i had a phone-interview sometime back about this article - to be published in The Star's Weekender section. and finally it is out. well, after reading it, we can all say that scams are everywhere. i mean, it is business in a shameful way but knowing them - no shame!. as for my part, tuk tuk drivers can be the slimiest frog out there in Cambodia - especially Phnom Penh. for newbies, getting on a tuk tuk is fun; until you get off it. agree on a price - most importantly - get on it. soak in the carbon monoxide filled air of Phnom Penh, get out, pay and leave! single destination prices are normally acceptable by the drivers (and less hassle too). as usual, a high price will slip out of the mouth; just make sure you bargain! i would say $1/km. this is the typical price for foreigners/tourists. motodups on the other hand should be half or less than half of the tuk tuk price.
photo by: FCC Cambodia
learn a few Khmer numbers - Mui (One), Pi (Two), Bai (Three), Boonn (Four), Pram (Five), Pram Mui (Six), Pram Pi (Seven), Pram Bai (Eight), Pram Boonn (Nine) and i forgot 10. local currency is called RIEL; and normally would be in thousands. thousands in Khmer is Buann. so for instance, my house to Toul Tompoung (Russian Market) would take me 15 minutes by foot and 2000 riels by motodup. so i go, "Psar Toul Tompoung - Pi Buann Riel". as for dollars, just say it as Dollars - the locals know that. whilst bargaining for an item (normally are sold in dollars to 'outsiders'), one can say "Pram Bai Dollar".
planning to use a tuk tuk the whole day? tell the driver, e.g. 9am-6pm; Wat Phnom, Vimean Ekareach (Independence Monument), Toul Sleng Museum, Killing Fields of Cheung Ek; how much? after you have visited all these exciting attractions and the driver did not demand more than what he asked for, hand him a tip. after a whole day, a dollar or two wont be too harsh on you - would it? cheers! the best way to know about the prices is to check out travel books like Lonely Planet on a Shoestring and travel forums like Trip Advisor. travel forums are more reliable as users tend to share their experiences most recently. i have my share on Trip Advisor as well- click here.
good luck on your adventures on the Khmer Tuk Tuk. personally, its much better and comfy compared to the Thai Tuk Tuks - noisy and not comfortable. hope on a Khmer Tuk Tuk and let me know! would love to know your experiences!
p/s - thanks Jo! =D
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