The Phnom Penh Airport Express Bus connects the city centre to Techo International Airport. Here are the bus details, including the route and ticketing information.

Airport Express Bus route and stops

The Airport Express Bus has limited stops between the airport and city centre.

[Map of Phnom Penh Airport Express Bus.]

The route map of the Airport Express Bus.

[Airport Express Bus route map.]

The Airport Express Bus on the city map gives a better idea of how far the airport is.

If you are staying in the riverside area, the Canadia Park bus stop is the most useful stop.

[Canadia Park Bus Stop.]

If you are staying in the BKK1 area, the Royal University Of Law And Economic Sciences bus stop is closer.

[Royal University Of Law And Economic Sciences bus stop.]

The final stop is at the Kouch Cannon Roundabout Bus Station (Phnom Penh City Bus Terminal), near the Embassy of France. There are not as many hotels around here, thus the Canadia Park stop will be the most useful (though check the map to see what is most useful for you).

If you are unfamiliar with the city, here is my guide on where to stay in Phnom Penh.

[Airport Express Bus at Kouch Cannon Roundabout Bus Station.]

Going from the city to the airport, the University of Health Sciences bus stop is the most useful stop. This is near the Phnom Penh Railway Station.

[University of Health Sciences bus stop.]

The bus stops have shelters that are clearly marked “Airport Express Bus”.

[R & F City Bus Stop]

Airport Express Bus timetable

The bus runs approximately every hour. A timetable is on the airport website.

[Airport Express Bus timetable from Techo International Airport.]

[Airport Express Bus timetable from Kouch Cannon Roundabout Bus Station.]

Airport Express Bus at Techo International Airport

The bus stop is outside the terminal building at the end of the carpark. There are some signs pointing in the direction of the bus stop.

I had some taxi/tuk-tuk drivers approach me to try and persuade my to get a ride. I said I was getting a bus and one of the drivers said that the bus doesn’t run very often and it is slow. Ignore such taxi touts (which is good advice for any airport).

[A long walk through the airport car park.]

Tickets for the Airport Express Bus

The ticket price is 1,500 KHR (0.37 USD) (as of December 2025). The driver doesn’t handle cash so there is an old-school cash drop-box. This is a problem if you don’t have any change. Luckily I had some small riel notes from my last trip so I was able to pay the exact amount.

There is also Tap and Pay for the local payment system WingPay, but this doesn’t accept international cards. Payment by QR code has become the dominant payment system in Cambodia, so payment by Visa and Mastercard is not as prevalent.

If you are arriving at Techo International Airport without riel, there are ATMs and a bank in the arrival hall. Cambodia uses USD and KHR, and many of the ATMs only dispense 100 USD notes. This is inconvenient when you arrive and you are trying to break the note with a small purchase. I took a $100 note to the bank and they converted it to riel. They gave me 20,000 KHR notes (about $5), which is more manageable, but still not useful for buying a bus ticket. Ask for some small change as well (eg some 1,000 and 500 KHR notes).

[Canadia Bank at Techo International Airport.]

Onboard the Airport Express Bus

The Airport Express Bus is city bus with seats and standing room, not a seat-only coach.

There is also a section for luggage.

A review of the Japanese KiHa 183 series train that operates between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.

In 2024 the Royal Railway of Cambodia acquired 11 KiHa 183 series train carriages from JR Hokkaido in Japan. The trains were converted from 1067mm gauge to metre gauge, and a test service began on the Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville route in November 2024.

This retired train from snowy Hokkaido now has a new life in tropical Cambodia. I rode the service from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville in December 2024, and it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable train trips I’ve taken in Southeast Asia. Here is what to expect.

Southern Line Phnom Penh – Sihanoukville

Depart Phnom Penh: 7:00 am
Arrive Sihanoukville: 12:40 pm
Travel time: 5 h 40 m

The main stops are:

Phnom Penh
Takeo
Kep
Kampot
Sihanoukville

The official booking site is at https://royalrailway.easybook.com.

I use Baolau to buy Cambodia train tickets.

Tickets are also available at the station.

[Phnom Penh Station ticket counter.]

Phnom Penh Station

Phnom Penh Station is one of my favourite stations in Southeast Asia. The station is in a good location near the city centre, which is how it should be for the main stations for capital cities.

There is a cafe in the station (Coffee Hub Royal Railway) which is advertised as opening at 6:30.

The station building wasn’t open when I arrived, so passenger entry to the platforms was via the side of the building.

There is a cafe and snack stand in an old train carriage next to the side exit. This was the only place open in the morning. There were also some food vendors selling pre-made meals (pork and egg with rice).

There are only two train services per day from Phnom Penh, and they both depart in the morning.

[Battambang and Sihanoukville trains at Phnom Penh.]

There is no assigned seating, so arrive early if you want to pick a preferred seat. I arrived at 6:30 so I could get photos of the train, though I discoved there were plenty of seats available on this day.

[KiHa train at Phnom Penh Station.]

Onboard the KiHa train to Sihanoukville

Economy class seats are in 2×2 configuration.

Having individual seats is a big improvement from the old trains with bench seats. The seats are generously padded, and I would say they are one of the most comfortable trains seats in Southeast Asia (I would put it in the top 3 with Whoosh and the Laos-China Railway). In addition to the comfortable seats, there is enough legroom to stretch out and not feel guilty about fully reclining your seat.

The seats have backseat trays and there are power outlets. There was no food or drink service when I went (I bought the coffee at Phnom Penh Station). The carriages are air-conditoned, so but not set to freezing like some other railway in Southeast Asia do.

