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DIY Travel Guide Series: Land Travel from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap

By Two Monkeys Travel - Contributor April 21st, 2022 Posted in Asia Travel Blog, DIY Travel, Travel Blog, Travel Guides 24 Comments

I have always had my eye on the Indochina backpacking tour but the dates were always off and I never had the money at the right moment. Try the Land Travel from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap.

DIY Travel Guide Series Land Travel from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap
Photo by Daniel Mennerich CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

After learning that I could DIY my way through the Indochina, I booked my ticket. Originally, I just wanted to go to Siem Reap to see the temples and bask in their glory but my friend had a better idea – why not maximize the trip and visit two countries! And so we did.

For cheap places to stay in Vietnam and Cambodiacheck this list, backpacker’s dorm starting from $5/ night!

We immediately booked Manila – Ho Chi Minh and Siem Reap – Manila with no assurance of our schedule and transportation between these two places. Thank heavens for the Internet and my friend’s organization skills; we (well more of she was) were able to come with an itinerary for our 10-day trip.

Check out some of the cool and cheap tours you could do in Manila.

Splitting up the days is definitely a challenge. Being the ambitious one, I wanted to see Northern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh and Angkor Wat without paying for domestic flights. To save us time and the hassle, we agreed on Ho Chi Minh, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap – no regrets.

Check out some of the cool and cheap tours you could do in Phnom Penh.

I fell in love with all three cities immediately, each having its own personality you’ll never forget.

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Trip Highlights:  

Walking around Ho Chi Minh City

DIY Travel Guide Series Land Travel from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap
Photo by Marcel EkkelCC BY 2.0

Mekong River Tour

DIY Travel Guide Series Land Travel from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap
Photo by M Huy PhotographyCC BY-NC 2.0

Visiting the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center

DIY Travel Guide Series Land Travel from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap
Photo by Rob YoungCC BY 2.0

Phnom Penh Royal Palace

DIY Travel Guide Series Land Travel from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap
Photo by Daniel Mennerich CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Angkor Temple Tour

DIY Travel Guide Series Land Travel from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap
Photo by Piktour UK CC BY 2.0

Visa Requirements

Travelers from ASEAN countries are exempted for Visa. Whilst here’s the guide for European passport holders.

Related Article: Are you from the Philippines and looking for VISA guidelines when travelling? Here’s Kach Visas experiences.

Travel Tips:

Research, research, research! My friend and I fell for rookie tourist traps because of our lack of research despite coming up with an itinerary and planning carefully.

July was supposed to be the start of wet season but it was still hot when we were there. Bring a lot of water with you and a towel at all times.

Itinerary Details:

DAY 1 (July 5 Ho Chi Minh):

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh at (12:20AM), checked in our hotel and headed to the Bui Vien where backpackers hang out, drink and eat.

After getting some rest and breakfast from our hotel, we decided to walk around the city. We did a coffee crawl and ended up in the Independence Palace.

DAY 2 (July 6 Ho Chi Minh):

We booked a One Day Mekong River Tour before hand. We were picked up at the hotel at 8:00AM. The bus ride to the port is 2 hours with 1 stop. The Mekong River Tour takes almost 1 day. The tour guide was funny, polite and very knowledgeable. We visited different islands along the Mekong River, listened to some Vietnamese music and had some local fruits.

After the tour, we rested for a while and headed to Ben Tanh Night Market afterwards. It’s a series of stalls of different goods whose prices go up as the stall gets nearer the main road. The key to happy shopping: haggle. Keep walking around and walking away until you find the magical stall that will agree to the price you want. I was able to bring down shirt prices from VND 120,000 to VND 50,000. What a steal, right?

DAY 3 (July 7 Ho Chi Minh – Phnom Penh):

Before heading to Phnom Penh, we dropped by the War Remnants Museum, which was eye opening! Remember to follow the flow suggested because everything will make more sense that way.

