Journal: Saturday, Jan 5 2008
Vietnamese Side of the Cambodian-Vietnamese Border Near Chau Doc, Vietnam
After a quick breakfast we went directly to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum where we received an emotion-filled education on the brutality used by the Khmer Rouge at this prison camp, located in the middle of Phnom Penh. It was a more powerful experience than our visit to the Killing Fields the day before and we’ve become inspired to learn more about this terrible period in Cambodia’s history.
At noon we boarded a high speed boat from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc, Vietnam. It was a beautiful ride down the Mekong River, passing fishing villages and other craft of varying sizes. After passing through both the Cambodian check point and the Vietnamese border control, we were officially in Vietnam once again!
Our evening in Chau Doc was relaxing and we took a cyclo to a floating restaurant on the other side of town. The mosquitoes are fierce in this town and after a long day of journeying we retreated into the air-conditioned hotel room for the night.
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Hey guys; I see you’ve taken a boat from Phnom Pehn to Chau Doc. Can you give me some details as in how long it takes and the cost and whereabouts in Chau doc i go looking for the boat. I want to do the reverse Chau Doc – Phnom Penh in Feb and am looking for info. Thx
Excellent pics btw
14 Jan 2008 at 1:20 pm
The trip between Phnom Penh and Chau Doc by speedboat takes a total of 5 hours including the immigration stops on both sides of the Vietnam-Cambodia border. You can definitely get the speedboat in Chau Doc from a riverside hotel/restaurant just north of the fresh food market (can’t remember the name). We met people who paid $21 for the trip heading to Phnom Penh (we paid $19 going the other way). I believe you can buy tix from other hotels in Chau Doc and simply show up at the departure point with a pre-purchased ticket. Any of these places handling sales can tell you the name of the hotel from where the boat leaves.
Good luck and enjoy your trip!
17 Jan 2008 at 8:05 pm