There was another economy section with red seats.

The Business Class seats are arranged in 2×1 configuration.

The toilets are what you would expect from a Japanese train.

The Japanese labels are still on the toilet instructions.

There is also an external wash basin area.

The trains can reportedly travel at up to 110 km/h, but they are still limited by the tracks they run on. The Southern Line is mostly a single track, so it still has to stop at passing loops to let other trains pass. Sihanoukville is the main shipping port of Cambodia, so container trains heading to Phnom Penh also use this line.

The scenery gets more scenic in Kampot province. For many passengers, Kampot is the main destination.

Overall this was an easy train trip, despite the slow train speed and stoppage to let a freight train pass. I have done this trip before on the old trains, and having a comfortable seat with ample legroom in an air-conditioned carriage makes a world of difference.

The only downside was there was no food or drink service of any kind. Remember to bring your own drinks and snacks.

The train arrived at Sihanoukville at 1:36 pm (56 minutes behind schedule). Delays are to be expected on this service, so don’t book any time-sensitive onward connections if you are using the train.

[Kiha train at Sihanoukville.]

Sihanoukville or Kampot?

There is not much to do in Sihanoukville now that it has been turned into a casino wasteland, so this service is most useful for onward travel to Koh Rong. The downside to this is that the train takes longer than a bus to Sihanoukville, so it is a late arrival to Koh Rong.

A better itinerary is to get off at Kampot, which gives you a long enough experience on the train while being a nicer city to stay in.

This train travel review is part of the Southeast Asia railways guide.

Battambang is on the Northern Line that operates between Poipet and Phnom Penh. Here is what to expect on the train from Battambang to Phnom Penh.

Battambang – Phnom Penh train details

The Northern Line is the train line from Phnom Penh to Poipet (on the Cambodia-Thailand border). There is usually one train per day in each direction between Phnom Penh and Poipet, but at the time of my visit the Battambang-Poipet section wasn’t operating.

Depart Battambang: 3:00 pm
Arrive Phnom Penh: 9:30 pm

The official booking site is at https://royalrailway.easybook.com.

I use Baolau to buy Cambodia train tickets.

If you are overlanding from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, there is a train from Bangkok to Ban Klong Luk Border. From this station you can walk across the border to Poipet. From Poipet to Battambang you will need to get a van or taxi as there is currently no train service.

Battambang Station

Battambang Station is in the city centre, 450 metres from the riverfront.

There are no shops inside the station, which is fair enough considering there is only one train per day in each direction.

Some food vendors show up before the train, but you would be better off to have lunch first and bring your own snacks.

There wasn’t anyone at the ticket office when I arrived, and the only travel information was this timetable written on a whiteboard.

Onboard Battambang – Phnom Penh service

This service featured two carriages with padded bench seats. The train is a diesel multiple unit (DMU), which means the engine is inside the carriage and not a separate locomotive. The carriage with the engine was noisier, so I sat in the last carriage.

The carriages have fans and the windows can be opened. The combination of fan and open air made for a comfortable journey.

There were only 10 people onboard when the train departed, so there was no worry about not getting a ticket. I still prefer to book in advance, especially if this is a preplanned travel event that I don’t want to miss.

I enjoy these trains with open windows. The combination of fresh air and feeling closer to the landscape makes for an enjoyable journey. I also know that these trains will soon be a thing of the past.

It should go without saying that you shouldn’t stick your arm or head out of the window.

The train has a toilet onboard.

The line is a single track, so if there is a train coming in the other direction then one of the trains has to wait at a passing loop.

The train made some stops along the way to drop off passengers and parcels.

We also had to stop for some cows that were on the track.

The train toots its horn frequently as there are many unmanned level crossings.

It’s a slow trip but it’s more scenic than by going by road. The train goes through rice fields, and seeing the occasional temple in the distance is a special sight.

Pursat Station

The main stop in between Battambang and Phnom Penh is at Pursat.

The train stops for 30 minutes here, so it’s the only chance to buy food or drinks on the trip. There are food vendors next to the station.

This is a popular stop with more people getting on here to go to Phnom Penh.

[A Pursat cat wondering if it should go to Phnom Penh.]

Phnom Penh Railway Station

The train is scheduled to arrive in Phnom Penh at 9.30, and on my trip it arrived at 9.35pm.

[Battambang train at Phnom Penh.]

On the platform to the left is the Kiha train that operates from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, which was my next trip.

The Kiha train will eventually operate on the Phnom Penh to Poipet service, so this trip report will become a historical archive of what the the train used to look like.

There are tuktuks waiting outside the station, but I used Grab app to book a taxi from the station.

Battambang Bamboo Railway

If you’re not getting the train from Battambang, you can still get a train fix by riding on the Battambang bamboo railway. There is also a tourist train, so here is a comparison of the old and new bamboo trains.

Read more about railways in Cambodia. This train travel review is part of the Southeast Asia railways guide.

Phnom Penh is a fascinating city that should be included in any trip to Cambodia. That sounds logical to include the capital and biggest city in Cambodia in your itinerary, but I’m surprised by how many people I meet who just go to Siem Reap and skip Phnom Penh.

This Where To Stay guide is especially for first-time visitors to the city which will help make the most of your time. It’s useful for repeat visitors as well as I have picked out the best hotels in Phnom Penh for this list.

Having been to Phnom Penh numerous times I’ve found that these are the best areas to stay, depending on your travels.

