Before I start this tip, I would like to say that I don't want any mails or comments from self-righteous people telling me I should appreciate the local customs etc. - I do. The standard modes of transport in Phnom Penh are the tuk-tuk, ubiqiotous throughout Southeast Asia, and the motodop. The latter is effectively anyone with a scooter that will transport you round the place for a relatively small amount. There are tuk-tuks and motodops literally everywhere and they are so easy to find. This is where my opening line comes in.
From the minute you leave your hotel in the morning until you return at night you wil be constantly assailed by drivers shouting at you, slowing up beside you, sounding their horn at you, waving at you to attract custom. Yes, I know it is a small thing and it really should not irritagte me as much as it dies. I always try to be polite, but the three or four hundredth (literally) repitition of "No, thank you" really gets on my nerves. For those of you that are going to play the "adopt the local customs" card, I would suggest that I never see a driver shouting at a local person. If a local wants a driver they approach the driver, it is only the traveller that is hassled this way.
Actually, I usually walk everywhere anyway but if you do need to get around, especially to a less frequented area at night, both options are safe, relatively inexpensive and, as discussed, frequent to the point of unavoidability.
A word of warning though, agree the price before you start. I have heard some horror stories of drunk travellers being ripped off for a fortune. As a general rule, at time of writing in early 2010 no journey round the centre should be more than a couple of $US although the price rises slightly at night.
From the minute you leave your hotel in the morning until you return at night you wil be constantly assailed by drivers shouting at you, slowing up beside you, sounding their horn at you, waving at you to attract custom. Yes, I know it is a small thing and it really should not irritagte me as much as it dies. I always try to be polite, but the three or four hundredth (literally) repitition of "No, thank you" really gets on my nerves. For those of you that are going to play the "adopt the local customs" card, I would suggest that I never see a driver shouting at a local person. If a local wants a driver they approach the driver, it is only the traveller that is hassled this way.
Actually, I usually walk everywhere anyway but if you do need to get around, especially to a less frequented area at night, both options are safe, relatively inexpensive and, as discussed, frequent to the point of unavoidability.
A word of warning though, agree the price before you start. I have heard some horror stories of drunk travellers being ripped off for a fortune. As a general rule, at time of writing in early 2010 no journey round the centre should be more than a couple of $US although the price rises slightly at night.