Nick Ray
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By: Lonely Planet
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Subjects -> Travel -> Asia -> Cambodia
Subjects -> Travel -> Asia -> Southeast
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21
Average rating: 4.0 of 5
Still the essential guide for traveling in Cambodia... 5 out of 5 stars.
29 of 30 people found this review helpful.
I've been to Cambodia several times now and this is the guide I will continue to buy. It's important to have an up to date guide to Cambodia as the country has and is changing so rapidly (5 years ago you couldn't walk 20 metres without coming across someone with a gun in Phnom Penh and most of the roads weren't sealed). I would still buy each new edition that came out simply for the knowledge of the important basic things that change like transport routes and times etc. that are constantly changing.
Cambodia is now well and truly open for tourists. I know from speaking with locals that the author, Nick, spends a lot of time in Cambodia and has great local knowledge (I'm kind of cheesed a little since he's included many of my previously unknown haunts and now they get filled up well in advance).
I do have some criticism of the guide, and I guess how people use it. First, people mostly tend to go to restaurants and guesthouses recommended in the book. I've found many places that I've enjoyed staying that are not in the book and in many cases are better than places in the guidebook (and cheaper, many places, particularly in SEA put their prices up after getting an LP inclusion). The towns are generally small enough that you can look around and also ask people who live there for their recommendations. (Most times you can `feel' when someone has no agenda in recommending a places versus someone who'd take you someone who gains to get a commission out of you going there - and the commission system is well and truly alive in Cambodia - they're not huge in $ terms but you don't want to stay in a dump when better alternatives are available and also there's the consideration that price you pay in Cambodia is not always related to the quality you get).
The other thing is often Lonely Planet uses text from previous editions (which is particularly worrying for guesthouse inclusions) and so some descriptions are a little (or a lot) out of date. While there are definitely some good places recommended there, you will often find them full of other backpackers and tourists so either you can't get a booking or there will indeed just be tones of people there which will likely detract from your experience. Restaurant and guest house recommendations, particularly in the two major cities need to be used with discretion. It's also good to spread your money around.
Some of the benefits of the book - it does clue you in to things that are very important that you otherwise would have a hard time finding out - e.g. if you take the bus from Thailand, they do slow that bus down and make the trip long and tiring as you're pre-sold for a commission to the (rotating) guesthouse they drop you off at (so you're deliberately) exhausted late at night; another useful tip was the dangerous Malaysian boats that do the Siem Reap - Phnom Penh route. You need impartial and insider advice for these kind of things because you wont necessarily get it from an average local (unless you really have their confidence and then they might tell you about stuff that sometimes doesn't get into the guidebooks - e.g. how many travelers have been killed or injured using certain types of transport like their outdated planes and some boats and other local knowledge you simply cant get from this guidebook).
For the tourist just doing the major sites, the book has extensive maps and guides to the Angkor temples and their history and layout and also Phnom Penh (which is unfortunately where most people may end their trip). The brief guide to the local language in the back will most definately help you connect with the already friendly locals. Even if you only learn please, hello and thank you, people will greatly appreciate your efforts.
The guide to some of the lesser known places is less comprehensive (eg. North, and east and some parts of the south like Campot and Kep). My friends and I were in fits of laughter at the description of Sen Monorom being like something like Switzerland! It's a LONG trip and the end result is very baron, and, unfortunately, losing lots of trees due to extensive and damaging logging. Nonetheless, I found the trips to the outlying places to be extremely rewarding. There's practically no tourists (you can have amazing trips and have entire beach to yourself for a day for less than $20) and some of the food, sights, sunsets and other experiences are simply stunning. You may however want to pass on those black delicacies they seem to enjoy tucking into on the bus... they're fried bush spiders! Cambodia does though have some of the nicest sugar cane juice I've tasted anywhere in South East Asia.
BTW if they're still using the 4 people for 3 seats in the car, just pay for the extra seat if you're doing more than 3 hours or you will find yourself in excruciating pain. Also, because it changes so often the guidebook will not be useful if you're taking an internal flight (other than the standard Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route which uses brand new planes), as some of the planes are VERY old, tires are sometimes bald, flights full (which can be a problem if you want to get back), and there have been accidents which they wont tell you about. Do your own research.
For people traveling on their own or as a backpacker I'd strongly recommend befriending a local or two as a guide. I always take some time to 'feel' the authenticity of the person approaching me and as they talk to me and that pay's huge rewards in a country where there is a hidden commission system. I've met two that I'd just take with me over the entire country next time as guides because they have extensive insider knowledge and can be invaluable if you get into trouble, especially if they relate well to other people.
Cambodia offers trips that you simply cannot do in the same way in other countries in the region because there are so many tourists, laws and other limiting factors. If you've found a great concierge (who is connected to what's happening at the ground level) or a good guide you're going to get access to trips and really deep and rich experiences that will stay with you for a lifetime. And, these are not in the guidebook, which, IMHO, is a great thing because you'll enjoy a totally unique experience and you'll get out of it in proportion to what you put in and not some off the shelf, generic and standardized `you can take your photos now' tourist experience. Sadly, in a few years time you may not be able to do this in much of South East Asia.
So grab this guide, go beyond the majors of Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville and enjoy one of the most beautiful countries in South East Asia, Cambodia. Treat your Lonely Planet as a guide and not a bible and you'll have the time of your life.
I hope you enjoy your time in Cambodia as much as I have.
Editorial Review:
Angkor Wat is just the beginning. If you want to dig deeper into the real Cambodia, this guide is your key. Unlock the mysteries of the sacred temples, share the Mekong with endangered dolphins, and eat with pythons and cobras by your side. With Lonely Planet, you'll have the adventure you always dreamed of. • EXPERT RESIDENT AUTHOR - providing the best insider tips and tricks
• UNBEATABLE ACCURACY - updated on the road, in person
• THE WORLD'S BEST TRAVEL MAPS
• NO GUESSWORK - opinionated reviews and inspiring highlight sections
• LISTINGS FOR ALL BUDGETS - from pinching pennies to living large