Search for more Hotels in Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh hotel map

[Map of Phnom Penh hotels.]

Daun Penh District

Daun Penh District includes the historic centre along the riverside. This is where the royal palace, government buildings, and most notable colonial architecture can be found. Daun Penh is bounded by the Tonle Sap River, and the closer you can stay to the river the better.

If you are visiting for a short time then confine your search to the area between the river and Preah Monivong Blvd. If you are staying west of Preah Monivong Blvd it gets too far to walk to the main areas. Within this area stay within Wat Phnom to the north and Preah Sihanouk Blvd to the south. Below Preah Sihanouk Blvd is the BKK1 area which is suitable for longer stays.

Hostels

Phnom Penh used to have a backpacker area at Boeng Kak Lake. The lake has since been filled in and is being redeveloped. There are a few streets that have a burgeoning hostel scene, though nothing on the scale of Khao San Road in Bangkok or Pham Ngu Lao in Saigon. 172 Street between 13 Street and Preah Norodom Blvd is one of the main backpacker streets. You could just turn up here and look around, but these days it’s better to book in advance.

Onederz Phnom Penh is a popular choice for backpackers with its convenient location and good services and amenities.

One Stop Hostel Phnom Penh is situated on Sisowath Quay, in front of the river.

Panorama Mekong Hostel is located on the riverfront and it indeed offers a panoramic view of the Mekong where it converges with the Tonle Sap.

Mad Monkey is a famous party hostel brand in Cambodia, so Mad Monkey Phnom Penh is where to go to meet fellow backpackers.

Guesthouses and budget hotels

I’ve stayed in a number of guesthouses in Phnom Penh over the years, and the quality varies greatly. I’ve found that the cheapest ones are terrible compared to what you get in Vietnam or Thailand for the same price. By spending a few dollars more your accommodation experience will improve dramatically.

258 Street had a small guesthouse scene, but it has more mid-range hotels now. Okay Guesthouse is one of the remaining guesthouses.

Phnom Penh Le Vincent Hotel is a 2-star hotel that is well-rated by budget travellers.

Mid-range Hotels

Blue Lime Hotel is a 3-star hotel tucked away in a little alley, not far from the Royal Palace, and it has a swimming pool.

Zing is a 3-star hotel near the historic central market. It has a bright minimalist feel. I stayed here as it was convenient to the train station.

[Read my review of th Zing Hotel.]

Le Grand Palais Boutique Hotel is a mid-range hotel that looks like a classic apartment block in Paris.

[Le Grand Palais Boutique Hotel.]

Himawari Hotel Apartments is situated on Sisowath Quay with views of the Tonle Sap River.

[Himawari Hotel Apartments.]

Hotel Cambodiana is a luxury hotel on the banks of the Mekong River. The hotel was built in the era of ‘New Khmer Architecture’ that flourished in the 1960s. The hotel was finished in 1969 but was closed shortly thereafter due to the war. It was restored and reopened in the 1990s, but now it is under threat of demolition to make way for the new tower. If you are looking for something uniquely Cambodian, then stay here before everything has been turned into a chain hotel experience.

[Hotel Cambodiana.]

The Pavilion Hotel is located in the heart of the historical centre of Phnom Penh, near the Royal Palace and Wat Botum. The architecture is a combination of Khmer and French colonial styles. It features unique heritage villas, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and private plunge pools, in a lush tropical compound.

Aquarius Hotel & Urban Resort is a modern hotel with a rooftop swimming pool.

TRIBE is a midscale lifestyle brand by Accor and joint venture partner Ennismore. Tribe Phnom Penh Post Office Square was the first TRIBE Hotel in Asia (opened 2022). The brand bills itself as a combination of a hotel and a social hub. The New York Times listed it as one of 10 new standout hotels in Asia.

Penh House Hotel is near the Royal Palace and is ideally situated if you want to be near the old town and within walking distance of the BKK1 area. The hotel also has a rooftop swimming pool.

Hôtel KVL opened in 2022 and it has brought a fresh face to the selection of riverfront hotels. This stylish 4-star hotel stands out as a homegrown brand, showcasing modern Camdoodian style and design.

Luxury 5-Star Hotels

The big-name hotel brands are still finding their way to Phnom Penh, so there are some unique hotel experiences to choose from in addition to a selection of familiar brands.

Raffles Hotel Le Royal is a 5-star luxury hotel in a leafy area of old Phnom Penh. It’s next to Daun Penh Ave, which faces Wat Phnom and is on the same street as the embassy of the United States of America.

The hotel was originally named ‘Le Royal‘ when it opened in 1929. Over the years it hosted a who’s who of celebrities, as well as journalists covering the civil war in the 1970s. It is now fully restored and operated by Raffles Hotels & Resorts.

[Raffles Hotel Le Royal.]

Palace Gate Hotel & Resort is situated between the Royal Palace and the river, making it ideal for sightseeing. This hotel with its pool and greenery will help you escape from the city chaos.

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh arrived in the capital at the end of 2021, making it the first Hyatt Regency Hotel in Cambodia.

BKK1

BKK1 stands for Boeung Keng Kang 1, and not an outpost of Bangkok (as my mind tries to tell me). If you are searching on hotel booking sites BKK1 is within Chamkar Morn District.

If you’re considering an extended stay or you’re looking for a digital nomad base in Phnom Penh then I would pick this area. It’s still close to the immediate centre while being less touristy. It’s a popular area with expat/NGO residents, and there are lots of cafes and bars. The roads also feel slightly less chaotic (slightly).

