Two Dragons seemed like the best starting point.

Two Dragons Review – First Impressions

So far so good. I re-contacted Gordon two days prior to leaving Canada to make sure everything is in place and driver will be waiting for me when I arrive in Siem Reap. As before, the response was prompt and affirming, leaving no doubt that Two Dragons has reservations taken care of with no room for mishaps. This feeling of everything being in place made it all easier on me, since I knew my arrival in Cambodia will be proceeded by more than 24 hours on the airplanes and at the airports and by the time I get to Cambodia all work out and tired, it will be late night there. I’d be an easy prey for vulture like scam artists who operate at international airports of third world countries.

As promised, driver waited for me at Siem Reap airport, delivered me to the guesthouse without hassle and guesthouse staff took care of the rest. I got the room and was left alone to get some sleep after long flight. The very beginnings during which a tourist is most vulnerable were taken care of wholesomely by Two Dragons. There were no screw ups in the beginning while I was extremely cranky and in desperate need of some sleep.

The Room Review

I was given the room #15. Something is telling me that this is the shittiest room in entire Two Dragons guesthouse. During the day, when girls who work at the guesthouse clean other rooms and doors are open, I could see inside that each other room was nicer than mine. Maybe I arrived when this one was the only one available, and while I don’t have any major issues with the room, I’d say that anyone looking to stay in Two Dragons who is not dead tired when they arrive, asks the staff to show them each of the available rooms and choose one they like the best prior to unpacking.

Bed in the Guestroom at Two Dragons, Siem Reap, Cambodia

The room I was in was small in size, but that’s all you need. It had two beds on each side of the wall, small coffee table, tiny little TV set on a stand, nice looking imitation wardrobe made of bamboo, a chair made of bamboo, a ceiling fan and an air-conditioning unit (all rooms at Two Dragons are air conditioned). The room also had en suite washroom with sink, heated shower and toilet bowl.

Two Dragons proudly claim that their room are the cleanest in Siem Reap (or something like that). I have never had any issues with non cleanliness so even if that may be an exaggerate statement, you won’t be seeing chunks of dust under your bed or spider webs on the ceiling. First night I slept on one of the beds that stank, so I spent the rest of my stay on second bed in the room which was better.

I have never watched TV. I don’t watch TV at home and as a matter of fact, I have not been on the tube, other than by watching my DVDs in years. Two Dragons website claims that they have over 80 international channels that you can watch. It’s quite possible, though the TV set in my room was no bigger than 14 inches, which is really tiny.

Entrance to the Room with View of Clothes Rack and a TV Set

Two Dragons Bullshitting of Patrons

While Two Dragons do offer daily room cleaning services (not all guesthouses do), which is a positive thing, I didn’t like the fact that they pull the same trick at their patrons as many other similar establishments. To bullshit you into not getting your towel changed daily, Two Dragons will pull the well approved trick about being environmentally friendly at you. This is the most jokeable and most cynical part of their business. On one hand they claim that at Two Dragons they strive to protect the environment and as such they would ask you not to request having the towel changed daily, yet on another you won’t find anything about Two Dragons that would back up the statement that they do care about the environment. If they really cared, they would use eco friendly (energy saving) bulbs everywhere throughout their establishment. If they cared they would not be giving bottled water to each of their patrons, instead they would provide a dispenser of sorts. If they cared about the environment, they would use bio degradable cleaning solutions. But they don’t. At Two Dragons they just want to save up on each customer so they make you feel guilty about the environment while true intention is to spend as little on you as possible. That’s all. I hate bullshitters.

Two Dragons Staff Review

All staff members I have had an encounter with during my week long stay at Two Dragons were extremely nice and friendly. Room cleaning is done while you are gone and is done properly. I have always found my bed done up, sheets were probably changed a few times during my stay, garbage was emptied daily, fresh bottle of drinking water left in the room every day and my personal stuff never seemed touched. I left my money and IDs on the table while I was gone and always found it there.

There is allegedly a safe available for use by the guests, but there was some major headache attached to using it so I never did. I thought of shoving my extra money in it, but I didn’t have any pouch to put it in so I’d have to hand them a pile of bills which seemed less tricky than burying it in the bag among dirty laundry.

