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Giant Ibis makes the border crossing between Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Phnom Penh, Cambodia simple and painless!
Taking the bus from HCMC to Phnom Penh?
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Book your bus ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh with Giant Ibis online through CamboTicket or 12GoAsia.
When traveling in Southeast Asia, long bus journeys are par for the course. Squishing into a bus or mini-van and speeding down bumpy roads. Experiencing breakdowns or broken A/C. Drivers living out their Formula 1 fantasies, weaving around trucks and entire families on motorbikes at breakneck speeds. These are a few of the lovely memories forever etched in our psyches from taking ground transport in Southeast Asia over the past 10 years.
If there’s a border crossing involved then you can add scams like being overcharged for visas and being told that our bus tickets would only take us half way to our destination, just to name a few.
So why the heck would we recommend a long bus journey in Southeast Asia?
Thankfully, the days of being crammed into a bus with chickens or leaning against umpteen bags of sweet potatoes for several hours are a thing of the past. Nowadays, there are more options with bus companies offering comfortable seats and even some decent rest stops to make these long bus journeys more comfortable.
However, not every bus company is created equally. More comfort for some can equal hell for others. If you’re into endless karaoke with strangers in confined spaces, there are plenty of local bus companies to suit those needs.
If you’re like us, over 30 and very much over the scams and bus breakdowns, and not a huge karaoke fan, Giant Ibis might be more your style.
We’ve used many different bus companies over the years, but Giant Ibis is our go-to bus company when it comes to safety, comfort, and reliability. We take Giant Ibis buses when traveling within Cambodia or to nearby countries like Vietnam and Thailand. After countless bus rides with Giant Ibis at this point we’ve still had nothing but smooth experiences.
The best bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh
We get a lot of questions about how to get from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh or vice versa, especially after people read this article, so we thought we’d share a review about making that journey with Giant Ibis.
We did this border crossing with Giant Ibis in the summer of 2016 and had an easy breezy experience both going from Phnom Penh to Hi Chi Minh City and back. Friends who’ve taken this trip more recently have confirmed that the experience is the same.
The Giant Ibis bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh and vice versa takes about 6 to 6.5 hours. The cost is $18 USD. While this is more expensive than some of the other bus companies out there, in our opinion it is certainly worth the few extra dollars for what you get.
Why we love using Giant Ibis Buses
We first got turned on to Giant Ibis in 2015 because they are a sponsor of Comedy in Cambodia. Stevo and I have ridden all around Cambodia on Giant Ibis buses when going to his shows. We’ve tried lots of different bus companies on our own dime while traveling in Cambodia as well. None are as good when it comes to comfort, punctuality, and safety.
We love that Giant Ibis has convenient and comfortable amenities. They don’t have any entertainment on the bus, but we consider that a plus. What they do have is free WiFi, charging ports, and working A/C. There is plenty of leg room, even for someone as tall as Stevo who is 6’3″. They even have seatbelts! That’s something you won’t even find in most cars in Cambodia. The included pastries from Blue Pumpkin bakery at the beginning of each journey are another welcomed perk.
Safety First
When it comes to safety, Giant Ibis bus drivers are better than most bus drivers we’ve encountered in Cambodia. Your safety is the company’s #1 priority. Unlike every other bus experience we’ve had, Giant Ibis drivers don’t try to overtake cars and trucks on the road and they drive at a safe speed. All of their buses are equipped with GPS tracking, so bus drivers and location are monitored. Giant Ibis has upgraded all of their buses, including the Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh bus, to large, 40+ seater buses. Being the biggest on the road definitely helps safety-wise and for peace of mind.
Giant Ibis offers a reasonable amount of routes and bus times, so drivers aren’t rushing to get to the next place so they can make the return trip immediately. They also use the cleanest burning diesel fuel available in Cambodia from Total Cambodge.
We’re also impressed with the rest stops Giant Ibis uses. We’ve encountered some truly icky rest stops in our travels. Giant Ibis uses rest stops with clean bathrooms and western toilets. Most stops even have toilet paper, though you may want to BYOTP just in case.
What to expect on the Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh bus
You’ll start your journey from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh at the Giant Ibis bus office in Ho Chi Minh City, centrally located in District 1, the main tourist area of HCMC. Going from the office to the Cambodian border takes about 2.5 hours.
Getting a visa-on-arrival for Cambodia at the Moc Cai-Bovet border is a fairly simple process. At the border, you’ll go into the immigration building. You can get a 1-month Tourist (T) Visa for $30 that can be extended for 1 more month or a 1-month Orindary (E) Visa for $35 which can be extended for 3 to 12 months.
Alternatively, Giant Ibis gives the option to handle the visa processing for you for an additional $5 if you don’t want to deal with immigration.
To get a Cambodia visa-on-arrival you’ll need these 5 things:
1. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the arrival date.
2. Two free pages in your passport (visa takes up a whole page).
3. An application form (provided at the border crossing)
4. One recent passport photograph (4 x 6). You can have a photo taken there for an additional fee.
5. Visa Fee: A cash payment of $30 USD for a TOURIST (T) VISA or $35 USD for Ordinary (E) VISA.
It’s best to avoid changing your Vietnamese Dong at the border as rates will be higher. Try to do it before you board the Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh bus. That way you’ll save money by paying for your Cambodia visa in USD instead of Dong or other currency.
The lunch stop at the border is in a building with both local and western food options. There are some shops and a duty-free store you can browse there too.