The ride to Phnom Penh was pleasant, we were given a free water bottle and the van was not full at all. The driver was courteous and assisted us properly in crossing the border. We were dropped off in the backpacker’s district which was a tuktuk ride away from our hotel.  We were charged $5 for the tuktuk ride but it should just really be $2, so be mindful of that.

DAY 4 (July 8 Phnom Penh):

A supposed city exploration day turned into a trip to the Killing Fields. While we were taking photos of the Independence Monument, a tuktuk driver started chatting us up. He offered to bring us to the Killing Fields – having nothing specific planned for that day, we said yes. “It is up to you” he said, after we asked how much it would be.

After visiting the Killing Fields, he brought us to Wat Phnom, a temple by the backpacker’s district. I handed him $20 but he said “No, not enough.” He wanted $55 per person making that $110! I definitely did not have that amount allocated for a tuktuk ride! After some bargaining, we brought the price down to $80 ($40/head) only to find out that it should be $15-20/head! What a rip off. So remember to bring a price down before jumping in.

Day 5 (July 9 Phnom Penh):

City Exploration and Palace Viewing Day. After reading reviews online about the Royal Palace, we decided not to pay for a tour in the palace. Instead, we stood outside, took a couple photos and admired the beauty of the palace.

Day 6 (July 10 Phnom Penh – Siem Reap):

We took the Cat Mekong Express Limousine bus to Siem Reap. We were given a wet towel, a bottle of water and a box of pastries for the 7 hour trip from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. A good deal for $14 I think! There is only 1 stop for the entire trip but don’t worry, the bus has its own toilet.

We were dropped off far from the city (looks like the middle of nowhere) and it cost us $5 to get to the hotel which was a fair price because it was pretty far.

Day 7 (July 11 Siem Reap):

First Day of our Angkor Temple tour. We were picked up in the hotel at 9AM, headed to buy our passes before seeing any temples. Keep in mind of the new law on temple dress codes: all temples require shoulders and knees to be covered. We visited Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Phrom, Elephant Terrace, Ta Nei and Bayon. The good thing with booking a tour is that we were told stories and information about each temple and the details. Also, we went around in a car with unlimited bottled water and menthol wet towels. Super refreshing for the hot weather!

Check out some of the cool and cheap tours you could do in Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.

Day 8 (July 12 Siem Reap):

On our second day, we were picked up at 4:45AM to be able to watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat and take a photo of the temple with its reflection on the still lake. Since wet season was about to start, the sky was very gloomy and there was no sun rising. We were still able to take beautiful photos nonetheless. After having breakfast and a little nap, we headed to Tonle Sap lake for the river tour, saw the floating villages, some crocodiles and cat fish.

After the river tour and having lunch, we proceeded to Banteay Sre, Pre Rup, Phom Bakheng, Ta Keo. After this full day of temple running and climbing, we were brought back to the hotel to rest a little bit just before the Apsara Cultural Show and Buffet.

Day 9 (July 13 Siem Reap):

City Exploration and last minute shopping. We decided sleep a little longer and take a nap after breakfast. We explored Pub Street and the Night Markets surrounding Pub Street.

Day 10 (July 14 Siem Reap):

Flew back to Manila.

Having hard time to plan your trip? We offer a service for Itinerary Planning.

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STILL LOOKING FOR OTHER TOURS TO DO IN VIETNAM and CAMBODIA?

Even the best DIY trips need a little help here and there. If you’re headed here, check out all these awesome experiences for only $120 and below. Use them to spice up your budget DIY itinerary, or buy one as a gift for a friend (click the photo for more details!)

Tinggly Cambodia Tinggly Vietnam

About the Writer

DIY Travel Guide Series: Land Travel from Ho Chi Minh to Siem ReapKaye T. Lavin, A food wanderer who works as a barista and a freelance video producer. She is slowly eating her way around the world. Follow her food adventures in The Chuncky Munchies.

 Name of the Country: Vietnam & Cambodia

Date/s of your Travel: July 4 – Jully 14 2015

City / Places Visited and Number of Days:

  • Ho Chi Minh (3)
  • Phnom Penh (3)
  • Siem Reap (4)

Transportation Tip: If you’re looking for the cheapest way to book the Trains, Buses, Ferries, Transfers on this route, we use 12Go.Asia to compare the prices!

