Cambodia Adventure with Busabout – My Epic Bucket List Trip

2016 was a very interesting year for me—I decided to add the Angkor Wat Temples to my travel bucket list. That’s when I discovered the perfect tour: the Cambodia Adventure with Busabout. The only problem was that I had a major life change with careers, so I knew I had to be on a tight budget. I remember checking out Contiki but was “too old” to go on their tours. Busabout’s Cambodia Adventure tour looked like exactly what I needed—budget-friendly and packed with experiences.

After reading the itinerary for Cambodia Adventure with Busabout – 9 Day, I booked it as my first Asian tour and decided to celebrate the 2017 New Year somewhere in Cambodia. I need to preface that I went in totally blind about Cambodia…I knew two things; the Khmer Rouge and the Killing Fields. The funny thing is that I didn’t bother looking into Busabout much, but they had MANY 5-star reviews, which made me feel assured.

I’ll do my best to reconstruct my trip, I didn’t take travel notes as I do now and Busabout sadly enough is no longer active so I can’t look at what was done day by day, and on top of that I didn’t name any of my pictures.

Overview of the Cambodia Adventure with Busabout

Highlights: Visiting Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, white sandy beaches of Koh Rong, floating villages, and the bamboo train in Battambang.

Destinations: Phnom Penh, Kep, Koh Rong, Sihanoukville, Siem Reap, and surrounding temples of Angkor Wat.

Travelers: There was a total of 18 travelers with 16 being from Australia, 1 Brit and myself the lone American. Everyone was in their 20s except for myself….I was 40! I admit I felt a little out of place but I kept it normal and they didn’t treat me any different so it was all good.

Guide: Our fearless leader was Tim Cusson and a couple of local guides from what I remember and of course our driver.

Transportation: It was mainly a private minivan and for very local short moves I used tuk-tuk taxis and the ferry for the river night cruise and to reach Koh Rong.

Accommodations: It was a mix of hostels and hotels and all twin shares. They were all simple but comfortable and I felt safe every night I was there.

Tour & Group vibe: Busabout is very much focused on nightlife…every night we partied. Not gonna lie this tour kicked my ass and I was tapping out by 2 am easy.

Busabout – Cambodia Adventure Itinerary & Review:

My 9 day tour with Busabout to Cambodia included; Phnom Penh, Koh Rong, Sihanoukville, and Siem Reap. The very last part of the trip Angkor Wat was my main reason for doing this trip but I didn’t realize just how beautiful the rest of the country would be.

Day 1: Phnom Penh – My trip began in Phnom Penh, I arrived early enough to check in at the Angkor International Hotel – took a shower ordered some food. I had about 3 hours to kill so I walked to a local farmers market with all sorts of food. Later that evening I met with the rest of the travelers and our guide Tim who gave us a quick orientation on what to expect. That night he took us to Romdeng Restaurant and sure enough the traditional dinner was offered that included deep-fried tarantula. Since those are 8-legged nopes I ordered some western-style food.

The night was still early so we headed to another hostel, this time a party hostel that had a full-on bar/club rager going on. I can’t lie I lasted until about 2 am and headed back to the hostel….everyone else partied all through the night.

Day 2: Phnom Penh – The start of the tour was delving into the dark history of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge. Included was the visit to the infamous Killing Fields including S-21 Prison and the Killing Tree. A local guide took us around the area and it was very somber, to say the least. The Choeung Ek Genocidal Center is just plain harrowing.

I chose not to take many photos at all, it didn’t feel appropriate.

That night we all gathered somewhere for dinner at an outdoor restaurant. The night was ours and we all headed back out for some drinks at bars Tim had recommended. I think we may have been around Basaac Lane but I’m not 100% sure. That being said it was a fun night for sure…..

Day 3: Phnom Penh to Kampot – Early in the morning we said goodbye to the capital as we head to the idyllic riverside town of Kampot. Before we hit Kampot we made a pit stop at Kep a small seaside town and visited the local fish markets and had lunch at one of the seafront restaurants. We hopped back on the bus and arrived in Kampot shortly after and hopped on a ferry for the sunset river cruise soaking up the pristine natural beauty of Cambodia. We all grabbed a spot on top of the ferry and I got a bucket of beer for all of us to enjoy.

I kid you not the beer was about $1 USD each. A definite plus was this simple river cruise…it was laid back and I was surrounded by fun people.

