Kampot to Phnom Penh - Minibus

After a few fun days exploring Kampot on scooters, we were on the move again back to Phnom Penh where we briefly stopped earlier. We decided to book our minibus with Giant Ibis this time after reading various positive reviews online! They have an office in Kampot and we booked onto the 14.45pm minibus the day before departure with no problem. There is also the choice of a minibus leaving at 8am. This journey cost $9 dollars each which is quite pricey for a 3-hour bus drive (in South-East Asia at least!).

Leaving Kampot

We arrived at the Giant Ibis office half an hour before departure and left on time for Phnom Penh. Onboard the bus you get a free small bottle of water and a pastry from Blue Pumpkin. These were both a nice little something to keep you going. The minibuses are quite big and styled more like a regular bus with an aisle down the middle. Plenty of room for everyone and the air con was very much appreciated!

The final part of the journey heading into Phnom Penh was quite busy and took a little longer than anticipated. You get dropped off at the Giant Ibis office in Phnom Penh that is located next to the night market. Beware that plenty of tuk tuk drivers await you as you depart the bus! We decided to walk instead with only staying ten minutes away.

Time for a cheap beer in PP!

All in all, another hassle-free minibus journey and we would definitely recommend using Giant Ibis.

4 out of 5 

Sihanoukville to Kampot - Minibus

After a few days of relaxing on Otres Beach, Sihanoukville it was time to move on again with our travels. Our next stop along the coast of Cambodia was Kampot!

We decided to book bus tickets at our final hotel as we weren’t too near to any travel agencies. We were staying at the Heart of Venice which was lovely for a couple days by the pool. We picked the bus leaving at 10.30am for $6 dollars per person.

Not a bad price to pay

The company we had booked with were called Champa Tourist Bus and they offered the standard ‘hotel to hotel service’ which was usually never true! We were the last people to be picked up and had to settle for the front two seats of the minibus. The inside of the minibus wasn’t to the standard of other companies such as Mekong Express however, it wasn’t a problem for such a short journey!

It took around 1 and half hours to reach Kampot with some more top speed driving! Driving in Cambodia seems to be like one big race! We got dropped off in the centre of Kampot near most of the main hostels/hotels, we were staying at Captain Chim’s. Overall a relative quick minibus journey for Asia with no problems.

The road keeps going and going...

4 out of 5

Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville - Minibus

We stayed in Phnom Penh for only a couple of days as a layover on our way to Sihanoukville with the plan of returning at a later date. We stayed at the RS Guesthouse, not far from the river front and within easy walking distance of the main tourist sites such as the Royal Palace.

For our next minibus journey to Sihanoukville, we decided to just take our chances and book with a travel agents along the river front (road - Preah Sisowath Quay). We decided to pay slightly more to use Mekong Express again and picked to depart at 8.30am the following morning. This cost $10 US dollars each which seemed reasonable for a 4 and half hour journey. Of course, you can find much cheaper deals with other companies but we have had fairly pleasant experiences with Mekong Express.

The following day we were picked up from our hotel around 8am and departed for Sihanoukville. We quickly discovered this wasn’t a Mekong Express bus and we had been conned into using another bus company even though Mekong Express was printed on our ticket. Luckily, the journey itself wasn’t too bad as the minibus was air conditioned and comfortable. The journey took just under 5 hours with one stop, before we pulled up into the middle of Sihanoukville.

Quick stop for a drink!

We were opposite a North Face shop with plenty of taxis waiting for us. With us planning on staying in Otres beach, the drivers quoted us $10 for the short taxi journey. This was way too high and we decided that we would walk off to find another one. Thankfully, one of them agreed to a $6 taxi fare in a pickup/tuk tuk that drove us to our booked accommodation in Otres Beach.

Not a bad journey however I’m unsure what the bus company was called. Make sure you have maps downloaded on your phone for when you arrive otherwise you’ll have to use an expensive taxi!

