Route: Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh (Vietnam & Cambodia)

Submitted by Rachel Belmont

Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam to Phnom Penh Cambodia, a route I came up with as I wanted to find a way to connect 2 countries I have always wanted to visit. Well, it sure was an adventure alright. I figured I would start at a coffee shop in HCM, Coffee Goc Pho (the 83/50 location as it is a chain) and end at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, where the king of Cambodia resides. The route I mapped out is 144.7 miles, or 233 km.

The route is mostly a straight shot, with a few turns to keep your eye on. There’s also one very significant bridge, called Tsubasa Bridge about 50km from the end of the route that poses some concern. While there is a sidewalk/pedestrian walkway at first, the bridge does flatten out into a highway where a lot of cars and trucks don’t exactly honor what is supposed to be a pedestrian lane. I would just take your time and walk this section, very slowly as I did, being that it can be a bit scary but also does not last long. This section ends at a roundabout that has a little park you can take a rest at before continuing on a country style road that is pretty straight until you enter Phnom Penh. It’s especially very quiet at night. The only other concern would be the Vietnam/Cambodia border, which is only open from 8am-8pm. There is a guesthouse about 2 miles away (on the Vietnam side) that I passed in case you don’t reach it in time for whatever reason. Also, I would just pay attention when you’re crossing the border, officials accidentally sent us into the wrong line going back into Vietnam instead of Cambodia, which was thankfully cleared up. I would not recommend running at night through Krong Bavet either, and instead getting a hotel before starting again in the morning as it’s not my favorite area. Stay away from any hotels attached to casinos as they’ll likely deny you a room unless you’re a high roller…instead I recommend staying at the Bavet Boutique Hotel which runs for about $70/night, but is safe and not attached to a casino. Otherwise along the route, there are plenty of cheap, clean guesthouses you can stay at-but will require local cash, and make sure to bring LOTS of it. One such guesthouse is Red Cross in Svay Rieng, about halfway through the route, where my friend stayed for the night before meeting me the next morning. You cannot book these online, so just be prepared to pay upfront-there’s a lot along the way :) Or, if you get lucky like me, a local may offer to take you in for a couple of hours so you can take a nap!