All guides found on this site are for informational purpose only. The information was gathered in the months proceeding each of our trips and the content they contain is from thorn tree forum posts, web pages of multiple sites, and research I have done on my own. Each guide was used in conjunction with a published travel guide and acted as supplemental information for the specific places we wished to visit. I tried to update the information in the guides when possible, but we did not travel to all of the destinations. I hope you find these as useful as we did.

Overland Travel Between Siem Reap and Bangkok

On Your Own – Siem Reap to Bangkok

Like with the package trips, this is easier than coming the other way. The trip is much as described above, but in reverse.

Siem Reap to the Border

In Siem Reap, trucks and taxis can be obtained in two places: across from Psah Leau (on Route 6 on the east side of town) or at the Sokimex station at Route 6 and the river – east side. Most of the transportation leaves from Psah Leau and like most long-distance taxi/truck stands in Cambodia this place is mayhem and full of touts looking to charge you many times the proper fare. I always go to the Sokimex station which is a much more mellower affair.

Alternatively, I just ring up one of the taxi drivers I know and avoid both places, but unless you have me calling one of these guys for you or you arrange a taxi through your hotel or guesthouse (watch the price if you do this), you’re probably going to one of the two places I mention.

General Info:

Market Days:
Saturdays: Antigua, Chichicastenango, Joyabal, Momostenango, Nebaj, Nahuala, Panajachel, Sacapulas, San Martin Jilotepec, Rabinal, Santa Cruz del Quiche, Senahu, Soloma, Sumapango, Tecpan, Todos Santos, Tucuru, Uspantan.

Sunday
Chichicastenango, El Quiché: Joyabaj: Rabinal : San Juan Comalapa: San Martin Jilotepec: Sumapango: Momostenango, Totonicapán: Nahualá, Sololá: Nebaj, El Quiché: Patzún, Chimaltenango: San Cristóbal, Totonicapán: La Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepéquez: Santa Maria Chiquimula, Totonicapán: Comalapa, Chimaltenango: San Mateo lxtatán, Huehuetenango: Todos Santos, Huehuetenango: Tecpán, Chimaltenango: San Lucas Tolimán, Sololá: Tactic, Alta Verapaz: Tamah, Alta Verapaz: Tucuru, Alta Verapaz
San Cristóbal Verapaz, Alta Verapaz: San Martin Sacatepéquez, Quetzaltenango

Monday
La Antigua Guatemala, Senahu: Tucuru: Sacatepéquez: Chimaltenango, Chimaltenenago: Zunil, Quetzaltenango

Tuesday
Comalapa, Chimaltenango: Patzún, Chajul: Lanquin: Rabinal: San Lucas Toliman: Totonicapan: Chimaltenango: San MartinJilotepeque, Chimaltenango: Sololá, Sololá: Olintepeque, Quetzaltenango

Wednesday
Chimaltenango, Chimaltenango: Patzicia, Chimaltenango: Momostenango: Sacapulas:

Thursday
La Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepéquez: Chichicastenango, El Quiché: Nebaj, El Quiché: Sacapulas, El Quiché
San Mateo Ixtatán, Huehuetenango: Todos Santos, Huehuetenango: San Sabastián, Huehuetenango: San Juan Atitlán, Sololá: San Martin Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango: Tecpán, Chimaltenango: Nahualá, Sololá: San Lucas Toliman, Sololá: Tactic, Alta Verapaz: Tamah, Alta Verapaz: Tucur, Alta Verapaz: San Cristóbal Verapaz, Alta Verapaz
San Martin Sacatepéquez, Quetzaltenango: Totonicapan:

This is a small travel guide that I put together from research I did on the internet and the Thorn Tree for our trip. Things covered include Food, Transport, Lodging, and Off The Beaten Path sites.

Hope you find it useful.——————————————

Highlights

Things to bring. Times and News Magazines. Makeup. Balloons for hill tribes. Comics, Pens, Notepads, SAT and Toefl study books. Other workbooks for english.

Do not bring any $100 US that start with the Serial # CB Plus keep them as clean as possible. No tears or marking on them of any kind. No new bills either.

The best place to exchange money is at the “Bogyoke (Scott) Market” Yangon. You can change money there at almost any jewelry shop.

We were in Xela, also known as Quetzaltenango, a highland town in northern Guatemala. The air was cold at 2335 meters. Finding the local bus station that really was busses packed in rows at the edge of a rather large market, we found the bus to Momostenago. Momo as it is locally known is another mountain town that is located in a remote valley in the central highlands and is known for its production of wool products. This was our destination to try and purchase a blanket and hopefully catch the end of the local fiesta that was winding down in the area.

We finally found the right bus and began watching a local ladino man selling what must have seemed like magic to the local mayans. Ladinos are the direct decedents of the spanish conquerers who now make up over half of the population. They tend to live a much wealthier life than the indigenous Mayans who endured the brute of the long civil war. The man had what looked to be the basic chemicals that any 7 year old would have in their chemistry set. You all know the trick where you pour one chemical into a glass of water and it turns pink and then when you pour in a second chemical it turns the water clear again. Basic you might be saying, but to the local Mayans it must have seen impressive. We watched while he peddled the wonders of his little bottles over a lage megaphone that was plugged into a large battery sitting in the dirt. He even managed to sell quite a few of the bottles while our buss was waiting to leave.

Flights:
My wife and I were on an indirect United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Myanmar, formally known as Burma. We arrived at Bangkok airport at 1:30 AM and had a seven hour layover before our flight to the capital city Yangon. With no where to sleep we found a small secluded corner next to an unused conveyer belt where some of the airport workers were taking a nap and called it a night. Early the next morning we grabbed a snack and headed to our departure gate for mystical Myanmar, the land of the golden pagodas.

Upon arrival to Yangon, we decided to take a short flight up to Sittwe , historically known as Akyab and the capital city of Rhakine State. We decided to go there as it is one of the least visited areas of Myanmar. SIttwe, at one time, was one of the largest ports used by the British when they occupied the country in 1826. This was also the area where fights were instigated by the Burmese government between the buddhist and muslim communities in order to create unrest. This upheaval started in 1978 and flared up again in 1988.

We had just arrived at the Nizwa Hotel in the arid interior of central Oman. We had been driving our rented Nissan Pathfinder for an entire day from the seaside city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Nizwa is known for its magnificent mud fort that was the last stronghold of the powerful Imams who ruled the interior for many years during the British occupation. It is also the largest fort on the entire Arab peninsula. This strategic position was important as a major crossroads for caravans of the dessert destined with goods for the many regional empires of the area.

Besides the impressive fort I was on a mission to purchase an antique Khan-jar which is a large curved knife worn on the belt as a sign of power and tribal loyalties. In ancient times the handles were carved from Rhino or Giraffe horns from Africa which hint at some of the regional influences of this major trading hub. Settling into our hotel I discovered that there is rather large bar connected to the hotel that is popular with the locals. With alcohol being frowned upon in Oman, this is one of the few places that the local men can partake in drink without the local community frowning upon them. Here I would try and meet some of the residents and see if they could help me track down one of these magnificent daggers.

This is really cool. Check out all the countires that Gulum and I have travelled to in the past few years

My Visited Countries

Get your own Visited Countries Map from Travel Blog

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