3 out of 5

Battambang to Phnom Penh - Minibus

After exploring Battambang for a couple of days, we moved onto Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh. After a good experience using Mekong Express, we decided to use them again for our next journey and booked tickets at their office. They had a range of times for the journey leaving at 7.00, 8.30, 9.30, 11.00, 14.30 and 17.00 for 12 US dollars. We only booked a day in advance and the 8.30am minibus was already full and there were only a couple of seats left on the other morning minibuses. We opted for the 9.30am departure and had to be at the office 30 minutes beforehand.

That morning we arrived at the office and boarded the minibus- as before, it was a VIP 11 seater minibus with plenty of room for everyone. We picked up a few other people and then made our way towards Phnom Penh. The roads are quite poor in Cambodia and the 300km drive took nearly 7 hours with a couple of breaks along the way. The final roads heading into Phnom Penh are very busy and in a real mess but they are currently being improved.

On the road to Phnom Penh

We pulled into a car park near the Mekong Express office North of Phnom Penh on National Highway 5. From here it is a 3.5km walk or drive to the Royal Palace. We decided to jump in a tuk tuk which cost us 4 dollars (which is still overpriced!). Of course, this tuk tuk service at the office is in place as at the time you don’t know how far away from anything you are.

Overall, we had no problems on the journey and had another good experience using Mekong Express. They do have a website if you want to find bus schedules/prices but I don’t know how secure it is for making bookings.

4 out of 5

Siem Reap to Battambang – Minibus

After a great few days exploring Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, it was time to leave and head towards Battambang. I had read about a few different bus companies in Cambodia online and opted to give Mekong Express Limousine Bus service a go. I located their office in Siem Reap (see photo below) and booked two seats for the 2pm departure at 8 dollars per person. They also have a minibus leaving at 8am.

Office address

We were picked up from our hotel at 1pm in a basic minibus and taken across to their office to wait for our departure time. Just before 2pm we boarded the minibus with our bags and we set off for Battambang. The minibus was very nice inside with leather seats and plenty of room for a maximum of 11 people although we only had 6 people for our journey. With no direct route between the two locations it does take nearly 4 hours with a 30-minute stop in the middle. The journey was fine with no major issues, the roads aren’t in great condition and expect plenty of overtaking on small main roads!

Terms and conditions

Once in Battambang we were dropped off near their office in the centre and plenty of tuk tuk drivers and hotel hosts were there waiting. I would advise not rushing into any decisions on the spot. We had already booked our hotel in advance and located it just around the corner.

Very quick and hassle free journey with Mekong Express, I would definitely use them again and recommend them to anyone!

4 out of 5

Medan to Bukit Lawang (Return) - Tourist Bus

Sorry I missed out this post of Medan to Bukit Lawang. 

We were able to book our bus tickets with our trekking company; Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking for 15€ each. They called it a tourist bus which is basically a 7 seater car. We arranged to be picked up 11am however our hotel got a phone call to say he was running half an hour late which wasn't a problem. 

'Tourist Bus' 

Another couple were already in the car when we got picked up and when we got chatting they were still to be dropped off in Medan. After that we picked up 3 more people which took a while due to the awful traffic around Medan!

One more short stop for the driver to have a cigarette and we were on our way. The car inside was very nice with plenty of space and a small music video screen in the front to watch.

The roads heading towards Bukit Lawang were truly awful from pot holes and it was an extremely bumpy ride. We went through many some villages with school kids waving to you at every opportunity! A very lovely scenic route towards the jungle in Bukit Lawang.

When we arrived we were picked up by motorbikes and taken to our guesthouse. This was a very fun experience, sitting on a motorbike with your big backpacks on!

The return journey to Medan was very similar to the one going! For some reason it only cost us 120,000 IDR each which is nearly half of what we paid going. A bit more of a basic car this time but again it was fine.

