Getting around Cambodia by Taxis
Tourism in Cambodia is picking up every year, as more and more travellers and tourists are making their way to the South-East Asian country. In order to make travel within Cambodia’s main cities easy for outsiders, taxi services have been introduced, which provide alternatives to the famous tuk tuks. However, it must be said that you can’t keep your expectations too high from a Cambodia taxi. This is due to the fact that taxi services are still not as popular here as they are in western countries.However, our aim is to tell you regarding all the taxi options available in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, the most prominent cities of Cambodia. So, let’s get started.
How Taxis Work in Cambodia
If you are coming from a western country or another South Asian country like India, you might be surprised by how a Cambodia taxi works. At places where taxis have been running for many years, you just have to wave to the driver and that’s it, your taxi ride is ready. However, the game is a little different in Cambodia, where taxis have to be booked in advance almost all the time. There are a few metered taxi companies, while the other taxis have to be booked through applications.Most of the taxi bookings happen through smartphone applications and there are quite a few applications that are offering ways to book Cambodia taxi easy. However, before we delve any deeper into apps and how good they are, it must be said that these apps are very recent. As a result, the experience you have of booking a Cambodia taxi through them may not be as easy as booking an Uber in the streets of London, Paris or New York.
Global Taxi
Global Taxi is one of Phnom Penh’s most highly rated metered Cambodia taxi companies. It was the first company that was established in the Cambodian capital and so far, its fleet has done the company proud. The two hundred strong fleet consists of white taxis that charge customers reasonably, at times even more reasonably than tuk tuks, and operate throughout the day.The company has earned a lot of plaudits because it offers a few things that most other metered taxi companies don’t in the country. There’s a clear instruction inside each and every driver for the passengers; to not pay the driver any money if he refuses to turn on the meter. The 24x7 service is also a rarity for metered Cambodia taxi in the country. All in all, if metered taxis are what you want, there’s no one better in Cambodia than Global Taxi.
Quick Info
• Charges: 2,500 riels for every additional kilometre• Positives: Prompt service, courteous drivers, a policy that favours customers
• Negatives: None
Uber
The world’s most widely used taxi booking app arrived in Cambodia in 2017 and it is still growing in terms of its presence. At present, Uber does not have a lot of cabs in the country, which is why you may be forced to wait a minimum of ten minutes for every trip to start.While that certainly can be frustrating, it should be said that both services and charges are customer-friendly. Right now, what you would pay for a 10 km ride on an Uber is the same for what you would have to pay for a tuk tuk for the same distance. So, Uber is not a bad taxi option at all. In time, with more growth, it is surely going to become more popular for not just the tourists in Cambodia, but also the locals.
Quick Info
• Charges: 4,082 riels base fare, with additional 1,632 riels per kilometre • Positives: Reasonable charges
• Negatives: Minimum ten minute waiting time for every ride
PassApp
One of the most popular Cambodia taxi booking apps is PassApp, through which you can book both taxis and tuk tuks. The charges are more expensive than Cambodia taxis operated by Uber. However, the service is decent and the wait time is not a lot during the day. However, during the late hours of the night, you may have to wait more than ten minutes depending on the demand. PassApp taxis allow a maximum of two passengers per taxi.
Quick Info
• Charges: 2,000 riels for every kilometre and 200 riels for every minute• Positives: Generally good service during daytime
• Negatives: More expensive than alternative options, unpredictable service during night, only two passengers per taxi
Exnet Taxi
Our last company in focus would be Exnet Taxi, another Cambodia taxi booking app that has come up in Cambodia. Through this app, you can book both regular taxis and SUVs. One of the major negatives of Exnet Taxi is the fact that the company charges 30% more during the peak traffic hour period between 6 PM to 8 PM every day. However, their service is decent and the staff is quite polite and friendly.
Quick Info
• Charges: 2,000 riels for every kilometre for taxis and 2,600 riels for every kilometre for SUVs• Positives: Good service and friendly drivers
• Negatives: Surcharge during peak traffic hours every evening
If you want to get to your selected destinations in Cambodia inside a taxi, it’s best to go with a metered cab company. Even though taxi apps are there, they are still in their nascent stages. Most of the drivers working for these app companies don’t know how to communicate in any language other than Khmer, which can be a problem with foreign tourists. Most of these companies don’t even have sufficient cars in their fleets to offer seamless services.
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Go hiring a private taxi to enjoy natural views and plantations as well as rice fields on both sides on the ways to some attractions far away from downtown area, such as the Koh Ker Temple complex.