Accommodation options tend to be mid-range and upmarket boutique hotels. This would also be a good area to look for Airbnb rentals while looking for a longer-term place.

Hostels

Feliz Hostel Cafe & Bar has dorm and private rooms available.

Mid-range

Rambutan Resort – Phnom Penh is a small luxury mid-range hotel with a pool.

Anise Hotel

Mansion 51 Hotel & Apartment is a 5-star luxury serviced apartment so a good option if you prefer to self cater.

Tonle Bassac

Tonle Bassac is south of Daun Penh and east of BKK1. Much of this area is still being developed, so not everything is open yet. This area includes the Diamond Island project, which is an island that has a fake Paris.

The area includes apartment towers, shopping malls, and high-end hotels. The National Assembly and other government bodies have offices here, and there are also some embassies, including the Embassy of Australia. It’s not an area I would stay in as a first-time visitor, but I place it here in case you are wondering what all those tall towers are that can be seen from the riverfront. The second-tallest tower in Phnom Penh is The Peak Shangri-la, which will be the first Shangri-la in Cambodia.

ibis budget Phnom Penh Riverside is near the bridge to Diamond Island.

NagaWorld Hotel & Entertainment Complex is the gigantic casino that you will see glowing in the distance at night. While staying at a casino is not for everyone, if it is your thing then it’s worth checking for deals. Like in Las Vegas or Macau, you can occasionally find a 5-star hotel room for $50.

[>NagaWorld Hotel & Entertainment Complex.]

Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh is 240 km apart by road, and getting the bus is the cheapest way to travel between the two cities. Despite the relatively close distance and flat terrain, the roads are congested and not built for highway cruising. Google Maps says the trip can be done in 5 hours and 30 minutes, and bus companies advertise the trip as 6-7 hours. In reality, the trip takes about 7-8 hours, depending on the time of day and other unscheduled stops.

This guide shows how to go from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh by bus (and vice-versa).

Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh bus map

Map of Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh bus stations and landmarks along the route.

[View Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh bus map.]

Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh by bus

Getting the bus from Ho Chi Minh City is easy because the bus stops are in the Pham Ngu Lau backpacker area in District 1. There are more bus services in other districts, but for visitors to Saigon, this is the most convenient spot.

There are numerous travel agents on Pham Lgu Lau Street as well as the official offices for the bus companies. I walked along Pham Ngu Lau to compare prices and bus types. Some of the buses are sleeper buses with bed chairs. I find those uncomfortable as a tall person, so I looked around for other options. Some buses have seat configurations of 2×2, but Phuong Heng Bus has 2×1 seat configuration. This is the ideal seat configuration for bus travel, as one less seat in the row means wider seats.

The ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh cost 530,000 VND ($22.60). Compare more bus tickets here.

There was good legroom and the seat was comfortable. The bus has wifi but it wasn’t connecting on the day of my travel. The bus is air-conditioned without being set to near freezing (as so many bus services do in this part of the world).

[2×1 seat configuration on Phuong Heng Bus.]

The journey time was quoted as about 7 hours, but after seeing the road conditions, 7 hours would be the best-case scenario. My trip took 7 hours 30 min going to Phnom Penh, and 8 hours coming back.

I recorded the time to see where all the hours went for such a short trip. Here is the breakdown:

8:30 – Depart Pham Ngu Lau, Ho Chi Minh City
10:10 – 10 min rest in Cu Chi District (still in Ho Chi Minh City)
10:30 – Crossed into Tay Ninh Province (2 hours to get out of Ho Chi Minh City!)
11:07 – Moc Bai border gate, passport stamped out of Vietnam
11:25 – Cross border to Bavet (Cambodia)
11:35 – Depart Bavet border and stop at a restaurant near the border (wait for passport processing)

[Rest stop in Bavet, Cambodia.]

12:05 – Depart Bavet rest break
13:45 – Rest stop (Prey Veng Province)
13:58 Depart rest stop
14:17 Cross the Tsubasa Bridge over the Mekong River
15:20 Cross Kandal Province/Phnom Penh boundary
16:05 Arrive in Phnom Penh

The Phuong Heng bus stop is at 279 Pheah Sihanouk Blvd, and it is next to most of the other bus companies that go to Ho Chi Minh City. This is not as convenient a location as the Pham Ngu Lau stops in Ho Chi Minh City.

Grab is available in Cambodia, so I used the wifi in the bus office to order a tuk-tuk to my hotel. The Grab trip cost 5,700 Cambodian Riel ($1.40 USD) to go to my hotel near the riverfront.

Vietnam-Cambodia border crossing procedure

On the Phuong Heng bus service, the ticket collector also collected our passports before we arrived at the border. He checked that we had a Cambodia visa, which you should print out. He also wanted a printout of my Vietnam visa, even though the passport stamp indicates how long I can stay in Vietnam. Luckily I had that with me.

I have done this trip before with another bus company, and they tried to charge a $5 admin fee for passport processing. There was no extra service shakedown here. Also on the last trip, the Vietnam border agent tried to charge me a $1 health screening fee (where the scanner checks your temperature). That scam shakedown procedure seems to have been dropped as well.

An unusual feature of this service was that immigration on the Cambodian side was done while we had already crossed the border. The bus drove us to a nearby restaurant for our lunch break. We were there for about 40 minutes, and then the bus assistant returned with our passports. They must have an arrangement where we are allowed to cross without our passports. This system is probably dome to save some time, as we had our lunch break while waiting for our passports to be stamped.

Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City bus

[Bus stop at Preah Sihanouk Blvd.]

I was planning on getting another bus company for comparison, but I was happy with my single-seat option, so I booked the return ticket with Phuong Heng. The ticket from Cambodia cost $23 USD. If you book from a travel agent in the city, they usually arrange a pickup service from your hotel to the bus stop. Check when you book.

Compare Phnom Penh – Ho Chi Minh City bus tickets here.

The trip from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City took 8 hours. We lost time driving through Phnom Penh in the morning peak traffic and afternoon peak traffic in HCMC. I wanted a 6:30 bus but there were none available. An earlier bus would have avoided peak traffic in both cities.

This was the time breakdown for the PP-HCMC trip:

8:34 – Depart Phnom Penh
9:04 – Bassac River Bridge (Google Maps says it takes 15m to travel 4.5km. It took 30m)
10:32 – Tsubasa Bridge

[Tsubasa Bridge over the Mekong River.]

10:47 Rest stop (Prey Veng Province)

[Rest stop – Prey Veng Province.]

11:00 – Depart rest stop
12:35 – Lunch break in Bavet (near border crossing)
12:55 – Depart lunch break
13:00 – Arrive Cambodia border crossing
13:50 – Depart Vietnam border crossing in Moc Bai
14:30 – Cross Tay Ninh Province/HCMC boundary
16:49 – Arrive Pham Ngu Lau, Ho Chi Minh City

This trip also had the same passport arrangement where our passports were processed while we had our lunch break in Bavet.

Questions about travel between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh

Is there an expressway between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh?

There is no expressway (highway/freeway) between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh, which accounts for why this trip takes so long. The roads on both sides of the border are congested with two or four-lane roads. Most of the trip within Vietnam is in the boundary of Ho Chi Minh City and it is now almost completely urbanised to the border.

There is a plan to build an expressway by both governments, which will help to reduce the travel time between the two cities.

Is there a train between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh?

There is no train between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh. There have been numerous announcements over the years to build a railway between the two cities, but that would be years away if it even happens. Read more about the proposed railway from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh.

Are there flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh?

There are flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh, and that takes under 1 hour. There are not many flights though, so the prices are more expensive compared to other international flights in the region.

VietJet Air tried this route briefly but it was later withdrawn.

Cambodia was one of the earliest countries to reopen without quarantine in Southeast Asia, and I just so happened to need to do a visa run from Thailand. That was enough reason to pay an overdue revisit to Phnom Penh.

This trip to Phnom Penh was in December 2020, and I saw in the new year here. At this point, Thailand had a 1-day quarantine system, while Vietnam, Laos, and Malaysia were not yet open for tourism. I did the 1-day quarantine in Thailand, so arriving in Cambodia with only a test at the airport was a great improvement.

I went to get some money at the airport and I was greeted by this row of ATMs. It took me 5 different machines using 3 different cards before I could find one that would give me any money. Cambodia still uses US Dollars for large denominations, and the machine I selected only dispensed $100 notes. I knew that was going to be problematic for the tuk-tuk ride into town, and I figured the convenience store at the airport isn’t going to want to break a 100 for a bottle of water, so I bought a sim card for $7. It turns out that the sim card vendor had also been hit by tourists with 100 dollar bills, so she scrambled around other shops looking to break up the change. The sim card would become useful later in this trip.

After getting my nose probed with a covid test and the money drama, it was finally good to be in the back of a tuk-tuk in Phnom Penh. One of the first things I noticed was that the tuk-tuks are now the Indian-style autorickshaws instead of the trailers that are latched onto the back of a motorbike.

The big improvement in transport in Phnom Penh has been the transport apps like Grab (which bought out Uber in Southeast Asia) and the local ride-hailing app, PassApp. I had never been able to get a fair price for a tuk-tuk here, so these apps save haggling when you don’t know what the fare should be. PassApp shows the old-style tuktuks and rickshaws as options. Getting a sim card to use this app saved me a lot of transport headaches.

I was coming and going from Phnom Penh on this trip, so I had two short stays here rather than a long stay. This trip report covers December 2021 and January 2022. As I noted in my guide on where to stay in Phnom Penh, if you are here for a short time, then stay by the riverfront. If you plan to stay longer (like digital nomadding for a month), then stay in the BKK area.

The good thing about staying by the river is going for morning walks along Sisowath Quay on the riverfront. I don’t know why, but the sun shines differently in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Perhaps it’s just my nostalgia for this region, or perhaps it’s the piles of rubbish that burns on the side of the street that gives the sunrise a different tint.

I’m familiar enough with Phnom Penh now to know where my favourite old buildings are. One of my favourite areas is around the old post office.

There are some old buildings around the post office that are in terrible shape, so I always go back to check up on them to make sure they haven’t been knocked down yet.

I’m always drawn to the Central Market every time I come to Phnom Penh.

The central dome is an amazing structure that I never tire of seeing.

The Chaktomuk Conference Hall is also one of my favourite architectural highlights of the city.

One of the first things I did on my first trip to Phnom Penh in 2005 was to visit the Foreign Correspondents Club. This bar is in a building on Sisowath Quay, and it’s the ideal place to sit with a drink and watch the Tonle Sap merge with the Mekong. I’ve been to the FCC on every visit to Phnom Penh, so I was sad to see it was closed on this trip. They were closed for renovations, so at least they have not closed down.

[FCC (left) under renovation.]

The same can’t be said for the traveller cafes on Sisowath Quay. Many of them have either closed down or not reopened yet. As I was in Phnom Penh at the start of the country’s reopening, it was too soon to tell if this was permanent.

