Well folks, like anyone with common sense, a few dollars/baht in his pocket and a reasonable amount of job flexibility, I got the hell out of Dodge and fled to the next country to avoid every expat's least favourite Thai holiday, especially as practised Pattaya-style.
Although Cambodia is of course Buddhist, they are very laid back about Songkran and the only time I got squirted the entire week was by a pair of tourists with little water pistols as I rode by on a moto-taxi. I also got powdered one night in Freedom Bar after I gave the (rather cute) Khmer girl permission to do so. Those one time incidents aside, the trip was water and powder free.
Now a few details on how I got there and what I did, but first a big shout-out to casper_uk for being an excellent host during my stay in Sihanoukville. I was shown around to all sorts of places I otherwise would never have found on my own and my trip was that much richer for the experience. Thanks again, Tony, you were a fantastic mate last week and I look forward to meeting up with you again ...
The Pattaya EscapeHaving not done any real forward planning (whoops!), I was not in possession of an Air Asia plane ticket as the dreaded Songkran date arrived and decided to just go overland. I bought a minibus ticket to the Hat Lek border for 800b - this was split as 600b from Pattaya to Trat and 200b from Trat to Hat Lek.
In the future I think I'll simply take a regular bus for the Pattaya-Trat leg as there is going to be a stop at Trat anyway and the border-running mini-bus is right there at the bus station for a mere 110b rather than 200b as paid to the booking company.
The BorderAs usual, the border nazis on the Cambodian (Koh Kong) side were at their worst. A tourist visa is supposed to be ฿820 (US$20) (this equates to roughly 600b) but they demanded 1200b of which 600b goes straight into the larcenous local officers' pockets. There is no way to really avoid this as you can't simply turn around and re-enter Thailand in a huff at the Cambodian tactics -- Thailand won't let you come back without a valid exit stamp from Cambodia and you aren't going to get one for less than 1200b regardless of any arguments or bluster. So grin and bear it and content yourself with mental images of decapitating the officers with a rusty chainsaw to make yourself feel better.
Koh KongNext up was the infamous Koh Kong moto-taxi boy hustle, which involves taking you to the guesthouse of HIS choice regardless of your OWN plans and protestations. It was 100b to get into Koh Kong proper with a small fee (something like 10b???) to cross the bridge.
We made it to Koh Kong Riverside guesthouse with the room price being 400b which for Koh Kong is on the high side. Even the guesthouse's blurb on the Canby Publications webpage states the rooms shouldn't cost that much, but of course the thieving taxi-boys are getting their commission and know that both the climate (hot, hot, hot) and customer weariness are on their side.
To Riverside's credit, the room I was shown was roomy and clean with excellent aircon so I didn't feel too hustled or desperate to look elsewhere. The fact that a bus actually stopped right at the guesthouse (no need for a thieving taxi-boy in the morning) finally sold me. OK guys, you got me this time.
I was originally planning to take the fast ferry to Sihanoukville for ฿1,020 ($25) (750b) but everyone claimed that the bus was now a better option as the roads were good and all the bridges were in place. Shockingly enough, this turned out to actually be true.
I was catching up some work that night so I never ventured out to sample the local nightlife which consists almost exclusively of cheap brothels filled with cheap Viet/Khmer sluts and even cheaper beer, or so certain immoral and reprehensible scoundrels* have reliably informed me.
*N.B. The author may resemble this remark
Road to SihanoukvilleFor a mere 500b, I got my bus ticket at the Riverside desk and was pleasantly surprised to see that the shuttle bus which arrived in the morning was clean and well-maintained. What happened to the Cambodia of old, the one with every mechanical device at least 10 years behind on regular maintenance and housekeeping and fit for a museum? Was I actually awake yet?
As we transferred to the actual Sihanoukville bus at the nearby station, I even dreamed that this bus was also in reasonable good shape and that the road we travelled upon was well paved by SE Asian standards. I dreaded waking up to a living nightmare at some point, but slowly came around to the idea that this was reality and Cambodia has finally got its act together on at least this small portion of its transportation infrastructure.
The road trip was not particularly arduous and actually quite interesting as there was jungle and hills on all sides for the first portion of the ride and numerous small settlements to observe on the second portion. Not dull at all and even the movie on the on-bus TV was worth a look (Deux Freres, a film about the adventures of two young tigers in French-era Vietnam, if you were wondering).
Every one of the four bridges was in place although not completely finished -- we had to sometimes wait a bit for the one-lane traffic to clear as workers were completing the other lane.
After starting at 8:30am and stopping once for a 20 minute break we rolled into Sihanoukville at 1:00pm. I'm sure the journey would be an even four hours with the bridges fully operational.
Sihanoukville During New YearFor some reason, a huge number of Khmers had descended from Phnom Penh upon Sihanoukville for a week of beach-side relaxation and partying for New Years during their biggest local holiday of the year. The nerve of some people, leaving behind a big, congested, polluted city and soul-killing work obligations to go lie near a luxurious sandy beach, splash in the bright blue water and drink themselves senseless on cheap booze ... especially when I had exactly the same idea, the bastards.