Two Dragons Restaurant Review

I have only eaten in the restaurant here once. The reason – overpriced. Food was OK. It was nothing spectacular, but not bad either. However it was way more expensive than other restaurants hence not worth it. There were several restaurants nearby – literally just seconds away where I would go to eat. I’d pay half the money and get twice the food. It just didn’t make any sense eating at Two Dragons.

The restaurant is also located by the entrance to the guesthouse so when a new guest comes, you get to listen to a lot of commotion while you’re trying to eat. As a guest, you are however provided with complimentary tea and coffee that you can help yourself on the upper floor where the guest rooms are, right outside small balcony. I don’t drink coffee so I can’t comment on that, but the tea was Lipton Yellow Tea in separate bags that you dip in hot water from a dispenser. It was provided for free, so no complaints and I did help myself on a couple of occasions.

Two Dragons Table with Free Coffee and Tea

Two Dragons Location Review

Location of Two Dragons completely blows. It’s too far away from anything interesting in Siem Reap, but most of all it’s on an unpaved road so during rainy season, you get to plough through mud to get to and from the guesthouse. It truly sucked because I bought a bicycle to move around and most of town was fine – at worst a little puddle here and there. But the alley leading to Two Dragons was always covered in mud.

Otherwise the location is not beneficial for anything. Siem Reap really isn’t big and it can be done easily on foot, but staying in Two Dragons puts all the action far away from you.

Two Dragons Guesthouse Balcony

Two Dragons Advice Review

One of the things Gordon points out all the time is that he will offer a no B.S. advice to his guests and will tell them what is worth checking out, what is not, where to go to do this, where to go to get that – and all of it with interests of the visitor in mind, not his own. It sounds nice on paper, but is it really so?

I had two questions of Gordon after I first met him – I wanted to know about renting or buying a bicycle and I wanted to know about buying a SIM card for my GSM cell phone. In both cases I got advice that didn’t fit the description of giving advice that most beneficial to the guest.

First I wanted to know how much their bike rentals were and where I should go if I decided to buy one instead of renting. I was told they rent bikes out for $2 per day. Most guesthouses rent bikes out for $1 but was not my concern. Gordon is the boss, he can set his prices any way he wants. Some of his guests ate in Two Dragons restaurant, I didn’t see the point and went to the one around the corner where meals are half the price and you get a three course meal with desert for less than one dish at Two Dragons. If people are fine paying for Two Dragons food, it’s their own business. And the same goes for bicycles and laundry service. Gordon charges $2 per day for bike rental and $2 to wash 1 kg of laundry. Shed right next to Two Dragons does 1kg of laundry for $1 and two sheds down you can rent a bicycle for $1 per day. I would take this 30 second walk just on principle, however many people are fine paying Two Dragon’s prices and that’s their own business.

After answering my question about how much they were renting bikes for, Gordon mentioned that I could buy a bike instead of renting form them if I wanted to stay for a while and ride while I’m here. He gave me valuable advice that cheapo bikes sell for $30, better ones for $50, however there are no quality mountain bikes available for sale in Cambodia. Only pieces of junk from China and overused second hand rejects form Japan. But whether I was going to buy or rent, I would still end up riding the same piece of junk, so it would make no difference. That’s what I was told and 80% of it was true which is a decent ratio for free advice.

The following day I wanted to go take a look at what bikes are available for sale, so I asked Gordon where the stores were. He insisted that I take a Tuk Tuk ride there. I told him I was fine walking as I like walking, it allows me to see the town and besides – I’ve been walking everywhere so fat and given Two Dragon’s location, I had opposite ends of town covered so wherever bike stores could be, I could definitely do it. However Gordon insisted that I take Tuk Tuk because it’s too far.

I really didn’t see where possibly it could be that I could not walk there, but eventually I broke down and agreed to taking Tuk Tuk. Needless to say – it was not far at all, which made it look as though despite what he claims, Gordon truly wants to get some business to his Tuk Tuk drivers for carrying his sign on the back of their trailers and for being his on call drivers. So this all blabber about only advising tourists what is best for them is questionable. He does give you advice, but it always involves taking one of his drivers to go there and do that. Afterall, expecting that there would be a business owner who would not think of kick backs when giving advice to a tourist who is looking to spend money on something is foolish.

