You might be used to Grab taxi or Uber, but in Siem Reap, it\u2019s all about tuk tuks. Seriously, they\u2019re everywhere, and they\u2019re the main method of transport for most tourists.<\/p>\n
Now I don\u2019t know about you, but before I visited Siem Reap, I\u2019d never been in a tuk tuk, and if I\u2019m quite honest I wasn\u2019t entirely sure what they were.<\/p>\n
But after spending a number of weeks in Siem Reap, traveling by tuk tuk at least once a day, I came to love them.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s everything you need to know about traveling by tuk tuk in Siem Reap.<\/p>\n
A tuk tuk is a kind of open carriage with two wheels that\u2019s attached to the driver\u2019s motorbike. It can seat up to four people, and it\u2019s the main form of transport in Siem Reap.<\/p>\n
Personally, after being in Siem Reap for a few days, I decided that tuk tuks were by far the best way to travel. You get to take in the fresh air, and enjoy the view. Plus, the lack of a seat belt gave me all the adventure I could hope for in one day.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t need to worry about where to find a tuk tuk driver in Siem Reap, they\u2019ll find you. Tuk tuk drivers are everywhere around the old market and the temples, so wherever you are and wherever you\u2019re going, you\u2019ll be spoilt for choice.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re staying in a hotel, it\u2019s worth asking if they offer a free tuk tuk service, as a lot of the bigger hotels offer free tuk tuks to the old market area.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re hoping to visit the temples, you\u2019ll want to hire a Siem Reap tuk tuk driver for the day. This way you\u2019ll pay a set rate, and they can work out the best route based on what you want to see.<\/p>\n
The cost of a tuk tuk journey will depend on how far you\u2019re going and what tuk tuk you\u2019ve chosen.<\/p>\n
There are a few different tuk tuks around the city that have been pimped up, like the Bat Mobile Tuk Tuk and the entirely pink and fluffy tuk tuk, and naturally these cost more than your standard, non-pimped tuk tuk.<\/p>\n
But for a journey from one part of the main town to another, your ride should be between $2 and $5. And it\u2019s not like taxis, where the cost goes up after or before a certain a time. So if you\u2019re coming back from pub street in the early hours of the morning you\u2019ll pay the same sort of price. To give you a better idea, it cost me $2-3 each day to travel 1km away from the old market.<\/p>\n
For day trips to the temples though you\u2019ll pay considerably more, because they\u2019re quite a way out and your driver will be with you all day.<\/p>\n
Tuk tuk prices for Angkor Wat and other temples generally range between $30 and $50. But they\u2019ll drive to a range of different temples of your choice, help you plan your day, recommend restaurants and some even supply you with ice cold drinking water throughout the day.<\/p>\n
If you want to get the best tuk tuk price, it\u2019s worth finding a driver and staying loyal. If tuk tuk drivers know you\u2019re planning on using them for most of your day trips they\u2019ll often offer you a better deal.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve never been in a tuk tuk before it can be tempting to go with what you know and pay for a car and a driver. But this is going to cost you more and it\u2019s not actually as enjoyable.<\/p>\n
Tuk tuks are maybe a third of the price of cars in Siem Reap, and you\u2019ll get the experience of traveling like a local and feeling the wind against your face as you race through the bumpy streets.<\/p>\n
Most tuk tuks are basically the same \u2013 it\u2019s a motorbike with a carriage attached. But if you\u2019re looking for a truly unique experience, you could always go for one of the novelty tuk tuks.<\/p>\n
There are movie-themed tuk tuks, colour-themed tuk tuks, and simply tuk tuks with booming sound systems (and before you ask, yes you can plug in your own phone and choose your own music).<\/p>\n
I\u2019m a great advocate of tuk tuks, but I\u2019ll admit, they\u2019re not as safe as cars. They\u2019re more prone to accidents, mainly because they\u2019re more unstable and can\u2019t cope with bad roads as well as cars.<\/p>\n
However, they\u2019re great for short rides around the city and to the temples, just maybe consider a car for the further out temples like Beng Mealea and Phnom Kulen National Park.<\/p>\n
You can also make your tuk tuk ride much safer just by keeping your wits about you.<\/p>\n
Tuk tuks are a bumpy ride, and there\u2019s nothing really to keep you or your belongings in. So hold on to your hats and sunglasses, and try not to drop anything valuable whilst you\u2019re on the go.<\/p>\n
You should also always clarify a price before getting in, you don\u2019t want to get ripped off, and a tuk tuk driver will always stick to the quote he gave you.<\/p>\n
People often ask if you should tip tuk tuk drivers, but the short answer is no, not usually. Tipping is a western tradition, and most tuk tuk drivers don\u2019t expect it, not for short one-off trips anyway.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s okay to say \u2018keep the change\u2019 and drivers won\u2019t be offended by a tip at all, just know that you\u2019re not obliged to, and you won\u2019t be frowned upon if you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
However, if you\u2019ve hired one driver for most days of your trip, and they\u2019ve treated you well, it\u2019s usually the done thing to give them a tip at the end of your stay. It doesn\u2019t have to be a lot, maybe $15-$30 at the end of your trip.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You might be used to Grab taxi or Uber, but in Siem Reap, it\u2019s all about tuk tuks. Seriously, they\u2019re everywhere, and they\u2019re the main method of transport for most tourists. Now I don\u2019t know about you, but before I visited Siem Reap, I\u2019d never been in a tuk tuk, and if I\u2019m quite honest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1743,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54,50],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n