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24 thoughts on “DIY Travel Guide Series: Land Travel from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap

  1. HI! Is it possible for us to still visit siem reap if we’ll be arriving in ho chi minh 12:20 am on monday and departing from ho chi minh to manila 1am on thursday? We were able to booked a flight from manila to ho chi minh and our return flight is also from ho chi minh. But we would love to visit siem reap. Thanks!

  2. May I noe how long it took from HCM to border of Cambodia. From there to Angkor wat how long. Is 3D2N enough for Cambodia.

  3. hello two monkeys travel! i’ve been a follower since i learned about your travel blogs and adventures.

    i am a newbie in traveling so inspired with your blogs and im planning to travel on my own in vietnam as a volunteer which i’ve researched on worldpackers.com

    could you give me some tips on what to expect and to do when i get there? esp. the currency and budget that i need. i’m planning to stay in the foundation i’ve chosen for 2 weeks at most.

    thank you so much. Best regards.

  4. It is quite informative for me. I heard about this place for the first time. Amazing photography indeed! I’ll look forward to pay a visit.

  5. AWW, great travel post. I love how detailed it’s written! Your photos are breathtaking! I hope you can also feature some of the Vietnamese food 🙂

  6. Isn’t it more expensive to get two-way tickets for an airfare than a roundtrip one? Anyway, I’ve been both to Ho Chi Minh and Pnom Penh when I was younger and your post certainly made me miss Vietnam and Cambodia. I still haven’t been to Siem Reap, but now I have a reason to go back to Cambodia as my co-blogger still haven’t been there. Maybe we’ll try this itinerary.

  7. I have always wanted to visit Vietnam! I’m saving this page as a bookmark for when I can finally save up for trip to Vietnam. I’m so fascinated with the temples and all the other sites I could possibly there. Thanks for the tips and itinerary! Also, awesome photos! <3

  8. This the more pushes me to travel to Vietnam and Cambodia. i would love to see rice field and temples, of beautiful architectures only the place could give. My friend and I once planned travelling to these places. I got pregnant and she got her promotion. We became and until now we are busy. I hope that plan would push through.

  9. What amazing photos… and wow… a land trip from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap sure is thrilling… I did mine Siem Reap to Bangkok… huhuhu

  10. This is such a coincidence. I was looking for an exact same information on Manila. Was gonna Google but luckily came across your article. I am planning a trip this year so needed some insight into the details of the place. Thanks a ton

  11. This is a wonderful itinerary! My mom and tita used to visit Vietnam for work but even though I wanted to come with them, I can’t. Because…. of school! Haha. So now, I strive to have enough budget to be able to go there someday. I’ve always been curious about the tunnels that the Vietnamese used during their war. I wanted to see the historic sites there someday 🙂

  12. That is nice. I am seeing more and more people going to Vietnam and Cambodia. You’re right, two countries in one trip. I do have one question, if you were to be given a choice, would you rather spend more time in one country only, like Vietnam, and the on the next travel, do Cambodia? I would think assimilating the local culture is part of what makes travel fun besides the sights.

  13. Hi, pls. Help me plan my trip to this country. I dont know where to start. Im an avid fun of yours. I always read all ur blogs. Kindly help me.

  14. We try to always travel by land, as it’s just the best way to see the country.

  15. Ho Chi Minh city looks incredible! Interesting to hear how much vendors try to take advantage of tourists, although I can’t really blame them when people fall for it, haha.

  16. Thank the lord for friends with amazing planning skills, seems like you guys had the best time and used up your vacation time wisely.

  17. This is really interesting as I’m considering a trip this way in 2017 – will be bookmarking this for the planning stages, thankyou!

  18. Hi im thinking of going to ho chi mihn from siem reap via cat mekong express. Is it wise to book online on their website or buy the tix directly? My sister and i are going on an asia tour this june. Thank u 🙂

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