Travel between Ho Chi Minh City and Kampot
I'm looking for a relatively painless but interesting way to get from Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Kampot in Cambodia.
The most commonly suggested route seems to be the bus from HCMC to Phnom Pehn, and then Phnom Pehn to Kampot. My main concern with this is that the early buses seem to arrive in Phnom Pehn around 13:30, and the last ones to Kampot seem to leave about 14:30, which doesn't leave much of a window for delays on the first leg. Also, we intend to go back to Pnomh Pehn so don't really want to do the same route twice.
I have heard there are buses from HCMC to Ha Tien, but can't find much in the way of times and where they leave from.
Can anyone advise on these?
Getting from Ha Tien to Kampot seems straightforward.
How can we arrange a shared minibus to Ha Tien?
If all else fails, what would be a ball park figure for a taxi/driver cost from HCMC to Ha Tien?
Best Answer
I think to get from Saigon to Kampot, you have to go through Phnom Penh. The main roads and bus lines go that way. Even if there are more direct roads, I doubt they can be used by buses because of the condition of many bridges in the area.
Usually you can always get a private taxi to take you anywhere, but I doubt you'll find someone in Saigon driving you all the way to Kampot. They will drive you to the border, you can walk over and find another car on the other side. But even a taxi would go through Phnom Penh. Most roads in Cambodia are not in a very good condition, so taking small roads might take much longer than taking a bigger road even if that means a longer distance.
I don't know the current times or prices, but I would recommend to just take a bus from Saigon to Phnom Penh, stay overnight have a nice dinner and then continue to Kampot the next day on another bus.
Nobody in South Vietnam except some officials use the name 'Ho Chi Minh City'
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How much is a taxi from Phnom Penh to Kampot?
Taxi. You can get a taxi from Phnom Penh to Kampot for between $35 and $50, although the prices can rise during public holidays (and that not so public holiday, Chinese New Year). Taxis are generally very clean Toyota Camrys that can seat four passengers.Is there a train from Vietnam to Cambodia?
To travel from Vietnam to Cambodia, you have to take a bus. There is no passenger train connection between these two countries. There are daily direct bus connections from Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) to Siem Reap (Cambodia) with a journey time of 9 hours and a ticket fare from 25 EUR.How much is the bus from Vietnam to Cambodia?
The best way to get from Vietnam to Cambodia is to bus which takes 7h 16m and costs $10.How do you travel around Ho Chi Minh City?
The public transport system in Ho Chi Minh City centres around the city's extensive bus network. While buses are cheap, most expats prefer using motorbike taxis or private taxis. These provide the most efficient way to travel around in Ho Chi Minh City.Cambodia To Vietnam border || Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh city by bus || on road || Producerdxxx
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Answer 2
The easiest path is through Phnom Penh and Chau Doc. This is an established traveler path.
Going through Ha Tien is possible, though more adventurous. You will be very much on local transportation, unreliable and overcrowded. I'm not confident it will end up being quicker or cheaper than going through Phnom Penh, but you may get lucky.
If you are at a good guest house, they should be able to arrange some of the details for you.
Answer 3
I lived in Phnom Penh for a few years and the route I would recommend based on my preference of comfort and price is.
If starting from HCMC:
Get the Giant Ibis bus which out of the 4 bus companies that i travelled with between PP and HCMC is far superior in my opinion.
Pros with Giant ibis:
- Catered towards foreigners and expats
- Good seats
- English speaking
- Stops at the most convenient and cleanest rest stops
- No blasting of Cambodian karaoke or mandatory movie torture at 120DdB for 8 hours (biggest pro)
Con:
- Cost is about 18 usd which is maybe 8 bucks more expensive then the budget option
Google Giant ibis, their web page is great. the bus departs 237 Ph?m Ng? Lão its 300 meters from Subway
When you arrive to Phnom Penh just stay the night if you have the time. Find a suitable accom based on budget. if on backpacker budget i recommend 11 Happy. Jasper the owner is a great and friendly dutch guy who has lived there since his teens.
The day after arrange for a private driver to take you to kep and make sure to hang out in kampot as well for a day. The kampot pepper is amazing and goes very well with the kep crap. Truly divine!! Most hotels and hostels can arrange for a driver and the cost is about 35-50 usd depending on how you negotiate. I usually gave the guy 50 put a smile on his face and had a smooth and easy 2.5h ride all the way to one of the many very well priced cozy little resorts run by normal people and not conglomerats. Kep is still to explode and loose its charm get there before its to late!!
You can also through Giant Ibis get a bus that takes you to kampot (they dont go to kep as of yet) and then take a taxi for 25 min to kep.
Bus fair 9 usd
Taxi from kampot to kep about 5-10 usd.
I strongly advise the taxi option all the way from PP to Kep. but your dime your choice.
Enjoy!
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