As Phnom Penh was my first exposure to Southeast Asia, this was also my first exposure to traveller cafes serving western food and drinks (and “happy” pizzas). There are more upmarket bars along the riverfront now, and it might be that the pandemic has put an end to these cafes.

One thing that I was unreasonably excited about was the opening of a Pizza 4P’s restaurant in Phnom Penh. It was nice to go to a pizza place in Phnom Penh that didn’t have happy in its name.

Pizza 4P’s is a pizza chain from Vietnam that was founded by a man from Tokyo. That sounds like an odd combination, but it turns out that the Japanese may be the best pizza makers in the world, so being via Vietnam is not an unreasonable stretch.

Pizza 4P’s is in a new building on the riverfront. In addition to getting a pizza fix, it was a good alternative place to watch the river while the FCC was closed.

In the same building as 4Ps is a Starbucks. I was staying near here so I went for coffee in the morning.

I was thinking about how much Phnom Penh had changed since my first visit when there was no Starbucks. There are Starbucks everywhere in Phnom Penh now, and I opened my Google Maps to see how many there are:

My preferred cafe chain in Phnom Penh is Brown Coffee. This cafe started out as a single store, and I had it listed on my (now outdated) cafes in Phnom Penh. Brown Coffee has since expanded across the city and is opening branches in other parts of Cambodia as well. They have better lattes than Starbucks (and are cheaper too), so going there is a no-brainer.

I noticed that the Thai cafe chain Amazon has now set up in Cambodia as well, so I hope that Brown starts spreading their franchise wings across Southeast Asia.

Speaking of chains, the big convenience store brands have arrived in Cambodia. A 7-Eleven had opened in Phnom Penh (though it was too far from the city centre to see for myself), and Circle K have started spreading across the city.

As I have been to Phnom Penh numerous times I wasn’t here for sightseeing. On this trip, I was compiling a construction report for Future Southeast Asia, so I spent my time visiting construction sites of the city (of which there are many). I use these construction sites as targets for urban exploration. My Google Maps was covered in stars of places I wanted to visit, so I would walk to those points and see what I saw on the way.

[New Phnom Penh skyline behind the National Assembly.]

One building I was curious to see was Flatiron by Meridian.

The building gets its flatiron shape from the block of land it is on next to the railway. If you want to see how lopsided urban development is in Phnom Penh, then walk alongside the railway shacks next to the Flatiron by Meridian.

I passed the new Lamborgini showroom on the way to the Flatiron. It used to be that the Lexus was the status symbol of wealth in Cambodia. I see TikTok videos in Vietnam of crypto kids in Lamborgini clubs, so it seems to be a regional trend.

There is a new city being built near here called Phnom Penh City Center. If you didn’t know anything about the city you may wonder why there is so much empty land so close to the city centre. This area used to be the Beoung Kak Lake, which was controversially filled in and the community around the lake moved elsewhere. The lake was famous in the backpacker scene for hosting cheap guesthouses. One of my travel regrets was not going there and having a look.

[Phnom Penh City Center.]

There has been a proliferation of new malls in the years between my last visit. The Olympia Mall had just opened and there were only a few shops open when I visited. I was looking for a toilet (the best reason to visit a mall) and this search took me all the way to the top floor.

I also revisited Diamond Island (Koh Pich), which I wrote about on my visit in 2017.

There is an Arc de Triomphe replica here.

And more shophouses on top of all the new malls, which makes me wonder where all these new shops are going to come from.

To get a better overview of how much development is going on, I went across the river to see the city skyline in full.

One of the activities I wanted to do on this trip was to get the train to Sihanoukville. Unfortunately, the railway hadn’t reopened after its pandemic shutdown, but I went to the station to ask – just in case it had miraculous restarted overnight.

The station has been renovated since I was last here, with some new cafes and artwork within the terminal building.

I returned to my favourite place to be, by the riverfront in the evening.

With the train out of action, I got the bus to Sihanoukville. If you thought Phnom Penh has gone through radical changes, wait until you see Sihanoukville.

I have a soft spot for Phnom Penh as it was the first city I visited in Southeast Asia. The combination of that good memory and it being a little rough around the edges has kept me coming back whenever I can.

Every time I come back it’s a little less dustier and a little more modern than before. One thing that has been unavoidably noticeable over the last few years has been the construction boom of apartment towers. As with Sihanoukville it’s mostly Chinese-led, with China now being the largest visitor country to Cambodia. I even saw buses in the city that are specifically for ferrying Chinese buyers from the airport to these projects.

Koh Pich (Diamond Island) is one of the major development sites in Phnom Penh. Koh Pich is an island in the Bassac River, just before it empties into the Mekong River. I was drawn to the island by the blinking lights of Nagaworld, which is a casino/entertainment complex near the entrance to the island. I was staying near the casino, and the blue/purple lights were making my hotel room glow as if I was in a Blade Runner cyberpunk dream. The next day I went for a walk to see what was going on.

The island is close to the old city area, yet ten years ago it was mostly slums and farmland.

Once you cross the bridge there is construction everywhere, with signage leaving no doubt for who the market is for.

Everything is new on the island, so I was initially confused to see this town hall built in neoclassical style, which is unlike any remaining colonial architecture in the old city area.

Things get even weirder at the the Elysee project, which is a homage to Paris with a grand boulevard and haussmann-esque rows of apartment blocks.

