Penang to Phnom Penh, Solo Overland Travels

It was on our Merdeka Day that I set out to Phnom Penh. A day after coming back from my talk to medical doctors in N9, I took a Grab car from my place to Weld Quay. Many thoughts came to mind. I wonder… From Penang to Phnom Penh, can I make my way to Cambodia on my own?

I had never done such trip before. I mean, I travel solo but for short time or distances and 1-2 modes of transport. Often I fly in and out of the destinations–with budget airlines, smaller cities are more accessible to tourists and travellers.

In this blog post, I share the ABCD of my multi-modal road trip ⛴ 🚞 🚎 🚌. I used ferry, commuter train, sleeper train, bus and van to get to Phnom Penh. For local transport, tuk-tuks are the best way to get around.

Read on below to find out the tips and details of my journey. First, let’s start with 3 travel essentials in this 21st century (with updates).

First travel essentials: a SIM card

This road trip is great when you are ready for an adventure, on a budget & have plenty of time – no need to rush for flights etc. Where you can just relax and enjoy the rides, with the aid of technology😉

Firstly, buy a local SIM card. Got a Thai SIM card (RM25) with unlimited data at Padang Besar. And did the same when I was in Cambodia.

Since my journey involved trips of at least 6+ hours, I used the time to browse the internet for:

• choosing and booking my accommodation,
• Google Map (attractions, restaurants),
• looking up for train/bus schedules,
• read reviews and tips for local travels, and
• communications with my family and friends.

Looking back, it is one of the most critical things to have – leveraging on the internet has made my journey much easier and no-fuss. And I got better deals!

Have internet, will travel

I used my mobile roaming when I was travelling in Xi’an, China. Armed with only three Mandarin phrases, I travelled from Xi’an to Xining and a day trip to Zhangye Danxia Rainbow Mountain (June 2018). It was a short 5-day trip but quite memorable; written a little guide book on that. The regional internet was super-fast, but when I came home, the internet bills skyrocketed😅

Thus, when I was travelling in Peru (March 2019), I knew I needed to get a Peruvian SIM card. Through copious sign language (I knew little Spanish!), I managed to get one. It came with free social media usage (Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram etc). Except around remote mountainous areas, the internet connections in Peru was fast.

Having a local SIM card helped my travelling across on the Andes–Cusco, Macchu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca and back to Lima. It was perfect.

At the end of my 2-week Peruvian adventures, I spent around MYR 30 (~USD8) for mobile internet usage. That’s less than a day’s worth of mobile roaming.

And I remember I used to buy those thick Lonely Planet travel books before going to any places. They cost a bomb! that was the trend in 1990s – early 2000. But nowadays, I longer need to buy one before travelling.

Tip: A good internet connection is more than sufficient. Plenty of information out there to help you plan your trip. How times have changed.

Second travel essential: A credit card

Don’t leave home without it 😆

A ‘old’ tagline for one of the major credit cards. How apt.

Yes, use a credit card. It’s best to dedicate one credit card for all internet transactions. Even though cash is king, a credit card helps me keep a tab of my expenditure while travelling. And my cash/things gets stolen etc, I can use my credit card to withdraw cash, buy a plane ticket home, get medical attention etc. (see my story below).

Nowadays, many bookings can be done online, ahead of time or even at the last minute. Bookings through mobile apps versus the web may differ in prices and discounts. Often you’d get best deals if you’re a regular user of a travel site. The price difference can, sometimes, range between 10-30%.

Tip: Keep 1 or 2 credit cards as a backup.

Third travel essential: A travel insurance

My trip in Peru taught me a new thing: not to leave home without a travel insurance. Though I’ve been abroad without one in the past, a travel insurance helps lighten the burden.

In Peru, I had to seek medical attention at a local hospital for mountain sickness. Where I was travelling, Cusco (3,300+ m) and Lake Titicaca (3800+ m) above the sea level) and other little towns are on the high Andean mountains.