My second question on Gordon was where to go to buy a SIM card for my phone. Again, I was told that tourists can buy a tourist SIM card which is only valid for a week and costs $12. To stay true to his intentions to hook his Tuk Tuk drivers with earnings (or maybe he keeps part of their net earnings – which would explain why he is so strung for everyone going everywhere and doing everything via his “approved” Tuk Tuk drivers), he added that a better option is to ask one of the Tuk Tuk drivers to buy me a regular SIM card, put it under their name and give them few extra bucks for doing that for me.

Good thing was I didn’t let him get me a Tuk Tuk driver to take care of it for me, like it was with the bicycle fiasco. This time around I said I was gonna think if I want a SIM card at all and went to do my own research myself. As it turns out, you can buy regular SIM card without problems. I bought one for $3 which comes with $4 worth of within network calls (charged at $.06 a minute) and $2 worth of cross country calls (charged at $.09 per minute). These minutes must be used within a month or else they expire and the card must be recharged within following two months or else the number expires. You do not need a Tuk Tuk driver to get yourself a SIM card for a GSM phone in Cambodia. And this is the first cell phone company I enquired with (Metfone). There are 9 of them in the country. Once again, I was forced to doubt real intentions behind Gordon’s vehement attempts to make sure he hooks up his Tuk Tuk drivers with income. The claims that at Two Dragons they don’t B.S. and don’t advice anything for kick backs are truly questionable.

Two Dragons Free Internet Review

This was my biggest pet peeve of all. Given the nature of my work, it is absolutely essential for me to have internet access. Two Dragons comes with a promise of free WiFi wireless internet. The only catch is, that it sucks like no other. Most of the time the internet doesn’t work. It’s either completely down or not down, but nothing loads and times out. On an important day I was trying to submit one article to a website. I started at 7pm and by midnight it was still not sent. I had to put it off till the following day and even that took a good chunk out of my day just to submit one silly article. WiFi internet you get at Two Dragons is simply awful. If you regularly update your website or need to keep up with friends on line and choose to stay at Two Dragons… oh boy! You’re in for an unpleasant surprise. Even as I’m writing this review, I can see that WiFi is again down and there is no knowing when it comes back up. It’s the most frustrating feeling ever. I spoke with several people who stay in other guesthouses, none have this type of issues with internet.

I did not come to Cambodia expecting to get high speed internet similar to what we have in Canada. But internet that doesn’t work at all is B.S. – as owner of Two Dragons would say. This alone would be a good enough reason on its own for me to seek different accommodation arrangements.

Internet is yet another reason to believe that despite what they claim, the Two Dragons management does B.S. their patrons. In a booklet provided in guestrooms, it is stated that there is not enough bandwidth allocated for Cambodia hence internet is often slow and unreliable. This fact is used to force people into limited use of the internet, restricting it to email checking and no videos, no webmail chatting or anything similar. The guests are reminded that they will be cut off should they burn any more bandwidth than what the management of Two Dragons likes.

I can imagine that this scare mongering works well given what Siem Reap is all about – most tourists to make it here only stay for a day or two and spend them exploring Angkor Wat temples. If it were not for Angkor Wat, Siem Reap would be nothing with no tourists making it here. Still, since tourists come here with particular purpose and leave once this purpose is fulfilled, they will have little chance experiencing real Cambodia and what it has to offer. And if such tourist chooses to stay at Two Dragons, they will believe what they are told. Most tourists who stayed at Two Dragons have probably left Cambodia believing internet truly is slow and unreliable and there’s little bandwidth for this country so checking YouTube videos or chatting over Skype with webcam feature on will kill entire system. But after you have explored real Cambodia for a bit and tear yourself away from Two Dragon B.S., you will get to see that it’s nothing like it’s presented to you there.

You can go for nice supper at Khmer Family Restaurant on Pub Street, Siem Reap – WiFi internet is provided to their patrons for free. It’s fast, reliable, always works and always flies. You have no problem playing video, no problem engaging in any internet activity you are used to and no one will mind, because they simply did not cheap out on crappy internet they provide to their clients.