After numerous false starts at finding any accommocation even remotely close to the waterside (I think I checked maybe a dozen places with no success), I finally wound up back in the downtown area at my old reliable standby the Freedom Hotel. The first room they had available wasn't fantastic but it was only ฿370 ($9) and the ever surly/impudent check-in girl assured me there would be other rooms available shortly. I was also getting a bit desperate to escape the heat so just about anything that was clean and secure was looking attractive by that point. I switched to another room the next day (same price) and with a window it was quite comfortable with no aircon required. I wouldn't dare take a room without aircon in Phnom Penh (or Koh Kong) but you can easily get away with it in Sihanoukville as the ocean breeze keeps everything several degrees cooler.
I should also point out that at the beginning of the week (April 13) most beaches (especially Occhuteal Beach) were extremely crowded and most of the working girls were MIA as they'd gone home to their provincial homes.
So my advice to future Pattaya travellers escaping Songkran: don't count on beachside accommodation, empty beaches, or plentiful P4P girls during New Year -- or at least the first couple days of it anyway ... but things did improve as the week went on.
Sihanoukville In GeneralThere have been a lot of changes made since I last visited about a year ago. There are a lot more bars and restaurants, more widespread and efficient Internet access and more girls (as the week went on).
The town is still a far cry from Thailand in terms of infrastructure, but for a vacation I like things to feel a bit more "raw" and I have to admit that Sihanoukville is getting more civilized all the time. In comparison with Thailand, Western food and ladyfriends are cheaper in Snooky, as is booze and (most) accommodation. However, the Internet is a bit more expensive and transportation (courtesy of the dreaded thieving moto-taxi boys) can be a complete pain in the ass at times. There are also fewer girls available ... then again, what else compares to Pattaya in sheer numbers?
If you're looking for cheap street-stall food, you won't find it here. I have found Asian food in general to be unimpressive in Cambodia. However, many restaurants and bars serve some decent Western grub at a fair price. You definitely won't starve in Snooky, that's for sure.
You might very well pickle your liver on ฿41 ($1) glasses of draft beer though. You've been warned! My personal favourite is Angkor beer (brewed just outside the town) although Beer Lao and many other favourites are available.
Some highlights in no particular order:
1) Fisherman's Den: Excellent fish and chips, I had lunch here virtually every day and toward the end of the week the girls didn't even bother asking me what I was going to order as they knew already. This place seems to function more as a restaurant than a drinking hole now as there are few freelancers showing up and Brian seems to be less interested in meeting and greeting the customers who visit. Highly recommended for the food though, and Brian will put on any rugby match that is available as he is a kiwi and this is required of kiwi expats by law.
2) Freedom Bar: All the freelancer girls seem to show up here at one point or another during the evening. Cheap draft beer is available, the cordon bleu from the kitchen is excellent and there are free games of pool when a table is available. Generally the girls are pretty good at inviting you into a game to get you know you better and potentially drum up some business involving a cue, two balls and as many as three pockets.
3) Poco Loco: One of the places I would never have visited but for Tony as I thought it was intended for backpacker couples. Several cute and friendly girls working here, although the owner's wife will catch your eye first as she is a true stunner. She's not available, for obvious reasons, but there are plenty of others here who are. Pool tables here too, by the way.
3) Dolphin Bar: Only made it here once (thanks again Tony) but this is the late night venue of choice for the freelancers. It's right on the beach, which is fun, and it feels like a small open-air disco with a number of Freedom girls migrating here as well as some I never spotted at Freedom. Definitely a good place if you can't get to sleep and feel like grabbing a companion and a few beers right on the beach.
4) Corner Bar: They claim to have the best pizza in town, and it was certainly delicious. I would definitely visit again for that reason alone, their pizza was miles better than pretty much any similar fare in Pattaya.
5) Victory Hill strip: It's not worth it to list individual bars here, but there is a strip of bars here which is vaguely comparable to Soi 7/8. Some real cuties and reasonable drink prices. Corner Bar is right at the end of the strip so after an excellent pizza you can go wandering down the lane to peruse other potential delights. The number of girls rose dramatically higher as the week wore on as they gradually filtered back from their home villages.
6) Snake Bar: We didn't stay too long, but this is a nicely laid out bar with some eye-catching girls. As with Poco Loco, I'll be back to check out the female talent on a return visit.
7) Plastic Paddy's: The first bar on the left as you enter Golden Lion Plaza is a great place to have a chat and a drink. The Plaza is about a minute away from Golden Lion Circle (you'd have to be blind to miss the massive statues of the lions) and easy to find once you know the area. The English host and his lovely local girlfriend are some of the best conversation partners you will find.
Beaches: I spent pretty much every afternoon on one of Occhuteal Beach (after the crowds began dying away), Otres Beach (very quiet but with very little infrastructure) or Serendipity (much quieter than Occheteal even though it's right next to it, for some reason).