The only major downside of both journeys was how long it took due to mainly the traffic in Medan. Both journeys took about 5 to 6 hours each.

4 out of 5 

Cameron Highlands to Pulau Perhentian via Kuala Besut - Bus & Boat

When we arrived in the Cameron Highlands (Tanah Rata), we decided to book our bus tickets to leave in 2 days time for Pulau Perhentian Islands. We were offered tickets to go with CS Travel again and thought it would be a safe bet. It costs 125RM which includes boat tickets from Kuala Besut or in our case 75RM as we already had boat tickets through our dive company. We were told it would take about five hours which was no problem.

We walked over to CS Travel office on the main road at Tanah Rata at 7.45am to wait for our minibus leaving at 8am. A lady turned up 5 minutes later to open up the office and never said a word to us. Even after 30 minutes, she still sat there and didn't even seem to notice us. We had previously read that the lady working here was useless. Well around 8.20am, a man came over to say our minibus was leaving from around the corner so we followed him. 

Waiting around for the minibus!

We ended up at TJ Travel office with another couple heading the same way and 5 minutes later, two more passengers turned up. I presume not many people booked onto this journey so they joined companies up which surely the lady at CS could of mentioned! No worries however everyone at this office disappeared and we were left sitting there for a while too. Finally the minibus turned up not long before 9 and we loaded up.

This minibus had plenty of room as only 6 of us were on it and we sat back and relaxed. We were on the road for about 1 hour 45 minutes before the driver stopped at a service station for a toilet break, everything normal. However 10 minutes later we pulled into another garage at Kuala Lipis and the driver said we would wait here for another minibus to pick us up. That was the first we heard of changing minibuses, nobody back at the offices or when booking the tickets mentioned this. So we waited here for nearly 45 minutes.

Eventually the next minibus picked us up already half full and we squeezed in. This driver was much more adventurous and didn't hang around! After about an hour, we stopped again at a closed restaurant with a seating area. They said nothing to us and someone asked how long we were stopping for, and yes... he said we were changing buses again.

We sat there until around 1.15pm with nowhere to get food. We were getting hungry like the others who had left at 8.30am that morning. Then a coach pulled in and unloaded with people coming from Kuala Besut. We then boarded this coach and set off for Kuala Besut.

This bit of the journey took around 3/3.5 hours with a short stop in the middle. It was a relief to finally get going and to not keep on stopping! Beware that the drivers happily smoke on the bus so it may be better sitting further back.

When we pulled into Kuala Besut, they took us to their own ticket office to buy boat tickets if we didn't have any. As far as I'm aware return tickets cost 75RM in general so you won't get them any cheaper elsewhere. We had to pick ours up from a different office and left the bus.

At about half 5, we finally made our way to the jetty and got onto a speedboat. It said a maximum of 12 people however there was double that plus luggage! We put life jackets on and set off for Pulau Perhentian Kecil. Wow, the speedboat is quick and bumpy- loads of fun! We then got dropped off on Long Beach around 6.15pm.

A very long day of travel that should of been much quicker! I think this is the only way to travel from the Cameron Highlands to Pulau Perhentian so be warned and maybe look at your travel routes!

1 out of 5

Bagan to Mandalay - Minibus

After a fantastic few days in Bagan exploring we decided to move onto our next stop, Mandalay. Our second two days in New Bagan we stayed at Arthawka Hotel which I can highly recommend, especially if you want a pool after a hot day of exploring the temples!

The hotel had minibus (19 seater) tickets available to Mandalay for 9,000 kyat per person. This seemed reasonable and included pick up from the hotel as the bus station is quite far out. The bus company is called Pyi Taw Aye Express. The only two times available were 5am or 9am and it takes 5 hours, we picked the latter with pick up at 8am.

Old 19 seater minibus

We were picked up on time by a pick up struck along with other backpackers and travellers. We then drove up to Old Bagan and across to Nyaung-U where we arrived at Pyi Taw Aye Express bus office. We had expected to depart from the new bus terminal which must just be used for when you arrive to make more money from you for taxis.

