No grievances truth be told there, nothing unique often. They may be able in addition ensure you get your Vietnam visa for you (as do all vacation agencies and hotels/guesthouses). The cost of a one thirty days Vietnam visa had been $57 USD, which can be in fact cheaper than setting it up your self! Regrettably we'd already paid our guesthouse $60 USD doing the same. Doh :(
We find the 8:30 am bus, and waited at our guesthouse for shuttle to select us up. As always, we were a little worried as soon as the shuttle was late, but no issue ultimately.
The shuttle arrived, the motorist and associate were very polite and place our baggage onto the minivan for all of us. We proceeded to get various other people, and had been then taken to the coach place in the ORussy marketplace.
Right here, the nicely uniformed attendants examined our bus seats, ensured we had our Vietnam visa, and tagged our baggage. I was quite happy with how arranged these were. It is necessary for them to be sure that you get Vietnam visa prepared, because there is no visa-on-arrival during the border. Some bus organizations have already been known to leave travellers during the border should they had been unprepared.
The coach departed at 8:45 am.
As soon as aboard, the attendant gave united states a synopsis of what to expect through the duration of the journey in Cambodian and English. Regrettably the sound system had beenn’t the maximum, therefore we couldn’t truly hear exactly what she was saying. We got the gist from it though. Anything about:
- We will break for meal
- We're going to travel a distance of just over 200 km
- We shall take about 6 hours
- We’ll be dealing with [these] provinces
- At [this] point we are going to take a ferry-boat to mix a river
- We're going to drop you off on Pham Ngu Lao road in Ho Chi Minh City (the backpacker road, great location that is at the centre of most touristy things)
I believe she also informed us in regards to the edge crossing process, and perhaps even weather condition! But it got more and more difficult to hear because the Khmer passengers behind united states begun to have a discussion very loudly.
Damp towels were passed aside, followed closely by a treat and a bottle of water.
You-know-what blew my head though?? There clearly was no-cost wifi on coach!! It’s not very quickly, nonetheless it was indeed there plus it worked! That was a nice surprise for those who are incompetent at disconnecting on their own through the grid (aka me :P). The wifi just works when you are in Cambodia but not too I’m moaning!
Once all treats were distributed, the attendant emerged around to get everyone’s passports. (i really believe this was so that they could get our Cambodian exit stamps for people all at once, because when we finally got our passports right back on border, the exit stamp had mysteriously appeared.)
Around 10:00 am, we came to the ferry crossing at Neak Loeang throughout the Mekong river.
At noon we attained a restaurant and got 20 moments to seize a quick meal and also to use the facilities. Although i need to state, the bathroom . from the coach had been very clean. It performedn’t have liquid to clean both hands with, nonetheless it did have wc paper.
After lunch, we arrived at the border. Our passports were gone back to us (with this exit stamps) and then we all got off to go through the edge exit control. That is where they might take a photo people and scan our finger marks. I’m pretty sure we weren’t likely to just take photographs right here, but Adam snuck several anyhow ;)
Side note: you can view inside photo above that everyone lined up at one screen, you could additionally go to the window left, also to the next booth down within the distance. You can't however, go beyond that 2nd booth.
On our way back on coach, the attendant obtained all our passports yet again. Another extremely quick trip and we reached the Vietnamese traditions and immigration building. You now had been expected to take all your possessions and luggage with you.
whenever we got in the immigration company, our coach attendant was already at the front associated with the range along with our passports. All of us endured around before the attendant called away our names. Whatever it was that had become done, she did it for people! So don’t be worried about hoping to get lined up quickly or wish to drive your way through.
One last immigration broker examined our passports again and down we went! But our bus had been however becoming looked, therefore right here’s hardly any down time to consider life.
Be sure you don’t get also flustered and jump onto another type of coach! Two guests nearly destroyed their particular baggage simply because they handed their particular backpacks to a bus staff loading an unusual coach. The bus staff took them without question because he doesn't understand whom belongs in the bus. Luckily for us Adam labeled as off to all of them and said our coach was nevertheless being looked, so they managed to get their luggage back before this other bus drove down!
It had been a completely reasonable error to help make, as it seems that the majority of these cross edge busses usually change to another car in the border, but Mekong was not one.
We had been on our method once again at 1:00 pm, and found its way to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam around 3:00 pm. Be prepared for a swarm of touts once you step-off. There’s no these types of thing as individual area by using these men.
The last section of our coach trip was to gather our baggage, and this ended up being where Mekong impressed me personally more. All of the suitcases and these types of were becoming off loaded by a bus staff. Whenever I decided to go to grab my own and made to obtain the hell out from the tout-zone, one of several bus attendants nearly went over to myself and asked for my baggage label. She was completely polite about this! But we liked which they were keeping track of every thing to ensure some arbitrary person performedn’t elope together with your luggage.
For $13 USD, our journey from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ended up being a fantastic knowledge.