PhP 10,000 Temple Run Challenge in Cambodia I

If Lara Croft was given PhP 10,000 to tour Siem Reap, do you think she'll be able to pull it off? How about you?


A lot of people will say that a visit to Siem Reap, Cambodia is not as expensive as other countries, such as Singapore, Macau, Japan, etc. In fact, our vacation in Cambodia is the cheapest international trip that we ever had and the most exhausting one. And yet this is our most favorite.

Way back in 2012, my mom would often tell me how much she desired of visiting Cambodia and I got really curious. It has then became on top of my must-see-places list. But since there were no inexpensive airline tickets, it took me 12 years before I was able to turn my dream into reality. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring my parents along since the heat and strenuous temple-hopping will not be good for their health.

To make it more appealing, Marv & I decided to execute the PhP10,000 challenge (per person) for our whole stay in Siem Reap. And since we were penny-pinching lunatics, we opted to include the Philippine travel tax and terminal fee in our PhP10,000-budget. Exciting, huh?

Siem Reap Budget Travel Tips

Book your tickets early

• I was able to score our tickets in August 2013, more than a year before our trip. I took advantage of Cebu Pacific's piso fare, my airline of choice for international travel. For around PhP7,500, I got RT tickets for Marv and I.
• I have a habit of not purchasing check-in baggage allowance right away so our total amount won't be that high. I just buy baggage one week before our actual flight.

Select a hotel that offers free RT airport transfers

• Cost of tuktuk rides can be heavy, especially for us Filipinos who are used to paying only PhP8-10 for tricycle fare for one person. In SR, one needs to shell out $1 (approximately PhP44) for one person's tuktuk ride.
• Our hotel provided free airport transfers via tuktuk which was okay since it was just 15-20 mins from the airport. I think most hotels in SR offer this too.

Airport to hotel

Bigger group = smaller per person budget

• Temple tours via tuktuk can be shared by a group of people. Our driver's tuktuk can sit 4-5 people and a $20 tour can be split into 4 or 5, making one person's budget smaller.

Get a 3-day Angkor Wat Complex pass

• The ticket price for one day tour in Angkor Wat complex is $20 per person. But one cannot finish touring the whole complex in one day. If you tour the complex for two days, you have to pay $40 ($20/day/pax) but a 3-day pass also costs $40. Hence, it's like you got the third day for free.
• A one-week pass costs $60. Do the math.

There are three holes on the upper left corner of my ticket because we went to Angkor Wat complex for 3 days. One does not need to bring a photo for the Angkor Wat pass since the ticket booths have their own.

Food servings are big so these can be shared

• Marv and I were able to make ends meet by sharing one order. Most restaurants offered value meals, which consist of one viand and one heaping cup of rice. Normally, the waiters will say that it is not good for sharing, but it was already enough for the both of us (and we are usually starving after temple-running). We just get another cup of rice. Try it first; you can always order another meal if you think one isn't enough for sharing.
• It was also helpful that our hotel provided us two bottles of water each day while Da, our tuktuk driver, always had around 4-6 bottles daily.
• If your hotel has a restaurant, don't be shy to ask if you can get discount on meals, which are very tasty and delicious, by the way. Ours offered us 20% off for lunch and dinner.

Top (L to R): Fresh spring rolls, fish amok in coconut shell
Bottom (L to R): Beef Loh Lak, fish amok

Don't be afraid to unleash your Divisoria-haggling skills

• If you can do it in Divisoria or Greenhills, why not give it a try in SR as well? It'll be very useful. The 50% off trick also works. If they say an item is $10, haggle for $5-6.
• Don't take for granted the Buena Mano practice of vendors. Try going in the morning and you'll get countless discounts.
• Prices of meals can also be haggled too. Original price of one of our meals was $7 but it came down to $3 per meal with free fruit shake.
• If you see something that you like, don't buy it right away. Walk around first to look for better deals or cheaper prices.

Temple prayers or services aren't free

• If some stranger offers you incense and invites you to worship the gods, say no. A person tried this to us and asked for a $10 donation.
• Some locals will also start acting as your tour guide and ask for unbelievable fees. Again, say no.

Bring baon

• Our trips won't be complete without our usual baon of biscuits, cookies, instant cup noodles, etc. which serve us our snacks each time we feel hungry. 

