Ha Tien to Kampot - Cambodia Border Crossing - Easy Rider Trip

The plan for today is that Mr Qua will cross the border into Cambodia with me and then return over the border and home to Mui Ne.

A number of years ago he got a passport and international driver license to take a customer to Cambodia. The job fell through and he never got to use his passport. I am trying to make this happen today.

After leaving the hotel we go for Banh mi breakfast on the side of the road.

I spend some time at a temple before heading to the border.

The temple is inside a mountain and it is quite a walk up.

After this we headed to the border.

To cut a long story short … I managed to exit Vietnam but Mr Qua could not take his bike out. They said that there was a risk that he was going to Cambodia to sell his bike … or something like that. The guard on the border said we should try a bribe but that didn’t work either.

The guard was really nice and asked us to wait while he tried to sort it out but in the end it was taking too long. Mr Qua had a long trip home so we went our separate ways … hopefully one day he can use his passport.

So minus my driver I had to walk to Cambodia … it wasn’t that far but it was hot.

The entry process was interesting … where to go, what to do, the photograph stage and in particular the finger printing stage … there was no English spoken. I made it in the end and got my visa stamp.

Seeing this reminds me that the Cambodian land entry point is called Prek Chak.

As I pass out through the entry gates I am rushed by people offering me taxi rides. I ignore them and walk to find a cold drink.

I sit in the cafe for a while wondering what to do. My vietnamese sim is coming and going and when I turned on my international roaming that is not working.

After sitting here for a while the shop owner asks me if I want a tuk tuk. I hesitantly say yes but know that I am probably going to get ripped off. He makes a phone call and shortly after a man arrives with a tuk tuk. He tells me $20 USD. Where I need to go in Kampot is quite far so I am happy just to be heading there.

I want to mention here about how much it cost me to get across the border. Everything I had read told me that I would have to pay $50 Usd in good quality notes. This is why I went to the trouble in Da Nang to get good quality USD.

It actually cost me $37 Usd and they said that I could pay in either VND or USD. So now I know the true story … as do you.

So my tuk tuk ride to the Karma Traders went well. I am very surprised at how dirty everything is though.

The roads are terrible. The roads all seem to be in need of repair, in major need of repair or being repaired … this all adds to the dusty dirty environment.

My room is not ready so I sit at the bar by the pool. They have Diet Coke so that is exciting.

I should tell you here about my $100 Usd note that I got in Da Nang. I tried to use it to pay here. I was told that it is an old note and they don’t accept it. They let me use card so that is ok.

Someone at reception told me that there is a lady in town, near the Durian Roundabout, that may change my note with a cost. Ok so I will make that a job for tomorrow. That money change that I did in Da Nang is still causing me problems.

I booked a shared dorm room here but when my room was actually ready and I saw it I chickened out. I asked if they had any private rooms available. Just by chance they do.

So at a much greater cost I have 2 nights here, in my nice private room, to make further plans.

My room has mosquitos so I must buy some insect spray tomorrow. Illnesses such as dengue fever are common from mosquito bites in Cambodia … or so I have read. I don’t want to chance it anyway.

Mui Ne Easy Rider contact details: Mr Qua on WhatsApp (+84)918643592 or Email quatourmuine@yahoo.com.vn