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Siem Reap -> 4000 Islands – what do expect

4000 islands in Laos is truly sublime, see above for how fucking chilled it is.

If you’re travelling overland from Cambodia to Laos, chances are you’ll cross at a dusty, isolated border en route to Si Phan Don (the 4,000 Islands). Online, the advice sounds simple. In reality, it’s one of those crossings where the journey might not be smooth, but the destinations are worth it.

Here’s what to expect and what can go wrong.

How do you get from Cambodia to Laos?

Most people cross this border by minivan, usually booked in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh. For your own sanity do not do the whole journey from Phnom Penh in one.

If you’re backpacking you’ll probably (or will be familiar with them). No thrills and some very basic amenity stops along the way.

Bring snacks for the journey, nuts are generally filling, healthy(ish) and cheap and if you can some sleeping pills too.

• The journey typically runs:
  Siem Reap → border → 4,000 Islands (Si Phan Don)

Expect dusty, bumpy roads and potentially quite a few vehicle changes.

How long does it take?

• From Siem Reap our ticket vendor told us 4 hours
• In reality 8 hours ish

This included a vehicle change and wait in Cambodia and an additional bus in Laos and finally a boat to Don Det in 4000 islands.

Keep your ticket very safe because it is needed to change all of the vehicles. They need to get paid.

What you need

$40 USD per person (bring more, see below) and passport photos – the only place in Asia we actually needed the photos we brought.

Visa on arrival // USD notes

The official Laos visa price is often quoted as $30 USD, but the sign at the border may say $40 USD. Payment is expected in US dollars.

There are no ATMs here.  The border is isolated, dusty, and strangely tense.

In Cambodia the best ATMs are BRED Bank which also have USD.

Slightly creased, folded, or worn bills can be rejected. This happened to us paying with a $50 note that was rejected. We suspect this is because the border staff wouldn’t be able to take their cut with a $50 note.

We ended up having to do a currency exchange with an exchange person who was there.

Bring extra USD, in multiple denominations, as flat as possible.

Is this a scam

Not exactly, but it isn’t transparent either. The rules are inconsistently enforced and poorly communicated. Our visa cost was higher than what we were told.

TIPS TO AVOID PROBLEMS

• Bring more USD than you think you need 
• Carry smaller bills ($10s and $20s) 
• Keep notes flat and separate 
• Don’t arrive with only one large bill

Final verdict

The Cambodia–Laos border crossing isn’t hard, but not a casual experience.

If you have the right cash, expect delays, and don’t assume anything will be “official”, you’ll be fine. Laos is certainly worth it.