The project even has a replica Arc de Triomphe. It’s one thing to have a purpose-built fake Paris in the middle of China, but to have it on prime real estate of your capital city another matter.

There is another section of the island called Elite Town. It’s like the elite are not even pretending that they’re not being elitist any more.

What’s more embarrassing are the names of the streets: Princeton Road, Harvard Street, Berkeley Street, Yale Road. Why not name the streets after national heroes, Cambodian cities, or Khmer mythology.

If you know my blog you will know that I’m not against development and making modern functional cities. I think though that Phnom Penh has missed a great opportunity to make a new urban precinct that is distinctly Cambodian. Phnom Penh had a great architectural era in the 50s and 60s with New Khmer Architecture. The Chaktomuk Conference Hall by Vann Molyvann is a classic example of the style that blended modernism with Cambodian traditional elements.

A post shared by James Clark (@nomadicnotes) on Dec 28, 2017 at 10:10pm PST

So that is the status of Diamond Island which I visited in December, 2017. Next time I am in Phnom Penh I’ll make an update on the projects.

For more details on Diamond Island read this: Cambodia’s Showcase Island.

The railway line from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville was reopened for passenger services in 2016 after 14 years of being out of action.

I’ve been to Phnom Penh numerous times and I have always admired the old train station, hoping that one day that train services would resume. If you want to ride the only railway in Cambodia (as of 2018) then here is what to expect.

[Phnom Penh Royal Railway Station.]

Phnom Penh – Sihanoukville timetable

I’ve been wanting to do this trip since the line reopened but I had never timed my travels right. The train only runs on the weekend, starting with a Friday afternoon service from Phnom Penh, and finishing with a Monday morning service from Sihanoukville.

The train takes 7 hours so I wasn’t keen on getting the 15.00 Friday service. Instead I got the 7.00 service from Phnom Penh. There is a 7.00 and 16.00 service on Saturday and Sunday from both directions

From what I have read it is a popular service so I don’t know why it isn’t daily. There are freight trains running during the week but that isn’t a problem in other countries operating a single line railway.

How to buy tickets

I originally made a booking on the Royal Railway website, under “Passenger service > E-booking”. I inputed my details on this form but I never got an email confirmation. It didn’t take any payment details either, so I wasn’t confident my booking was made.

Fortunately I was in Phnom Penh a few days before my planned travel day. I went to the ticket office on Thursday morning and they said that the train was already sold out. I said that I made a booking online though never got a confirmation. They went away and then came back with a ticket for me. I didn’t give them my name so I have no idea how that worked.

The weekend I was travelling was the New Years weekend, so it might have been busier than usual. Either way I would not risk just showing up and expecting a ticket on the day.

If you don’t have the luxury of being in Phnom Penh first I would book online with Baolau to guarantee a seat via a more user-friendly booking service.

Departing Phnom Penh

I got the 7.00 service so I arrived earlier to get coffee. There is a good coffee stand in the station, and also a Tous Les Jours Bakery at the service station opposite the station. I stayed at Hotel Zing, which is a good budget hotel about 5 minutes walk from the station.

The passenger train also carries cars and motorbikes if you can’t be bothered driving to Sihanoukville.

Inside the carriages

The carriages were renovated in conjunction with the relaunch of the service. The seats are bench-style with two benches facing each other.

It’s a bit tight for my liking, and awkward to have to look at other passengers the whole way. At least I had a good group of seatmates who spoke English and chatted.

I wandered along the carriages and saw that other carriages were set up in a metro commuter style. I’m glad they didn’t sell me one of the standing room only seats.

And most importantly I checked the toilet to find a clean western-style toilet.

The train felt like being in a big floating lounge room with cushy seats, carpet floor, curtains, and framed pictures. The air conditioning is also household air conditioning units, and crucially it was set at a comfortable temperature. Trains and buses in Southeast Asia usually have airconditioning set to freezing, so this was a comfortable ride.

There is a kitchen at the end of the train serving drinks and instant noodles.

And the view outside is pretty good too.

[Room with a view.]

Stop at Takao

After 2 hours the train arrived at Takao, and there it stopped for a 10 minute break.

[Takao Station.]

Everyone gets out for a food and drink before continuing the journey.

[Stock up on your meat-on-a-stick snack requirements here.]

Stop at Kampot

The next stop is at Kampot, where there was another convenience break. If you haven’t been to Kampot you should definitely add that to your Cambodia travel plans. It’s too bad that there isn’t a regular service for this route.

[Kampot Station.]

I got out for an iced coffee.

[Kampot coffee lady.]

Arriving at Sihanoukville

The golden beaches of Sihanoukville finally come into view.

[Beaches of Sihanoukville through the window.]

After a long day on the train we arrive at Sihanoukville Station.

[Sihanoukville Station.]

Total travel time

The scheduled travel time is a whopping 7 hours. By comparison you can get to Sihanoukville by van in about 4-5 hours. The Southern Line from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville City is 264 km, so the average speed is about 38km/h.

This trip took 7.5 hours:

Depart Phnom Penh 7.03
Arrive Takao 10.08
Depart Takao 10.18
Arrive Kampot 12.17
Depart Kampot 12.30
Arrive Sihanoukville 14.42

The train stopped a few times in the middle of nowhere, which added the half an hour to the scheduled travel time.

[A bemused cow wondering why we had stopped where we did. I was wondering that too.]

I haven’t found a good explanation why the train is so slow. The track is completely refurbished so it is comparable with the 1-metre gauge tracks of Thailand.

