Route direction and stops for 3 weeks in Cambodia

Hello,

After reading and researching, we're planning the following stops in Cambodia in January 2027: - Phnom Penh - Kampong Cham - Kratie - Siem Reap - Battambang - Kampot (round trip)

I'm wondering about the direction of these stops, which could also influence our international flights. Either a round trip from Phnom Penh in the order above. Or landing in Siem Reap with the following order:

- Battambang (round trip) - Siem Reap / Angkor - Kratie - Kampong Cham - Phnom Penh - Kampot (round trip)

This second option would save us the Battambang - PP - Kampot trip but means doing a round trip to Battambang from Siem Reap and placing the "highlight of the trip" (Angkor) at the beginning of our stay.

What do you think?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Have a great Sunday

Hi there, Well, since every option will have you covering roughly the same total kilometers whether you like it or not, the question doesn’t really matter much. The second one, which would force you to pass through Siem Reap twice—with one visit being pretty unnecessary (unless you *really* want to take the boat trip twice for different lighting)—seems... odd to me. Not seeing what’s so scary about the Battambang-Kampot route, the first option seems way more sensible to me.

Thanks Thierry for this insight.

I’ll stick with my original plan to do a loop and take the Battambang–Kampot route via Phnom Penh at the end of the trip.

One last question (I’m taking advantage!): Thai Airways or Vietnam Airlines? I think both are pretty much the same, but given the tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, I’m wondering (...)

Thanks again, and have a great day.

Karine

via Phnom Penh

The wait shouldn’t exceed 1 hour.

Thai Airways or Vietnam Airlines?

Both are great, even though in recent years the former has started cutting corners (not on safety), which someone who’s never flown with them "back in the day" probably wouldn’t notice. Geographically, the flight with Thai Airways would obviously be a tad shorter, but you’d also need to compare connection times. Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia don’t affect flights between the two countries—currently, there are still 5 airlines (low-cost or not) operating daily or twice-daily flights between Bangkok BKK and Phnom Penh, plus the two airlines with non-daily flights.

I see you're now mentioning extra stops in Kampong Thom and Koh Rong—you're turning your itinerary into a marathon!

Hi Thierry,

Yes, I’m well aware that it’ll probably be too much for a 3-week trip, but for now our itinerary isn’t set in stone, and we’re planning to travel without booking anything so we can keep the freedom to extend or shorten our stops (...)

Especially since opinions vary *a lot* on the best places and the ideal length of stay.

By adding Kompong Thom, I was actually thinking of taking our time on the way to Siem Reap instead of rushing through transport in one long day...

we’re thinking of traveling without booking anything so we can keep the freedom to extend or shorten our stops (...)

Great decision—whether in Cambodia or anywhere else, down with the oppressive booking schedule!

Yes, we traveled this way for a very long time, but things have changed in some countries or regions, and it’s sometimes hard to improvise completely.

That was the case, for example, in less touristy parts of Japan, where without booking several months in advance, we never would’ve been able to stay in certain villages.

If Cambodia makes it easy to find accommodation just about anywhere, then we’ll definitely enjoy the pleasures of traveling freely again! 🙂