After the boat cruise, we had dinner at the Rusty Keyhole for the “best ribs in Cambodia.” I do remember staying at Ramo Resort in Kampot for the night….a fantastic hotel and it’s dirt cheap to stay there.

Day 4: Kampot to Koh Rong Samloem to Sihanoukville – Leaving Kampot we headed to the overgrown island of Koh Rong Sanloem, easily one of the best islands I’ve been to! When we arrived all I saw was a beautiful, raw underdeveloped paradise with white sandy beaches. We mainly used this time for some sun, a quick jump into the water and relaxation. Honestly, there was no stress just a chill and relaxed atmosphere.

Looking back I wished we stayed here for a solid day. Back in 2016 there were no real roads, and electricity was spotty but you’re here because you want peace and tranquility.

I can’t stress this enough, you really need to visit Koh Rong, it’s not that difficult to access this paradise. I feel that I was spoiled and didn’t even realize it – I learned while writing this post that Koh Rong didn’t become a ‘city’ until 2019

Later in the afternoon, we head back to the mainland to prepare for the New Year’s Eve night to remember in the party hotspot of Sihanoukville. I do remember staying at the Sea View Boutique Hotel which was very close to the beach.

I knew beforehand I’d be here celebrating the new year in Sihanoukville but I had no clue what to expect. Frankly, I was expecting some really small rural isolated town…glad to say I was completely wrong.

From the hotel, we hopped on a party bus where we pre-partied and headed to Ochheuteal Beach for our BBQ dinner. Busabout did us right because our table was on the sand very close to the water. What can I say there were thousands of travelers and locals all celebrating the 2017 New Year…it was amazing. With the countdown to midnight, we were treated to an impressive fireworks show.

Day 5: Sihanoukville – I do remember we got a free day in Sihanoukville on New Year’s Day and I needed it…I was completely hung over. Everyone pretty much took the morning to do their own thing but most wound up at the beach. I decided to sleep in a bit…yep it’s safe to say I overdid my NYE celebration…I honestly don’t remember what I did that day…I was too hungover.

Day 6: Sihanoukville to Battambang – It was another early riser today hopping on the bus with two stops before our visit to Battambang. Our first stop was a visit to a popular roadside shrine where you can receive blessings from local Buddhist monks. We stopped somewhere for a quick bite to eat then back on the bus to Tonle Sap Lake. Here we boarded a bus that took us to visit the floating village…I’ve never seen anything like it.

We got exposed to this very unique lifestyle of its inhabitants living their lives right on lake. We finally reached the banks of the Sangkae River and the city of Battambang.

It’s been so long since this trip but I do remember we were supposed to visit the Battambang Circus night show. Problem was we lost so much time on the bus (the dirt roads were messed up due to the recent monsoons) we missed nearly the whole show. We basically showed up towards the end but we were able to visit a student-run restaurant for an included dinner.

Day 7: Battambang to Siem Reap – One of the highlights of this trip was getting to ride the “Bamboo Train” or Norry. Even though this serves as a transport for nearby towns to transport goods it has attracted tourists as well. Clearly, we couldn’t resist and took a ride for about 20 minutes (4.3 miles or 7 km).

One thing I did notice that bothered me a little was seeing young children selling small souvenirs (bracelets) to tourists. However, I understood their family is just scraping by and the children have to work to support the family…most of us bought a few bracelets.

Before Leaving Battambang we stopped along the road to check out some of the more exotic foods of rural Cambodia such as fried beetles, crickets and BBQ rats. I eyes began to water at the sight of the bugs but I did try a small piece from the BBQ rat.

Well…like what many have said close your eyes and imagine it’s chicken. Seriously it tasted like chicken!

Just before arriving in Siem Reap we did a mini bike tour through the Cambodian countryside. We stopped by a local community and leaned about the community itself, the people and the relaxing pace of village life. We then headed our way to the reason why I booked this trip.

We continued our journey to the ever-popular gateway of the Angkor region, Siem Reap. That night we headed out to party in Pub Street! We had an absolute blast on Pub Street – it was touristy sure but Cambodians are super chill and like to party. One activity we all took part in was a mixology class or making a killer mixed drink…this activity was fitting for a Busabout tour.

I do remember we all finished the night at The Angkor What? Bar. They were proud in promoting irresponsible drinking – I mean at $1 USD for local beer it was easy to get wasted with $10 in your pocket.

