ttour suggestions? Cambodia-Vietnam to Phu Qoc?

NY1

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Mar 11, 2004
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Hello
I cannot believe it, but I am on my 4th trip (in a row) to Cambodia/Thailand.
3 years ago my best friend came back from a trip to SE asia ....after I heard the stories .I was sold .and 2 month later I was in Angkor for the first time.

I felt in love with the land and the people, and when it was time to choose my 2.5 week vacation (live in the US) ...it was clear it would be another Thailand/Cambodia combination.
On my last trip in May 2003, I rented a bike in Phnom Penh and made it to Shianoukville. Had a great time for a few days and decided to come back to PP via Route3. I still don't remember if I made it to Kep .I think it was Kampot .. and then the road turned into something else .and at some point we reached Takeo .and by nightfall we arrived in PP .. sound and safe. That trip was amazing .. especially the area around Kampot ..I will never forget what I saw and experiance. I stoped in small villages and gave out pens and paper pads, ..and other small littlke things to the local kids along the way .....sometimes they ran away from me .. but most of the time they appreciated my offer and were thankful.

May is almost around the corner, and I already booked a flight to Bangkok.
In the past couple of years I did the following:
3 days Bangkok, then flew to Phnom Penh, spend 3 days there, then took the boat to Siem Reap for a 3 day stay. Took the plane from Siem Reap .. headed for Bangkok .. swiched planes and then flew south to the island of Koh Samui, where I rented a fantastic bungalow by the beach for 1200 B, a good bike for 400 B and I stayed for 6 days .. had a great time and then returned to Bangkok (by plane) for one more night, before I returned to the States the next day .and then went to work the following day.
It always turned out to be an amazing adventure and I guess that's why I did the same trip 3 times .because it was so great.
Now, I guess, it is time to change .but I have a hard time to modify the agenda.
I wiuld greatly appreciate if somebody could make some suggestion.

My original plan was to spend 2 days in Bangkok, then head out to Phnom Penh... to go all the way out to Sen Monorom, then Banlung, Stung Treng, etc . but I am scared I might get Malaria .. and since I will be on my own on this trip , I simply cannot take the risk, because I have to be back at work 2.5 weeks later. I might have to do the Sen Monorom trip at some other point ..

I always meet people left and right, but the NorthEast on my own? .. I am not so sure .. if thats a good idea.
Then I was thinkin heading from PP to Shianoukville again, maybe explore some of the islands in the south ...

I was wondering if one can cross the border around Kep .. then maybe take the ferry and check out the island of Phu Qoc?
DOES ANYBODY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? ... Then again, if I have a rental bike from Phnom Penh, how can I cross into Vietnam .. right? I guess that is not a good idea without a passport.

Again, if one of you guys could assist me in getting a good plan together, I would be very thankfull.

Greetings from New York City

NY1
 

Bat

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Dec 24, 2003
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Greetings from NZ
Unfortunately there's not a border open to foreigners on the coast along from Kep, the closest one is the Chau Doc crossing on the Mekong. I haven't done it, but tried to get from Kampot to there by death-trap local van and didn't. Ended up having to go to PP, then went through the Moc Bai border instead. By bike though you shouldn't have these hassles, and I shouldn't imagine having a rented bike will pose a problem, depends on the officials' mood on the day really,but more importantly, it helps if it isn't over 125cc (the highest cc rating allowed on bikes in Vietnam, although people have been getting through on larger bikes recently). If you're returning it to PP it should be ok, remeber this is Asia, it doesn't usually have the same retentive rules our countries do about crossing borders (in NZ, a strip of water in the same country!) with rental vehicles.
Bat
PS I think contracting malaria would be the least of yer worries on the Kratie-Stung Treng journey, if you did it. I've said it before, and will again: IT'S THE WORST ROAD IN THE WORLD!!!