From the Cambodia border, it takes about four more hours to reach Phnom Penh. There is one more bathroom break on the way to break up the Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh journey.
The Giant Ibis bus office in Phnom Penh is next to the Night Market by the riverside, another major tourist area. From there you can get a tuk-tuk to your hotel or pop into the Giant Ibis office to use their WiFi to call a Grab or PassApp taxi.
Going from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh
The bus from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh is basically the same but in reverse. The main difference is getting your Vietnamese visa.
The bus attendant will check everyone’s passport when you get on the bus. If you’re an American you’ll need to get a Vietnam visa ahead of time. Some nationalities are eligible for 15 to 30 days of travel visa-free in Vietnam. Read these two articles to find out what you need and how to get a visa for Vietnam at the Vietnam Embassy in Phnom Penh or how to get a Vietnam eVisa online.
When you reach the Vietnam border, the bus attendant will take everyone’s passport to get processed at immigration while you have your lunch at the rest stop. When it’s time to cross the border, they are there with you throughout the process. Then you get back on the same bus to continue your trip to Ho Chi Minh City.
Go with Giant Ibis
Giant Ibis is by far the best bus company we have used in Cambodia, especially when it comes to making a land border crossing to Vietnam or Thailand. They help you through the process every step of the way and make your life easier so you don’t need to worry about scams or other hassles. If it’s your first time traveling in Southeast Asia or you are tired of gambling with random cheap buses then we definitely recommend you book with them.
As always, if you have any questions about traveling in Cambodia, expat life, or anything else, feel free to send an email to Jen (at) TwoCanTravel (dot) com.
Book your bus ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh with Giant Ibis online through CamboTicket or 12GoAsia.
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Disclosure: This article may contain links to our affiliate partners. Booking through these links won’t cost you anything extra, and sometimes we even make deals with our partners that will save you money. We only recommend companies we personally use and trust that we would happily recommend to our own friends and family. Thanks for reading and we appreciate your support!
This blog has really calmed me down about traveling by bus across the border into Vietnam after hearing so many horror stories so thank you for that! I was just wondering if you knew anything about the $2 fee Giant Ibis charge at immigration as it’s not very clear on their website what it’s actually for?
I’m so glad to hear that it was helpful for you! I’m not sure what the $2 fee is for. Giant Ibis charges a service fee for helping to handle your visa for you if you want. We thought it was $5 but maybe it is only $2 now! They have great customer service if you want to ask them through the live chat on their website.
I have never taken a bus to travel between the cities in South Asia, because as you already mentioned it is hectic. It is good to know that nowadays there is another option of a bus which is reliable, safe, and comfortable.
Bus travel has gotten much better in SEA even in the last few years. Giant Ibis is our top recommendation for bus companies in Cambodia. We’ve traveled with them more times than we can count at this point and have always had a good experience.
I think the bus ride sounds enjoyable. It’s nice to be able to sit back and enjoy the views.
Very true, taking the bus is a great way to see more of a country!
Hmm. I wouldn’t want to spend nearly an entire day of my trip on a bus to travel between destinations. I just don’t love being on buses in the first place! Is there a flight option to get between the two places? I’d probably opt for that.
Hey Jennifer, yes there are flights. It just depends on your budget and preference. We’re on the road full time, so taking a day to get between places isn’t a big loss for us and means we get to see more along the way. Plus, with WiFi on Giant Ibis buses, we can still get some work done 🙂
Normally we enjoy bus rides because one gets to see so much along the way. This information will come in handy when we go to Phnom Penh. Hadn’t thought of taking the bus.
You can get just about anywhere in Cambodia from Phnom Penh. Giant Ibis goes to most destinations in Cambodia.
You’re right about long bus journeys not being a great thing in Southeast Asia but I am glad to know that its changing with some companies. Giant Ibis sounds like a great bus company, especially because of the focus on safety, free WiFi on board and leg space. Even a charging port is a great add.
The WiFi and charging port really does make a difference! I can’t tell you how many times my phone has died while in transit and I’ve forgotten to charge my portable charger 😂
This is a great review Jen. We actually took Giant Ibis when we did the trip to Phnom Penh from Saigon and it was great. As you mentioned, the trip was smooth and the visa process went fairly smoothly as well. This is a great resource for those planning to take the trip.
So glad to hear that, Rosemary! Thanks for sharing about your experience 🙂 Giant Ibis is a great company. They really make the border crossings easier for travelers.
Very useful information — this is the kind of post I would be looking for for transportation tips. It always helps to find someone who has experience and knows the best option. And I would gladly pay a little more to use a bus that is reliable, safe, and comfortable.
We feel the same way, Tami! Knowing you’re traveling with a reputable company that makes safety a priority is well worth a little extra money in our opinion.
I’ve read your post with a lot of interest as we are planning to visit both Vietnam and Cambodia. Driving there is definitely out of any question, so it’s good to know there is the bus option. Good to know that Americans need to get their visa ahead of time.
Hi Anda, we definitely do not recommend renting a car in Cambodia! Giant Ibis has routes all over the country and are a safe and reliable company to travel with. Another option you can consider when you are traveling in Cambodia is to hire a private taxi. If you have a group of 4 this can end up costing the same as taking a bus. You can check out private car services in Cambodia through CamboTicket: https://www.camboticket.com/taxi-tickets/siem-reap/phnom-penh?aff=36