You will get exactly the same at Temple Club. Lightning fast internet with no restrictions. Another awesome option is to go to the Common Ground Cafe where internet is also fast and reliable. All you need to do is to order a drink with them, and get a password for security enabled wireless internet. And you’re on. You can come any day, any time of day and it will always fly, and no restrictions will be imposed upon you. Two Dragons simply like to B.S. their client with lots of B.S. and unfortunately, since most clients don’t stay in Siem Reap for too long, this B.S. goes unnoticed.

Few Random Negatives

There is this buzzing noise that seems to be omnipresent throughout most of Two Dragons. It sounds as if there was a big transformer somewhere within the walls that makes buzzing noise and while most of the day it’s negligable, it was awfully loud on my second night at this guesthouse. It was deafening. I was working on the computer, trying to get something submitted on the internet, but connection here is ridiculous and this noise was just buzzing and buzzing until my head felt like it was going to explode. I was trying to locate it, but it seemed like it’s spread throughout the building. I walked out on the hallway and it was there too. It was everywhere. Since it was past midnight and everyone was asleep, I didn’t know what to do about it, so I just suffered through it. It eased down the following days again, even though it was still remotely present.

The drain in my bathroom did not drain very well. bathroom is extremely small and houses both toilet, sink and shower. You basically spray all over the toilet bowl as you take shower and need to move the toilet paper out in order not to get it wet during showering so you can use it afterwards. The excess water from showering didn’t drain very well so as you are taking your shower, the level keeps rising with hair and soap dirt floating in it.

En Suite Washrooms are Really Tiny and House the Toilet, Sink and Shower

Two Dragons Review – Conclusion

GOOD:

• Discount for Long Term Stay Possible
• Responsive with Pre Sale Enquiries (very strong positive)
• Rooms have Air-conditioning and En Suite Washrooms
• Non Smoking Rooms (smokers can smoke on the balcony)
• Clean Rooms Attended to Daily
• Daily Free Bottle of Water
• Credit Card Payments Possible

BAD:

• More Expensive than Equally Good or Better Guesthouses
• Shitty Location
• Shitty Internet
• Too Much B.S. Pretending to be Help (worst kind of B.S. – very strong negative)

As far as rooms themselves are concerned, I think Two Dragons would satisfy most visitors to Siem Reap. Everything else is a downer. The owner doesn’t care about repeat customers and will do anything to rip you off as much as humanly possible on your first stay. Most visitors to Siem Reap will not pay Cambodia another visit so he’s fine with ripping you off. If you’re a smart traveller and find out how things work for yourself, without asking Gordon for advice, you will avoid getting ripped off. If you make a vital mistake and do ask for advice, you will be taken advantage of. You could just ask a simple question, Gordon will immediately get one of the girls who work at Two Dragons to call a Tuk Tuk driver claiming you need him for everything you do and even though you insist on not calling, the girl will already be on the phone making arrangements in a language you don’t understand, ultimately forcing you to feel obliged to accept the arrangements made. One former American lawyer, a 61 year old expat who now lives in Phnom Penh had a misfortune of staying at Two Dragons and Gordon made such forcible arrangements for him which resulted in the guy overpaying $20 for a taxi ride.

Even though rooms are clean and attended to daily, I would not recommend Two Dragons to anyone. Value for money is not quite there – you can find better and less expensive accommodation that’s also at much more attractive location so Two Dragons really make little sense. But the owner is the main problem. The only way to not get ripped off is to never ask for anything and never use any of their services other than accommodation. You will feel like you are not welcomed, you will feel like they consider you an unworthy guest (that’s the way I felt, because I went to eat at restaurants that were not overpriced and have not fallen for any of Gordon’s rip off attempts) so while every other guest will be talked to and greeted nicely, you will be either ignored or just dealt with quickly. But it will save you from getting ripped off.

Despite this unspoken tension, I kept to my promise and remained at Two Dragon guesthouse for a week. As soon as my time was up, I darted off and will not consider ever staying there again. In addition – the more people I meet who stayed there, the more stories of having been ripped off come up. As the time went by, I stayed at over a dozen of guesthouses, some as cheap as $3 a night, yet Two Dragons still ranks as the worst place I have stayed at in Cambodia.