Accommodations

Because of recommendations by Bon Voyage Girl, Dana, we also stayed in Khmer Cuisine Bed & Breakfast and we're glad we did (thanks, Dana!). That is perhaps the best service we experienced in our entire lives!

• Took care of us
• Very polite and thankful
• Receptionists speak English well
• Free breakfast 
• Has its own restaurant
• Has a bar with a variety of liqueurs, beers, and wines
• Cleaned our rooms and gave us toiletries everyday
• Two free bottles of water each day
• Has one complimentary tuktuk ride to Pub Street between 6-10 PM
• Packed our breakfast so we can eat it while we waited for the sunrise in Angkor Wat
• Provided us hot water at 4:00 in the morning so we can prepare our cup noodles
• Offered 20% discount for lunch and dinner
• Kept our bags after we checked out while we still have a tour; can just get it before we go to the airport
• After we got back from our tour, they allowed us to borrow a room so we can pack our bags and take a shower before we go to the airport -- even provided us towels.
• Has wifi and cable TV
• Also arranges tours (but we already availed the services of Da Mao -- will tell you more about him later)

I hope I was already able to convince you hehe. We booked a double standard room via Agoda for only PhP524 per night (exclusive of service charge)!

We usually stay in affordable rooms just because we're just there to sleep and bathe

The only downside of this hotel was that it was around 2-3 kms away from Old Market, Pub Street, and Night Market. You can walk (we did) but I recommend you just take a tuktuk so you won't run out of energy.

One other thing is that some tuktuk drivers aren't quite familiar with the hotel. I suggest you save this on your Google Maps so you can show the driver how to bring you back to the hotel.


Temple Tours

Months before our actual trip, I stumbled upon an article in Philippine Daily Inquirer about Siem Reap and it talked about their trip and how much they liked the services of Da Mao, their tuktuk driver. According to the article, Da is a highly recommended driver on Virtual Tourist. In fact, one of Da's previous client (residing in Mindanao, Philippines) liked his service so much that he bought Da a new tuktuk!

I immediately added him on Facebook and he was very patient in answering all my questions about SR: from tour prices, temple history, to what we should wear. 

READ: PhP 10,000 Temple Run Challenge in Cambodia II

He speaks English extremely well and in fact, he started learning in 2011 and already took 3 English classes. Asking him about the temples or even SR history won't be a problem. He's very funny too and likes to make jokes.

He told us that he has a lot of Filipino clients and as proof, he proudly wears a Philippines cap, which was given by a satisfied customer. I highly recommend that you get him to drive you around when you visit Siem Reap. Add him up on Facebook so you can message him about updated tour prices -- you won't regret it, I promise.

Da's sturdy and spacious tuktuk; a gift from one of his clients from Mindanao

Da picked us up from the hotel and brought us to the airport. Thanks, Da!

Proper Clothing

If you already think the Philippines is hot, then you'll think SR is one big hot oven. Even if they have a lot of trees (especially in Angkor Wat), the climate is so humid and the sun doesn't fail in doing its job. So if you want sweat, you'll get lots of it in SR.

I suggest you wear comfortable and breezy clothing. I made sure I was wearing white cotton tops and shorts while I was there. Contrary to what most people say, people, especially tourists, can wear shorts in SR and I advise you to do the same thing. 

I wore shorts (or a dress) during our tours and around the Angkor Wat complex. There are only 3 places where women need to cover their shoulders and wear clothing that falls below their knees:

• Bakheng Temple (part of the Grand tour, sunrise spot)
• Baphuon Temple (part of the Small Tour)
• Top tower of Angkor Wat (part of the Small Tour) -- only if you want to go up

One can remove their cover-ups once they are outside the temple or tower.

I wore a maxi skirt over my shorts. A skirt this long is not necessary, I just wore it because it is the only one I have the goes below my knees hehe.

When we went up the worship area in Angkor Wat

Women are not required to wear long clothing in most areas in Angkor Wat

Sample 5D4N Itinerary and Budget
Conversion I used: PhP44 = $1

So... do you really want to know if we survived the challenge?

My answer is YES! We only needed PhP 9,034 per person to survive 4 days of temple running in Siem Reap! 

Budget does not include alcoholic drinks and shopping

Are you up for the challenge? Or do you think you can beat us?

Let me know how it goes :)

Siem Reap Photodiary: READ: PhP 10,000 Temple Run Challenge in Cambodia II