Palm Garden Lodge - Review from Rosa

We had reservation with Palm garden lodge for 3 nights with our 4 friends from Australia. Palm garden lodge provided the best information for us while we passed Khmer Thai border (Poipet). Today we just copied this information from palm garden lodge to help people around the world had plan to visit Angkor wat to escape this problems. INFROMATION: 1. Poipet, The Scam Bus & Taxi Poipet is a Wild West kind of place and has attracted a lot of unsavoury characters clinging to the coat-tail of the economic boom. Unfortunately, many of these are involved in the travel business and carry on like some sort of mafia, giving Cambodia a bad name. Once inside Cambodia, a new game begins, drive as slowly as possible to Seim Reap. The road from Poipet to Seim Reap is good enough to cover in about three to four hours in the dry season, but somehow the bus driver will make sure you get there after dark arriving at a back-street guesthouse of their choice. Any attempt to leave this guesthouse will lead to a major confrontation with the guesthouse owners, as they have already agreed to a commission with the transport company and it’s non-refundable. So the cheap bus ends up costing you time and money, deservedly earning its name the scam bus. Lately, it has got even worse, with Thai and Cambodia companies colluding to take travelers through the Prum-Daun Lem border crossing (opposite) near Pailin, a massive diversion on miserable roads. Coming Seimreap in the middle of the night, in no mood to go looking for another guesthouse. At the end, please do not believe or listen someone to force you to change money in Poipet. In Siemreap City has many ATMs….and all of them dispend USD.dollars. $ 1 = 4000 Riel (Lonely Planet book Page: 294 by Nick Ray) 2. PHNOM PENH Seller Tickets At Boat When one guy sells a boat ticket to you, they always try to ask your name, and then they say, they have staff in Siemreap who will pick you up when you arrive.This is Because they want to make more money from you when you arrive at the boat station in siemreap.If you fall this SCAM you will soon see that: It’s very unlikely that there will be a specific driver waiting for you. You’ll have probably been lied to in Phnom Penh and not one of the drivers in siemreap will work only for the guy who sold you the boat ticket. Drivers/ receptionists in Phnom Penh send your name to drivers in Siemreap When you have trip with someone (driver) in Phnom Penh, and than your trip is finished, you have plan in Siemreap. They’ll say that, they have brother or friend work as driver, so they’ll organize for you as you arrive in Siemreap to pick you up. Please don’t believe them, that only their partner, they need make money from you side by side. They’ll find great guesthouse or hotel with commissions. Because one guide in Phnom Penh sells you to them 1pax is 5-7USD.So they need big money from you. 3.SIEMREAP Bus’s Company Never accept a free ride from the bus station into town.WHY? Because usually the driver will end up taking you to their friends or family very expensive guesthouse or hotel for commissions. Airport All of those who arrive at Siemreap airport will be able to buy a ticket into town for $1 by motor or $5 by car. The drivers may try to organize a trip to Angkor Wat for you, and tell you that his family is very poor and therefore he needs your business. However, the price he will quote you will be offer 2 or 3 times the normal rate. For example: one day trip should cost $10-$12 but they may try to charge you $25-$30. They may also try to take you to places like souvenirs shop or massage in order to gain more commission off you.