Even though it’s much slower than the van or bus, it was a far more enjoyable journey. If you are on holiday and not in a hurry then this should be the preferred way to travel.

[Delightful Southern Cambodia.]

I hope that they can sort out the train speeds in the future as this should be a daily service that is covered in 3 hours.

A review of the service when it reopened said the train took 6½ hours, with a reduction of two hours expected. At least it beats the days when the train needed armed guards in the 1990’s.

There are now plans to build a faster railway. Read more about future Cambodian railways.

Book your Phnom-Penh – Sihanoukville train tickets here.

Read more about the railways of Southeast Asia and world train travel.

Phnom Penh has a special place in my heart as it was the first city in Southeast Asia I visited, back in 2005. I remember paying $2USD for a motorbike taxi from the airport, which may have been a dollar more than I was supposed to pay (I’m sure some wiseass backpacker pointed that out to me). I remember live pigs strapped to the front of motorbikes and chickens hanging from the back, a family of five on one motorbike, and a bike carting a big sheet of glass. All this from the journey in from the airport. I loved it straight away.

What I don’t remember on that trip was having a cafe latte. My memory is hazy but I’m pretty sure I didn’t see a single espresso machine in my few days there. Sure, I was staying in cheapo guesthouses, but there were no cafe chains to be seen in this city that was still getting back up on its feet after years of turmoil.

I was back in Phnom Penh sorting out a visa for Vietnam so I had a few days to have a look around. Coming back eight years later it was fascinating to see how much this city has changed. Most of the roads are paved now, and there has been a cafe boom, of which I tried to visit as many as I could.

Interesting to note the amount of chain cafes here, but not from the usual suspects (there is no Starbucks here, yet). There are some familiar brands here, but my two favourite cafe chains here are local businesses that would do well anywhere in the world if they decide to expand.

This list is of suitable work cafes with free wifi. There are of course more cafes, but time time was limited on this trip. In the case of chain cafes I have listed the ones I visited and provided a link to the cafe website if you want to find more.

Foreign Correspondents Club

The FCC is an institution of Phnom Penh and a place you should visit – working or not – if only to sit by the open window and watch the world go by along the quay and river. The FCC opened in its current location in 1993 but it feels like it has been around for much longer.

Location: 363 Sisowath Quay, Riverfront, Phnom Penh
Website: fcccambodia.com

Brown Coffee

Brown Coffee is a chain of cafes that can be found in several location around Phnom Penh. Brown was started be five Cambodian men who have spent time abroad and have since come home to start this venture.

There are currently five branches (at the time of posting) and I went to the one on the riverfront.

Location: #1 st. 98 corner Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh
Website: browncoffee.com.kh
Further Reading: How a coffee chain conquered Cambodia: Brown’s success story

The Blue Pumpkin

The Blue Pumpkin is another local cafe chain success story. Starting out in Seam Reap, there are now several branches in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. The chain features dazzling white interiors and couches so big that you lounge on them like a futon. They also have great ice cream.

Location: #245 Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh
Website: www.facebook.com/BluePumpkinCambodia

Java Café & Gallery

The upstairs section of Java Cafe is everything I imagined a cafe in Southeast Asia would look like; an open balcony with greenery, tiled floors, and ceiling fans. And of course there is free wifi (which is standard in any SE Asia cafe). If being outside isn’t your thing, inside has the usual air-con comfort.

Location: 56 Sihanouk Blvd, Phnom Penh
Website: javacafeandgallery.com

Xotique Coffee and Bakery

Xotique Coffee and Bakery is a bit further out from the rest of the cafes but it seemed to be a well known place with expats as it was doing a steady business when I visited.

Location: #32, St. 456, Phnom Penh
Website: www.facebook.com/xotique.cambodia

Kiriya Cafe

Kiriya Cafe is a Japanese-owned cafe/bakery that is open until 2am.

Location: #174, St. 51, corner of St. 370, Phnom Penh
Website: www.facebook.com/Phnom-Penhkiriya-cafe-237499673045256

Pauls Brewehouse

Pauls BreweHouse is a coffee, donuts and bakery cafe with two branches in Phnom Penh. The owner came from California where he owned Mr. Steve’s Donuts for 20 years.

Location: #253, St. 51, corner of St. 370, Phnom Penh

Gong Cha

Gong Cha is a Taiwanese tea chain that serve bubble tea (as you would being from Taiwan) as well as regular coffee.

Location: #20, St. 51, corner of St. 282, Phnom Penh
Website: www.facebook.com/gongcha.khmer

True Coffee

True Coffee are a cafe chain from Thailand. They have branches everywhere in Bangkok but they charge for wifi so I never go. I thought I should at least pop in and have a look in Phnom Penh, and it turns out that wifi is free, so they make my list of cafes to work from.

Location: St. 51, corner of St. 310, Phnom Penh
Website: www.facebook.com/pages/True-Coffee-Cambodia/570295479677686

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

The California cafe giant is represented in Phnom Penh with two branches.

Location: St. 57, corner of St. 306, Phnom Penh

Gloria Jeans

Australia’s biggest cafe chain is also represented with two cafes in Phnom Penh.

Location: St. 51, corner of St. 310, Phnom Penh
Website: www.gloriajeans.com.kh

Phnom Penh Cafe Map

Closed Cafes

Studio701: #473A Monivong Blvd, corner of St. 242, Phnom Penh.
Spinelli Coffee: #174, St. 63 Corner of St. 282, Phnom Penh.
ebada pet cafe: #35, St. 306, Phnom Penh.