Travelling from Sihanoukville / Kampot / Kep – Cambodia to Can Tho / HCMC – Vietnam without a package deal.

When travelling from Sihanoukville, Kampot or even Kep to Vietnam a tour company named Kampot Tours and Travel is the usual choice to get to destinations in Vietnam.

Kampot Tours & Travel

Many people opt for a simple complete package to HCMC or Can Tho however this will involve being cramped in mini buses for some time either side of the border. Kampot Tours & Travel are reasonably cheap and one of few options when travelling to the Ha Tien Vietnam border especially when departing from Kampot which is only an hour to the border, or Kep which is even closer.

Once in Ha Tien it’s easy to arrange your own onward travel in Vietnam on comfortable large buses rather than purchasing a complete package in Cambodia which leaves customers at the mercy of the tour company throughout their journey. While on the mini bus to the border we met a number of travellers who had booked complete packages in Cambodia to HCMC. Once we had passed through immigration and were on the other side of the border they enquired about the VIP big bus they had been promised in Cambodia. Of course it was nowhere in sight and instead they were escorted onto yet another mini bus packed to the rafters to complete the rest of their journey to HCMC.

The ticket to Ha Tien, the border town in Vietnam, will include a further 15 minute mini bus journey from the border to reach the town. Travellers are dropped off at the Mekong Tours and Travel booking office which is the same company but the Vietnamese version of Kampot Tours and Travel. They will ask where you are going and try to arrange your buses – politely decline as they add an extra few dollars onto any bus fare which you can buy yourself at the station. Instead just say you want to go to Ha Tien bus station and ask if they can call a taxi or better yet call one yourself (Mai Linh taxis are recommended).

At Ha Tien bus station there is a Mai Linh office with buses running to Rach Gia every hour – if travelling to Can Tho one must get the bus to Rach Gia first as there are no direct routes but once there it’s easy to reach Can Tho.  If travelling to HCMC go to the Futa Bus Phnom Trong offices – it’s easy to spot with a large orange frontage – and here you can book a comfy air-conditioned bus to take you all the way there.

To Can Tho from Rach Gia

At the Rach Gia bus station there is a Futa Bus Phnom Trong office – as with Ha Tien it’s easy to spot. From here you can book onward travel to Can Tho again in a comfy air conditioned bus with free water. Be aware though at the Rach Gia station private mini bus drivers will approach asking where you are going. When you tell them they will insist that either the buses have stopped or that there will be a long wait, they will in fact insist this whilst standing in front of the bus time table that clearly states buses run from Rach Gia to Can Tho frequently. Inform them there is a bus and walk into the Futa Bus booking office to book your tickets.

Rach Gia to Can Tho Bus Timetable

Be mindful that the last bus to Can Tho is at 18:00 so be sure to get a morning bus from Sihanoukville, Kampot or Kep to make it on time cheska-lekarna.com.