Coca tea helps adjusting to the high altitudes (yes, where cocaine comes from); I chewed plenty coca leaves, drank coca tea like locals Peruvians do… however, I reckon I needed longer stays for acclimatisation.

For overseas medical attention, it’s best to get a travel insurance. I’ve heard ‘horror stories’ of people who travel without one… Just be prepared for the worst-case scenario when travelling abroad. Especially on your own, solo.

Back to my case, a credit card and a travel insurance came to rescue. Back home, I claimed back the amount. Alhamdullilah, the insurance company honoured their promises; even though the medical report was written in Spanish!🙃

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How to get one? Just Google ‘travel insurance’ and you’d get plenty of options–Allianz, Tokio Marine, Etiqa. Depending on your locations and premiums, 1-2 weeks travels shouldn’t set you back – around MYR 120 or less.

I bought one, online, 20 minutes before boarding the train for Padang Besar.

Tip: Getting a travel insurance online gives you a 10-20% discount. And a peace of mind. With technology, one can be a smart consumer.

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From Penang to Padang Besar: Komuter Train

I started early morning taking a ferry from the Penang ferry terminal at Weld Quay. When I reached Butterworth side, i.e. Penang Sentral – it conveniently connects with KTM Train Station in Butterworth. It’s just a leisurely 10-minute walk once I got off the ferry.

The international train Butterworth to Bangkok (BKK) is no longer in service. So instead, I took a 2-hour Komuter train to Padang Besar from Butterworth.

The Komuter train was quite full with people in festive spirits, kids waving flags. Several ladies in donned scarfs of Malaysia flag. It was a public holiday plus a long weekend for Malaysians. I eventually managed to get a seat in the crowded train northbound.

At Padang Besar, I got my passport stamped on both sides (Malaysia and then Thailand) before catching the sleeper train. I bought the ticket to BKK online and printed it out. You can also get a ticket at the station, but it is advisable to book the berth (upper/lower) a day earlier. Check out The Man in Seat 61 for more information.

Tip: Be at Padang Besar a couple of hours before the 6 o’clock sleeper train departs for BKK.

Padang Besar to Phnom Penh: The breakdown of my 2000+ KM journey

From the snapshot of Google Map above, the ABCD of my 2000+ KM journey is as follows:

A-B: Pdg Besar to Bangkok | Sleeper train, 900 Baht | Stayed a night in BKK
B-C: BKK to Siem Reap | Great Ibis Bus, USD 33 | Visited Angkor Wat USD 37/day.
C-D: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh | Mekong Express Van, USD 12 | Workshops@HF and Phnom Penh City.
Back home: Phnom Penh – Kuala Lumpur | AirAsia, USD 60++ (luggage etc)

For each departure (train, bus, van), I booked my tickets online from the respective websites. Going into Cambodia, Malaysians would have no problem getting a visa for 30 days. The bus stops at the border, I got my passport stamped at the Thai side and then Cambodia.

Then on to Siem Reap for a visit of the Best Unesco World Heritage Site, Angkor Wat. It’s a huge temple complex – so schedule your visits properly.

If you’re in for an adventure with Khmer food, try Fish Amok or an interesting local dish, see below:

Angkor Wat Insider’s Tip: Do a reverse order tour with a tuk-tuk. Start with the Tomb Raider (Ta Prohm, Tree Temple) first and end your tour with Angkor Wat.

Penang to Phnom Penh: Final thoughts

The entire trip from Padang Besar to Phnom Penh costs less than a flight ticket (Phnom Penh – KL). Along the journey, I’ve met a lot of nice and wonderful people, seen beautiful landscapes that I would have missed if coming via flights.

Feel free to use the itinerary above to plan your journey. Think it may work for backpackers or a small family of 4-5.

Whether solo, duo or more, everyone should go for a long road trip once in their lifetime! And time is the real luxury in this world.

Well… you decide 😉

Any questions? post them below. Till then!