As tourism in Southeast Asia continues to boom, new transportation companies are popping up all the time. Not all Southeast Asian bus companies are created equal, especially in countries like Cambodia who are a few years behind in the tourism infrastructure game. In fact, almost all of the busses we rode in Cambodia were hella sketchy.
That said, there’s a definite winner in the best bus company category. It really stood out in a trip full of uncomfortable, dirty, and MIA busses.
Giant Ibis is simply the best bus company in Cambodia
I’m writing this article to save all you beautiful humans some pain and suffering—I am in no way associated with Giant Ibis. This probs goes without saying, but whenever I’m super complimentary about something I end up sounding like a dang saleswoman. I doubt Cambodian bus companies go around finding travel bloggers to write posts complimenting them, anyway.
After my last backpacking trip through Cambodia (Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, and Kampot over to Vietnam), I can decidedly say I wouldn’t take any other bus when/if I return.
The price of a Giant Ibis ticket is a bit more than its competitors (think $32 instead of $15-$20) which, yes, for a budget backpacker in Southeast Asia seems like a fortune. However, the unpleasantness of every other transportation company we used, combined with the actual awesomeness of the Giant Ibis experience, makes it a no-brainer. It’s still Cambodia. It’s still a cheap bus ticket, compared to many places in the world.
Other bus companies in Cambodia just don’t compare
If nothing else, do it for your safety! Other buses we took were unsettlingly old and rickety, with drivers who must midnight as drag racers. There were inexplicable delays on hot street corners and bus switches in random towns. Giant Ibis buses, however, were new and in great condition for Southeast Asia transportation. Their shiny, pretty fleet is probably partly due to their recent appearance on the scene. I’m a bad travel blogger and forgot to take pictures of the insides of the buses, but the ones on the Giant Ibis website are pretty accurate. The seats were clean. The floors weren’t even sticky. And get this, guys—THE WIFI WORKED. I know, it’s unheard-of. They picked us up at our hostel and got us to our destination drama-free and on time, which is also somewhat unheard-of in Cambodia.
Giant Ibis has some of the best busses in Southeast Asia, not just Cambodia!
You can book them at your hostel. There’s probably gonna be this big booklet at the front desk with a bunch of different bus companies in it, and I know some of the other ones will have pictures that look just fine. The PICTURES LIE. That private black, sleek 10-seater you booked is actually a fading rusty yellowish glorified tuk-tuk. Every time. Giant Ibis, best bus company in Cambodia, won’t play you like that. If your route offers it, just do yourself a favor and take the Giant Ibis. I hope their quality remains this good as they get more and more popular.
Have you taken a Giant Ibis bus? Do you think there’s another best bus company in Cambodia I’m overlooking? Sound off in the comments, by all means!