ADDITIONAL PICTURES OF TWO DRAGONS:
Two Dragons Guesthouse Siem Reap Photo Gallery

Tuk Tuks represent the primary means of transportation for tourists visiting Cambodia. A Tuk Tuk is supposed to be a three wheeler, but the Cambodian version of it is a semi-enclosed trailer that’s rigged behind a motorcycle – often a moped. Tuk Tuk riding is inexpensive and widely available all over the place. It will likely be the most used, if not solely used means of transportation for vast majority of tourists visiting Cambodia.

I have made a reservation to stay at Two Dragons for a week after arrival to Cambodia and part of the deal was to provide free transport for me from the airport to the guesthouse. Most guesthouses and low to mid range hotels will offer free transport from the airport and this transport is basically always provided by Tuk Tuks. Unless you are staying in a high end hotel with rooms ranging in three digit numbers per night, in which case you will get a ride in a taxi (aka an actual car).

While Tuk Tuks are omnipresent, Taxis are virtually invisible in Cambodia. After a few weeks of living here I have not seen one, but I know they do exist. Upscale establishment offer taxi transportation for their patrons, but as average tourist, you will not see a single one.

My First Ride in Tuk Tuk

After I have gone through Cambodian immigration and got my Visa on Arrival I walked out of the Siem Reap International Airport and straight into the hands of vulture like locals. It was puring cats and dogs outside and it was dark so Tuk Tuk drivers were all over every tourist who stepped outside with offers to take care of their transport. I opened the door and got swarmed by money hungry Cambodians who are on an endless mission to squeeze as much out of every tourist as possible. People of Cambodia are impoverished so there are hardly any hard feelings, but as a savvy traveller who knows the drill, I respectfully ignored every single one of them. I did imagine ranks of unsavvy tourists walking out behind me – all vulnerable and lost in a new country. Many have surely fall victims to the schemes of these Tuk Tuk drivers who know every single trick which works on a tourist and utilize it without remorse.

I knew I had my ride arranged so for me it was only a question of ploughing through the crowds of money hungry locals and watching out for a paerson standing out there somewhere holding a sign with my name. He was all the way in the back and up to the last minute I had people breathing down my neck to get me take a ride with them. Not only would they want to overcharge a tourist for a ride to town, but they’d also want to take the tourist to a guesthouse or a hotel which pays them the highest commission (if you ask a Tuk Tuk driver to get you to the best place, they will only and solely take you to the place that pays them the most in commission fees for each paying customer. Never otherwise).

Riding Tuk Tuk in the Rain

Once I have tracked down the Tuk Tuk driver holding a sign with my name, I told him I was Mark and he ran to get his Tuk Tuk and park it by the side of the road where I was standing as it was still under the roof. Sky was truly pissing that rain down without any shame. My driver put on the helmet and a raincoat, hopped on his moped and pulled over by me. I sat inside the trailer which is not fully enclosed so the seat was partially wet and rain was pounding me from both sides, I sat my main bag on the wetter seat opposite of me and held my camera bag on my lap. We took off and rode through the dark. I was actually a lucky one being within that semi-enclosed trailed. Even though I still got rained on from the sides, I just thought of poor driver who was riding that Tuk Tuk unprotected, facing the rain form the seat of his motorcycle.

The ride from the airport to the guesthouse wasn’t long. About 10 minutes or so, suggesting that the airport is not far from Siem Reap at all. Tuk Tuks don’t ride too fast. It’s a bloody moped that can go at max maybe 40 or 50 km/h plus it has a trailer to haul so I doubt the speed was any higher than that.

By the time we made it to the Two Dragons Guesthouse, it was already past 11pm local time. The guesthouse was quiet, but I was expected. A girl who was waiting for me at the reception took me to my room and turned on the air-conditioning as it was hot. I must have looked tired as hell (and I was) because she said no more. She just looked at me and left to leave me alone so I can get some rest. There was always tomorrow to go through formalities.

Even though pick up from the airport was to be provided for free by Two Dragons guesthouse as I have made a reservation to stay at the establishment for a week, I gave my Tuk Tuk driver a mighty tip of $1. It may sound like a laughable amount to pay to someone for hassle of sitting on a motorcycle in heavy rain to drive my fat ass to a guesthouse, but it is not so in Cambodia. Mighty $1 bill can take care of one local family for a day.

My first Tuk Tuk ride and an initiation to Cambodia with proper down pour of rain was successfully concluded. Let the adventure begin.