The bus itself was quite old and only had a boot big enough for three suitcases with most backpacks being put under seats inside the bus. We departed not long after picking up many locals on the way. The bus at times got very crammed with locals standing up and  aisle ways full of backpacks. This also meant the bus attendant had the door open for large parts of the journey which made it very hot!

Locals crammed on

The roads are quite poor on this journey and we were in for a very bumpy ride. At one point you drive along train tracks across a bridge as the roads aren't accessible.

No longer a bridge!

We stopped at another of their offices in Myingyan to pick up a few more locals and have a ten minute toilet break. After this we didn't stop until not long before 12 for lunch, we just nipped across to a small shop for a couple of snacks.

The last leg of the journey was a bit smoother  as you hit the newer highway. A few more pick ups and drop offs before you get into Mandalay. The bus drops you off at your hotel which is good however we had difficulty finding ours. Finally we managed to locate the hotel and we arrived not long after 2.

3.5 out of 5 

Kanchanaburi to Bangkok - Minibus

This was a fairly straightforward trip. On the main street called Maenamkwai Road there are plenty of travel agencies or hotels offering tickets for a reasonable price to Bangkok. Minibuses leave every hour to the Independence Monument, Bus Station and Khao San Road.

We booked to the latter for 160 baht per person via minibus that included pick up. We also asked about luggage after our other journey (previous post). He said for luggage you pay an extra 120 baht to buy another seat whilst backpacks are fine. I said to him we had  big backpacks but he didn't seem to understand so we just payed for one extra seat for the luggage.

The next day we were picked up promptly by a minibus taking us to the bus station in Kanchanaburi. Before boarding the bus the person who sold us our tickets earlier that morning saw our big backpacks and said we shouldn't of paid for another seat. Before we knew it he rushed off to get the 120 baht we paid to refund us which was very kind as he could of said nothing.

The next minibus we boarded was very nice with leather seats and plenty of room even with our backpacks inside. We probably waited a good 30 minutes for them to fill up the bus with locals before we left for Bangkok.

The journey to Khao San Road took about 3 hours with minimal traffic midday. We did stop once just outside Bangkok for 15 minutes for fuel.

4 out of 5 

Sukhothai to Kanchanaburi via Bangkok - Day Bus

After two days in New Sukhothai, we were ready to leave and head on towards Kanchanaburi. With this not being a very common route of travel we had a few various options. We could opt to take the most direct route, which involved changing buses or we could head towards Ayuthaya or Bangkok and change.

We decided the safest bet was to get a bus to Bangkok and travel onwards from there. We managed to book a bus in New Sukhothai through our guesthouse-who went to get the tickets from the bus station for no extra commission which was a nice gesture!

The timetable of buses offered various departures between three companies with the earliest at 7.50am. We decided to use WinTour buses again (even though the last one wasn't great) as they had a first class bus leaving the bus station at 8am. This cost 310 baht each to Bangkok.

We arrived at 7.45 and waited around half an hour until the bus showed up. We boarded the bus with only one other foreign couple and the rest locals. We were given seats upstairs at the back of the bus presumably as we wouldn't be getting off anywhere before Bangkok.

This first class bus was fantastic and very new! The reclining seats were very comfortable, we were given water and snacks and the two screens showed a fast and furious movie further down the bus. We had seats 12a and 12b however if possible get 12c and 12d as your in front of the emergency exit and therefore have lots of leg room!

Nice modern bus

Screens showing Fast and Furious

This bus only stopped a few times for locals to get on and off throughout the journey with most coming around arrival at Bangkok. We also stopped once around midday for a 20 minute break. Here we redeemed a 20baht voucher we got with the ticket for some local food.