Day 8 – 9: Siem Reap & Angkor Wat – Today was the day I finally was able to visit this magnificent UNESCO religious complex. Understand that Angkor Wat is a 12th century Hindu-Buddhist temple complex dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu. I decided to set my alarm early because I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat! We took a tuk-tuk and made a beeline to the Angkor ticket office to purchase a single day (from sunrise to sunset) – at the time it was $20.

I spent the whole day with this excursion walking through the whole temple complex. I was able to finally put a checkmark on my bucket list with this majestic location. After witnessing the sunrise over the world’s largest religious monument and walking around Angkor Wat, we then visited Bayon Temple. This temple is the centerpiece of the ancient royal city of the Khmer Empire, Angkor Thom.

I have to admit, I was in awe. I wasn’t really saying much…just taking photos and was absolutely impressed with how the temples were built. Made me take a step back and admire the will of humans to build such a complex dedicated to Vishnu.

We then got to visit the much talked about and ever-popular “Tomb Raider” temple. I remember I was moving around comfortably around Angkor Wat and Bayon however Tomb Raider was definitely crowded with every tourist wanting to take photos…then again I wasn’t surprised – I was doing the same.

At the end of the day we headed back out to some local bars and the vibe was great. All of us were having a great time doing syringe jello shots at who the hell knows where – didn’t care I was having a blast.

Before I forget I need to give a shout out to Mr. Sina and his tuk-tuk the Red Rocket! He got me around Siem Reap when I was drinking way too much.

On my final night in Cambodia I decided to hit up Pub Street one last time and party with my fellow travelers. You guessed it, I made it back to The Angkor What? Bar and if I remember correctly my last meal in Siem Reap was this a Mexican and Khmer fusion-style restaurant.

Post vacation blues is a real thing, I remember being bummed out not wanting to leave Cambodia. This country had so much to offer and see it was made my trip that much more awesome.

Important update about Sihanoukville!

Unfortunately, for Cambodia Sihanoukville has lost its soul. This once backpacker haven received a major facelift since 2019. It has now become a Chinese construction site with casinos and tall buildings. When I visited Sihanoukville it was a town run by the locals that allowed them to make a living but sadly they’re gone too. The charm this town had is gone so save yourself the trouble and don’t bother going here.

Final thoughts about my Cambodia Adventure with Busabout

Cambodia is absolutely worth visiting. Cambodia is extremely budget-friendly and the people are very warm and inviting. What I liked about Cambodia Adventure with Busabout was how well run the tour was and what we got to do for such a low price. I went in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised with the rest of country had to offer.

The only downside was when we left Sihanoukville to Battambang, I kid you not we lost at least 6 – 7 hours on the bus because the roads were poorly maintained. So, when monsoon season hit the roads caused problems for our driver and the road trip took it seemed twice as long.

The 9 days we traveled through Cambodia was incredible, we covered the capital city, the countryside, Koh Rong Island, celebrating the new year on a sleepy beach town and discovering the Angkor Wat temples. I absolutely got my money’s worth on this trip.

Cambodia is a must-go-to destination for any college student or anyone traveling on a budget. One of my fellow travelers, Maddie made a video montage on our trip:

Safety tips for visiting Cambodia:

In my experience Cambodia is incredibly safe, what I’m going to cover is mainly health and common sense:

• Check any vaccination recommendations (dengue, typhoid fever or malaria).
• Always pack mosquito spray and sunblock.
• Don’t drink tap water! Use bottled water when brushing your teeth.
• Get yourself some travel insurance.
• Don’t dabble with “substances” and don’t be that falling down drunk.

Any there any Busabout alternatives in exploring Cambodia?

No need to worry I have you covered, here are some hot tours of Cambodia for anyone 18 to 39 years old:

Real Cambodia – 10 Days	Cambodia: Ancient Ruins & Boat Rides – 10 Days
Cambodia Explorer – 11 Days	S.E. Asia Trifecta: Cambodia, Vietnam & Bangkok Vibes – 12 Days
Epic Vietnam to Cambodia – 21 days	Cambodia to Vietnam: Night Markets & Noodle-Making – 20 Days
Cambodia & Laos Uncovered – 9 Days	Cambodia Intro – 10 Days
Thailand, Laos and Cambodia Adventure – 16 Days	Cambodia Youth Adventure – 10 days

The tours above are fully guided and all cater to the 18 to 39 year old market. The majority of the travelers on these tours will be in their mid 20s all looking for cultural immersion and having a great time. Click on any of the tours above and check out the itinerary to book your next tour of Cambodia!