• Society

Sleep in One City, Wake in Another

• By Ky Chamna
• August 13, 2023 11:30 AM

SIEM REAP – Night time public transport was uncommon just a few years ago but services have been revolutionised.

Road safety is a big concern when travelling after dark. Roads can be in poor condition and drivers’ attitudes can be questionable. The lack of a centralised formal bus operator also hindered the development of quality night transport. Most the time travellers had to rent minivans or vehicles with uncertified drivers.

However, with online booking, digital payment, reliable schedules and clean vehicles, operators have been developing night travel that can offer much more comfort.

A segment of National Road 6, around 320 kilometres long, connecting capital city Phnom Penh to provincial city Siem Reap has this updated transportation method.

With improved roads, regular well lit and well maintained gas stations with minimarts and food stores, as well as extra roads to bypass crowded district centres, National Road 6 to Siem Reap now has become much more convenient.

Rumbles of the Night

For some, it saves time. For some others, it is about calmness.

Alan Kirk, a passenger who frequently uses the night bus in between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap said the service is easy as it allows him to sleep during travel before going back to work the next day.

“You just sleep in one city and wake up in another city,” he said.

Lay Long, also a frequent traveller between the capital city and the province for work, said,

“If I travel during the daytime, it may take me seven hours including getting to and from the bus station.

“If I leave Siem Reap at 11pm, I will arrive in Phnom Penh at around 5am. By then, I will have plenty more time to get my work done.”

Night buses depart between around 10pm and midnight as it takes around 5 hours with a 20 minutes or so stop midway.

A tight aisle along the length of the bus separates compartments with a two-bed configuration on one side and a one-bed configuration on the other. Plus, there are lower and upper levels.

Some buses have a toilet.

A personal electric outlet, a ceiling lamp, a blanket and a pillow may do the job just fine. Some buses even offer toothbrushes and toothpaste. You're required to take off your shoes and put them in a plastic bag provided by the operators. A curtain provides privacy.

A view to the outside world would be less of an impression as darkness dominates the scenery. If it weren't for the small light bulbs illuminating each villagers' house, an endless grid of rice paddies devoid of light can sometimes give travellers a sense of self-reflection.

Gentle braking and accelerating by good drivers make a difference when it comes to a comfortable ride. However, small bumps and potholes along the road can rock passengers around a bit.

Try to avoid the rear portion of the bus as it is closer to the engine as well as the toilet which people use throughout the night.

National Road 6 is not quiet. Once in a while, container trucks and passenger vehicles will zoom past.

About three hours into the ride, depending on the time of departure, the bus will arrive at a stop near the provincial city of Kampong Thom. Passengers disembark for food or the rest room.

Buses line up side-byside while giving off a faint smell of diesel smoke as the engine idles to provide air-conditioning and lights.

After hopping back on to the bunk bed, a small nap will end in the provincial city of Siem Reap where rickshaw and tuk-tuk drivers wait to take you to your final destination

Even before sunrise in Siem Reap, traditional food markets such as Phsar Leu are already bustling with customers. In some portions of Pub Street, a night life location in the city center, some tourists have not finished their drinks yet as the sky gradually brightens on the horizon.

Along the road to Angkor Wat, some tourists are already on their feet to witness the sunrise at the temples.