We arrived into Bangkok northern bus station around 3.15pm. From here, we tried to locate buses going to Kanchanaburi and after asking around for a while managed to find a minibus. We bought tickets for 120 baht each for a bus leaving at 4.30pm.

We boarded the bus around 4pm with our big backpacks to find that they had no storage for them on the minibus. The only option was to put them on a seat which they weren't happy about and wanted to charge us money for. We declined (as did another backpacking couple) and said they saw we had big backpacks when we bought the tickets and after some huffing and puffing, they filled up the remaining seats and we left 15 minutes earlier than scheduled. 

Not much room on the minibus!

With traffic we got told it might take over 4 hours to arrive in Kanchanaburi but thankfully it only took 3 hours. The driver really couldn't drive and we were all really crammed in but oh well.

Sukhothai to Kanchanaburi via Bangkok cost 430 baht per person with the first part of the journey being much better than the 2nd!

4 out of 5 

Pai to Sukhothai via Chiang Mai - Day Bus

We had a look around Pai for buses going to Sukhothai but we couldn't find any on offer. The only choice we had was to get a minibus to Chiang Mai and then a bus onwards. We manged to do this for 357 baht each.

In Pai, we booked a minibus with a company called Prempacha. We decided to use them instead of aYa Services as they drop you off at the bus station in Chiang Mai. This cost 150 baht each which included a bottle of water. We booked onto the 8am minibus and arrived 10 minutes prior to departure. 3 minibuses were leaving at this time so check your receipt for the bus number and your seat numbers. Big backpacks go onto the roof and they are covered in case of rain. The journey again took around 3 hours with a short stop in the middle.

We arrived around 11am at Chiang Mai bus station and quickly found a company called WinTour offering bus tickets to Sukhothai for a reasonable price of 207 baht leaving at 12. Please be aware that this was a second class bus, I'm unsure what time first class buses leave.

We boarded the bus straight away in order to get good seats as you aren't allocated any. We managed to sit on the back row upstairs in front of the emergency exit with extra legroom however bags will get piled up here too! 

At Chiang Mai bus station, there are toilet facilities, some food/drink stalls and a 7- eleven around the corner. Stock up for 6/7 hours as you won't be stopping again to buy anything.

We left bang on 12 with a full bus mainly of locals but a few tourists. It was a very basic bus, with cracked windows, a broken toilet and very weak aircon. It got quite hot at times! On a positive note, the seats were comfy and we arrived on time. Throughout the journey, the bus stopped many times picking up and dropping off locals. They also stop at Lampang and Tak bus stations which is the best chance to use a toilet.

We pulled into Sukhothai bus station around 6.45pm which is located 1km away from New Sukhothai. We then got a tuk tuk to our hotel in New Sukhothai for 120 baht which we now know was 40-60 baht too much. They also have wooden buses that go to the New and Old Sukhothai for 30 baht per person but I think they stop running around 6pm.

3 out of 5

A quick note about New Sukhothai; it is a very quiet place with limited restaurants/bars/cafes and things to do. It costs 30 baht to get the bus to the historical park which is very nice! 

Chiang Mai to Pai - Minibus

At 180 baht each, we decided to just book the minibus to Pai with our hotel '24 Guesthouse'. We booked onto the 11am bus and we were picked up by a pick up truck and taken to the minibus.

The company was called aYa Services and have offices in both Chiang Mai and Pai. It might be a little cheaper booking directly with them.

After another pick up truck of people turned up, we left for Pai. It takes around 3 hours with a short stop in the middle. The journey involves some very windy roads and even I started to feel a little light headed by the time we arrived! If you get travel sick, make sure you take some medication as you have 762 curves to deal with!

We arrived on time at aYa Services office on walking Street in the centre of Pai.

4 out of 5

Huay Xai to Chiang Mai - Minibus

We booked our final bus out of Laos at our hotel Thaveesinh opposite the gibbon experience office. The ticket costs 90,000kip which included a tuk tuk to the border, bus transfer over the friendship bridge and a minibus to Chiang Mai on the Thai side.

