Despite Phu Quoc’s proximity to Cambodia (14kms), it’s quite difficult to get there. Most people take to plane back to Ho Chi Minh to get their visas, a flight over to Phnom Penh (capital of Cambodia), then a bus down to the coast. This is not only expensive, but time consuming too.
After literally hours of searching on the internet and lots of emails, including to 3 different embassies (which go unanswered), we finally discover that there is a land-crossing which recently opened between Vietnam and Cambodia which is only 3 hours away by boat, but everything we read says that you must already be in possession of your visa. We hear a rumour that someone crossed two weeks ago and managed to get a visa at the crossing and decide to risk it.
No Super Dong this time. We’re on an old wooden boat, with wooden benches a foot apart and an overpowering smell of fish sauce. The only foreigners on board, we’re joined by several motorbikes and a dozen boxes of fish. We provide the locals with 3 hours of entertainment as they watch our every move.
On arrival at Ha Tien, we get a taxi to take us the short distance to Xa Xia, where we leave from Vietnam. Then a 500 metre walk on a straight stretch of road between the most beautiful scenery on either side….and over to the Cambodian side where our visa are issued. Phew, sigh of relief. The guy initially asks for $74 of Vietnamese dong but we tell him we only have US Dollars, so he asks for $60 instead. The next step is the health declaration form where that official asks for $2 in exchange for a piece of paper each for Will and I with a telephone number on it in case of medical emergencies. I question him over the reason for the $2 before I realise he’s on the make. I take one and give him one dollar before telling him he’s “a very naughty man”. He’s about to ask for another dollar before changing his mind and going back to lie in his hammock.
Final stop, the immigration police who have to check everything’s in order before letting us in. He asks how much we paid for the visas and we misunderstand when he mentions $20. In fact, he’s not asking for any money, but telling us that the guy who issued the visas has just charged us $20 too much as the kids visas are free. I take all the passports back again and ask if he might kindly return the money which he’d taken in error. He looks me straight in the eye and says “I’ll give you $10. I need $10 for my children”. Nice try matey, but I used to work in the City you know. Hand it over now, before I charge you some additional upfront costs, admin fees, management charges and interest.
Fortunately, our pre-booked taxi is waiting for us, otherwise our only form of transport would have been a couple of bony old cows.
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