9) Used Bookstores: These aren't too easy to find in Pattaya but there are three well-stocked ones in Snooky. The one I actually managed to inspect on foot (and buy from) was the downtown Heinz bookstore on the main street (Ekareach) which offers to buy back your books for half-price at the conclusion of your stay. I bought a few good books here for about ฿160 ($4) apiece which were all in reasonably good condition.
One other point I should point out in Cambodia about changing money -- use private money changers rather than the banks. Here's a sample:
a) 5000b ----> ฿6,467 ($157.72) (rate @ 31.70) at a private money changer
b) 2000b ----> ฿2,260 ($55) (rate @ 36.36) at a bank
I would much rather use up 31.7b to get a dollar than 36.4b.
For your interest, there are quite a few money changers along the road leading to the market. They are easily identified by little glass display cases with photocopies of various currencies taped to the inside of the case. The case is normally but not always standing just outside their shopfront which is often a small store of some kind.
The Trip to Phnom PenhI'd been hanging out with Tony and also famous Internet celebrity and Rock House owner Alex (mulphy) for several nights in a row and decided to join Alex in a taxi-ride up to Phnom Penh to fly home. I didn't have an Air Asia ticket but decided to try my luck at the counter once we arrived.
We probably overpaid for a taxi to Phnom Penh (฿2,000 ($50)) but since we were splitting the fee it wasn't too bad. The driver was sane, unlike many others on the road at the time taking crazy risks, and we made it to the airport in good time and with as many limbs as we started with.
I inquired as to a one way ticket at the Air Asia checkin and was quoted ฿4,020 ($98). This was about twice what I'd been led to believe the price would be when checking their website the previous day. Either Air Asia gouges potential customers at the desk using the logic that they must be desperate and willing to pay anything, or else their website isn't accurate or truthful as to flight prices.
Regardless, this new fee was a bit steep considering that there was no serious, urgent need for me to get home that day. And so I decided for a bit of an adventure: I decided to go back home overland either that afternoon (if a late bus was available) or the next morning.
It cost a mere ฿120 ($3) to take a mototaxi to downtown Phnom Penh and check bus schedules. There were no late buses (it was already around 3:30pm) and it seemed the last bus anywhere was around 12:30pm. I bought a ticket to BKK for ฿820 ($20) with the bus leaving at 6:45am, then was off to get a room for the night.
I've stayed at the Anchor Bright Hotel in the past which is just one block away from Sorya Mall (and a mere three blocks from the bus depot). Sadly, the only room they had left was a double room for ฿902 ($22) -- I'd been hoping for a single for ฿615 ($15). Oh well, it was as clean, cool and well-maintained as on previous visits and in the heat of the mid-afternoon I was not too excited about the prospect of looking all around Central Market for a cheaper room. After a quick nap I was off to Sharkey Bar to check out the food and the girls.
There was lots of talent on display, and I was really wishing I wasn't getting up so early as there was one cracking girl there I would have taken LT for sure. Absolutely lovely and with a smile that could melt even the hardest heart. She was very keen on me but alas! neither of us liked ST and so it was not to be.
The Trip to the Border & HomeUnlike the previous bus trip, this one wasn't pleasant at all. The old, bad Cambodia was back in force: lousy old bus, overcrowded seats (the two seats across the aisle from me were home to a mother, grandmother and no less than four kids), weak aircon, shitty roads, etc. Oh boy, the research I do for the sake of this forum ...
It took forever to get to the border and the last 90 minutes or so were done on dirt roads as they were not finished paving this particular highway. I think I told myself "you are not taking the Poi Pet-Phnom Penh bus route ever again in your life" at least 200 times by the time we actually made it to the long immigration lines at Poi Pet.
Once through, I decided to change my bus ticket from Bangkok to Pattaya but this wasn't possible. So I simply bought a new one for Pattaya as any thoughts of going from BKK to Patters in one day were long gone after the ordeal I'd just endured.
I think it was 500b for the new ticket but it was worth it. The bus was very comfortable and cool and I even managed a bit of sleep along the way. It was just a quick moto-taxi ride to my condo and my travels were done.
PostscriptIn retrospect, there were a few things I would have done differently and WILL do differently on future visits. Avoiding a bus from Phnom Penh to the Poi Pet border crossing is certainly at the top of that list. Looking to buy a ticket at an airline desk would be not far behind that.
Otherwise it was a most satisfying trip and I'm so pleased with the overall atmosphere and experience in Sihanoukville that I'm now seriously considering getting a one-year business visa to Cambodia. That visa won't save me any money (it will cost around ฿12,000 ($300) for a multiple entry one year visa), but it will definitely save pages in my passport and save me grief from the Koh Kong border mafia the next time I enter overland.
Right now I need to sort out a few things and then I'll seriously pursue the idea of living two months in Pattaya and one month in Sihanoukville. I find the change of pace refreshing and it keeps me from getting stale in my work and personal life.
More later if I suddenly remember something I haven't included here, otherwise I hope this was helpful and informative. I included as many prices as possible so others would have some sort of roadmap as to the costs.