The tuk tuk picked us up 8.30am and we were given a sticker so the minibus driver in Thailand knows who to look for. After 20/30 minutes we arrived at the border.

Laos passport control is quite quick but can be limited to only 2 queues for foreigners. Make sure you fill your departure card in before queuing up or you'll be sent back to complete this. One additional note; we were required to pay 10,000kip each to leave Laos after passport control.

We waited for the border crossing bus to pick us up, we'd been allocated a ticket for this. Again this is pretty quick and we arrived at Thailand's border control (Chiang Khong). We had to fill in an arrival card and queue up to be stamped into the country.

Prior to arriving, we had heard/read various things on whether you get a 15 or 30 day visa at a land border. Most official sources say 15 days, however we received 30 days.

We then met our pick up driver and got told we will leave in about an hour, presumably waiting for more people. After half an hour we were ushered onto the minibus and within 15 minutes it was full and we set off for Chiang Mai.

The drive was fine and took about 5 hours with a 30 minute stop. We arrived in Chiang Mai around 4pm and got dropped off opposite the main entrance gates to the old town. From here it's easy to grab a red sorngtaaou (red pick up truck) to your accommodation for 20 to 40 baht per person.

4 out of 5

Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang - Minibus

After our first minibus experience in Laos, I didn't expect much from this journey.  How wrong was I?!

We arranged travel through our hotel, Pans Place, for the 9am minibus which takes 4 hours costing 90,000kip. The other option was a vip bus which cost more money and takes 6 hours leaving at 10am- however this may take a safer route!

We were the last ones to be picked up at 8.45am and had to settle for the front seats alongside the driver. This minibus was much nicer than the last one we got and seemed quite new with its leather seats. 

The first hour of the journey was lovely and scenic with plenty of cows and goats wandering around along the road. You then have a quick pitstop for about 15 minutes. 

After this, you start climbing up into the mountains, which at first offers great views, especially from the front seats. However after 10 minutes, we went past a coach which must of crashed not long before. Thankfully it only had damage to the front of the coach and didn't seem to be too serious.

The roads climbing up are in a terrible state with huge potholes everywhere. Thankfully, our driver seemed to know the roads well. He was very patient and cautious as some corners you had to go around on the wrong side of the road. The higher we got the worst the visibility got and soon we were in thick fog. This got most of us on the edge of our seats as we watched on. Even with cars, minibuses and trucks going the other way we made it through the fog. The other side was a slow decent.

Once back on more normal roads, we made one final 10 minute stop and then arrived near the National Musuem/Palace in Luang Prabang just after 1pm. 

A very unique drive.

4.5 out of 5 

Vientiane to Vang Vieng - Minibus

We booked the minibus to Vang Vieng through our hostel, Lucky Backpackers Hostel, for 90,000kip with pickup included. We picked the 10am bus with an estimated arrival time of 1pm.

We got picked up at 9.30am by a tuk tuk that was already full which had to squeeze on several more people leaving some standing on the back! We got dropped off at the minibus 15 minutes later.

The minibus is very basic and they kept filling it up with more and more people. They made sure all the aisle seats were down and used. Most of us got on the bus at 9.45 however we didn't leave for another hour until they filled the remaining 5 seats.

When we finally left the driver didn't say anything about times etc and made several stops within the first half an hour; fuel, papers, food... This left a few people making comments from the back of the bus about how many stops we were making! As you read before entering Laos, everyone is very laid back and never in a hurry. This was our first experience of this.

So after making our way through traffic jams in Vientiane, we were on our way at around 12.00. The rest of the trip was fine with a quick 15 minute stop in the middle.

We arrived at Vang Vieng bus station around 2.30pm where if you wait for 5 minutes, a free shuttle will take you into the centre of Vang Vieng.

3 out of 5