Bus from Phnom Penh to Hoh Chi Minh, September 2022

It is September 18, 2022. The borders between Cambodia and Vietnam have been open for a while. We wanted to experience what it is like now to travel by bus from Phnom Penh to Hoh Chi Minh.

We bought the tickets through Camboticket. The price for this bus was $35, per person. Goes very quickly and easily and you can reserve your seat. Lily doesn't need a visa for Vietnam but Andre had to order a visa online. You can do this on the official government website https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn . Within a few days, you can download the visa. Make sure you arrange it on time as it can take longer during holidays or festival days. Price is $20 plus credit card fees. Print out your visa as you will need it later.

Our choice was Kumho Samco bus. This bus has very comfortable seats and plenty of legroom. In their office at check-in, they ask for your passport and Vietnamese visa. This is the reason you need to carry a printed copy with you. The team at Kumho Samco bus take care of all the arrangements at the border. This saves a lot of hassle at the border. At 09.30am we left Phnom Penh. The first 30 km it is quite busy getting out of the city. After that, traffic calms down. Kumho Samco have experienced bus drivers and drive very well. No reckless behaviour. Near the border in the village of Bavet, you see casino after casino passing by.

A few kilometres before the border, the bus stops at a restaurant. Here you get the opportunity to have lunch. In the meantime, the bus company staff is already heading to the border to take care of the formalities. After lunch, it is only a few minutes' drive before you reach the border. Everyone is expected to get off and after walking a few hundred metres you are allowed back on the bus and drive through no man's land. At the Vietnamese side of the border, you have to get off again and this time go through the security check with all your travel luggage. You no longer have to wear face masks, nor do you have to show a vaccination card. At the counter, your name is read out and you get your passport back. Very efficient. Then back on the bus and off to Hoh Chi Minh. The whole procedure took less than 45 minutes.

Another couple of hours' drive to Hoh Chi Minh. As we got closer to Hoh Chi Minh the busier it got in traffic. It also started to rain. Despite this, you could still see many scooters passing by. We reached the Kumho Samco bus station around 5pm. All in all, a smooth and relaxing journey by bus from Phnom Penh to Hoh Chi Minh.

Tip: if you haven't arranged transport in Hoh Chi MInh beforehand, the Kumho Samco office can arrange transport for you, but their knowledge of the English language is very limited. You can download Uber or Grab on your phone beforehand and then it's easy to arrange transport in Hoh Chi Minh.

Vietnam Visa: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/
Bus tickets: www.cambotickets.com
Bus company: Kumho Samco

Credits: Cambodian Travel Partner. www.cambodia-travelpartner.com
Music: Undeniable.