I have had two border crossing points recommended to me on my departure by motorbike from Phnom Penh on May 4th:
1) O'SMACH
pretty straightforward
2) PREAH VIHEAR
by way of
Damnak
Kampong Cham
Kratie (Kracheh)
Mondilkiri
Ratinakiri
Stung Treng
Tbeng Meanchey/Preah Vihear
But Lonely Planet's forum says:
Getting to Prasat Preah Vihear from the Cambodian side is a unique and challenging adventure. It can generally be done only between mid-November and May because in the wet season many of the roads in this part of the country are impassable. When you finally reach the temple, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve completed a modern-day pilgrimage almost the equal of any undertaken at the height of the Angkorian empire. for a hair-raising, 20-minute ride up gradients of up to 35% the 5km steep road.
Read more:*http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/northwestern-cambodia/prasat-preah-vihear/transport/getting-there-away#ixzz2xcoJlYsp
Note that Prasat Preah Vihear is not an international border crossing – visitors enter*Cambodia*without a visa and must return to*Thailand*by 5pm the same day. Tourist visas for onward travel into*Cambodia*are*not*available here. It costs US$10 to visit from the Thai side – US$5 goes to the Thais for visiting the ‘national park’ and US$5/200B goes to the Khmers as the temple fee.
Since the border-crossing agreement is reciprocal, tourists coming from the Cambodian side can go a few hundred metres into*Thailand*to shop at the border market. Cambodian authorities charge 10B to cross.
I will be riding alone on my fully loaded Honda CBR250R.
Does anybody have recent, firsthand knowledge, about the route and in particular the difficulty riding the last 5km and whether I can cross here to Thailand while still getting a passport stamp and Thai departure card upon entry as I return to Chiang Mai??
1) O'SMACH
pretty straightforward
2) PREAH VIHEAR
by way of
Damnak
Kampong Cham
Kratie (Kracheh)
Mondilkiri
Ratinakiri
Stung Treng
Tbeng Meanchey/Preah Vihear
But Lonely Planet's forum says:
Getting to Prasat Preah Vihear from the Cambodian side is a unique and challenging adventure. It can generally be done only between mid-November and May because in the wet season many of the roads in this part of the country are impassable. When you finally reach the temple, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve completed a modern-day pilgrimage almost the equal of any undertaken at the height of the Angkorian empire. for a hair-raising, 20-minute ride up gradients of up to 35% the 5km steep road.
Read more:*http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/northwestern-cambodia/prasat-preah-vihear/transport/getting-there-away#ixzz2xcoJlYsp
Note that Prasat Preah Vihear is not an international border crossing – visitors enter*Cambodia*without a visa and must return to*Thailand*by 5pm the same day. Tourist visas for onward travel into*Cambodia*are*not*available here. It costs US$10 to visit from the Thai side – US$5 goes to the Thais for visiting the ‘national park’ and US$5/200B goes to the Khmers as the temple fee.
Since the border-crossing agreement is reciprocal, tourists coming from the Cambodian side can go a few hundred metres into*Thailand*to shop at the border market. Cambodian authorities charge 10B to cross.
I will be riding alone on my fully loaded Honda CBR250R.
Does anybody have recent, firsthand knowledge, about the route and in particular the difficulty riding the last 5km and whether I can cross here to Thailand while still getting a passport stamp and Thai departure card upon entry as I return to Chiang Mai??
