Cambodia: Day tour to Preah Vihear Temple from Siem Reap

Ever since the Preah Vihear Temple in Cambodia was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008, I've been wanting to go. Among the numerous temples buult during the Khmer Emprie, Preah Vihear is said to have the most spectacular setting, built on top of a 525-meter cliff with fantastic views of the plains below.

After many missed opportunities to visit Cambodia the past few years, I was finally back. And the first thing I asked was where to find a day tour to Preah Vihear Temple from Siem Reap. Surprisingly, it was not easy to visit the temple. First, few people know about it which is both good and bad. Good because you'll have this majestic temple built on a cliff all to yourself (so enjoy this Khmer masterpiece before tourists start the invasion). Bad because demand then to visit is not high. So the second problem is that there are no regular group tours to going to Preah Vihear. And you'll be constrained to rent a vehicle which is expensive if you are alone.

It was also not easy finding a vehicle. Well it was, but they'd usually charge you over US$200 for the day trip, too much if I was going alone. Some tour companies charge per head and won't give you car or van rates but the all-inclusive cost that includes lunch and your guide. Plus I couldn't find people who wanted to go really badly to share the costs with me. While I got some people interested, they'd get scared away by the rates. A Cambodian friend also told me that they got to rent a car several months ago for just US$100. So the overcharging was quite evident.

Good thing a day before my visit, a local partner offered to call a friend to get a friendly rate. And a friendly rate I got! Regular price is US$150 (contact details below). So the visit to Preah Vihear was on!

Banteay Srei is a red sandstone Khmer temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva

The inner enclosure of Banteay Srei is exquisitely carved with decorative motifs that include kala (a monster symbolic of time), dvarpala (an armed protector of the temple) and devata (demi-goddess)

It takes nearly four hours to get to Preah Vihear. Along the way, you could opt to pass by temples of the Angkor complex, especially a bit far from the main temple group like Banteay Srei, the exquisitely carved red sand stone temple dedicated to Shiva. But note that you will need an Angkor pass to visit, a day-pass costs US$20.

Before you could visit the temple, you have to pass by the ticket office at the foot of the mountain. Entrance is free (as of posting), but you have to register with your passport and they will issue you a ticket which you will have to show at two ticket inspection areas, at the foot of the mountain and right before the temple. Despite roads being well-paved most of the way, your rented vehicle, unless it's a 4x4, will not be allowed up since it can get really steep. So you will have to hire a motorcyle taxi (US$5 per person round-trip) or a pick-up truck (US$25 round-trip) also at the ticketing office to get you up to Preah Vihear Temple.

By now, it should be nearing lunch. So expect it to be extremely hot and humid. The temple complex is nearly a kilometer long, oriented along a north-south axis. So in total, you will be walking close to two kilometers under the sun. But it's most definitely worth it.

Preah Vihear Temple is a series of causeways, steps, gopuras (entrance pavilions) and courtyards before you reach the inner sanctuary. It takes about an hour and a half to two hours to make it to the main sanctuary and back to the drop off point where the motorcycle taxi waits for you.

Just like most Hindu temples in Cambodia, Preah Vihear was converted to a Buddhist temple. Despite being ruined today, Buddhist pilgrims still visit and pray at its inner sanctuary. I saw a group of pilgrims chanting led by a young Buddhist monk who would bless them after their prayers.

View of the Thai border from the Preah Vihear causeway

You will go down the same route. And as you near the end, while walking along the causeway, you will notice the Thai flag flying a few meters on the right, a reminder that Preah Vihear Temple has been at the center of a Cambodia-Thailand border dispute for the past few decades. The border with Thailand is just a few meters away and access to Preah Vihear was easier from the Thai side. But I was told the Cambodian side decided to close the border as things got a bit bad.

Wild boar

After my visit, we went straight to lunch. My driver had suggested a very popular restaurant 20 kilometers away called Phkay Prouk Sroem Restaurant. They serve exotic dishes such as wild boar, deer, rabbit, snake and monitor lizard. The meats are sautéed with eggplant (a small green variety), kaffir lime leaves, chili and maras prov (a viariety of basil). I ordered wild boar and my driver got monitor lizard. And what surprised me is that I only paid US$11 for our food and drinks, about US$5 per person. And to think the serving size of each dish was good for two!

Back in Siem Reap, we passed by Pre Rup Temple before calling it a day. It's one of the favorite places to catch the sunset. But unfortunately, there was none today. We left before 7 a.m. and we were back before 5 p.m., with a lot of time to spare before my evening flight back to Manila.

Phkay Prouk Sroem Restaurant
Telephone No. 012 63 83 78 / 064 677 7727
012 63 66 17 / 0888 48 88 28

So Chet (English Driver)
Mobile No. 012 331 664 / 097 77 55 743
E-mail: nysochetra@gmail.com

Chile-Peru border crossing & bus from Arica, Chile to Tacna or Arequipa, Peru

We made quite a number of border crossings during our South America trip, seven to be exact. One of them was the border crossing between Chile and Peru via the border towns of Arica (Chile) and Tacna (Peru). Direct buses to Peru are difficult to find in Chile's northern cities. At the bus stations, we were advised that we might have a stronger chance of finding buses to Peru from Chile's border town Arica. So we took an overnight bus from San Pedro de Atacama via Calama to Arica.

Arriving in Arica the next morning, the surprise was there were no bus routes from Arica (Chile) even to Tacna and further on to Arequipa (Peru)! After asking around and struggling with our broken Spanish, we were finally pointed to one of the bus counters which offered a service to Arequipa from Arica. But it involved taking a taxi from the bus terminal in Arica to Tacna, and catching the bus to Arequipa at the bus terminal in Tacna. The total cost of the service was US$40.

There were four of us foreigners who did the trip plus another local since taxis take in five people before they leave. The trip between the bus stations in Arica and Tacna is about 56 kilometers and takes an hour or two depending on Immigration lines.

Passport stamps from Chile and Peru. Peru is the 50th country/territory I've visited!

The taxi service assisted us through Immigration control for Chile and Peru and prepared our arrival cards for Peru. In Peru, we had to take our luggage down for Customs. But it was quite straightforward and not much of a hassle.

We were dropped off at the bus terminal in Tacna where the taxi driver purchased our onward tickets to Arequipa. It was convenient alright. But I did the math after observing tariff signs posted in the taxi and the bus terminal.

The commuter taxis called colectivos charge CL$40 (US$8.20) per person for the trip between Arica and Tacna or v.v. The local who was with us paid that amount directly to the driver. The bus from Tacna to Arequipa was S./20 (US$7.50). So the total cost, if we knew how to do it on our own, was just US$15.70. We were overcharged US$24.30 per person! But we also felt the taxi driver purchased cheaper bus tickets since we were assured by the agent in Arica that the bus would serve us lunch which unfortunately was not the case.

So to make the long story short, if you want to travel from Arica (Chile) to Tacna or Arequipa (Peru), exit the Arica Bus Terminal and look for the colectivo taxis right beside it and find a ride to the Tacna Bus Terminal. At Tacna, you have more choices and can easily purchase bus tickets for your onward travel to other cities in Peru.

Grab your Resorts World Sentosa promo rates now!

Singapore is host to the nearest Universal Studios to the Philippines. I got to enjoy the theme park during a recent trip to Sentosa. I must say, it's really a great experience, especially for families with kids. But even those young at heart will enjoy the exciting movie-themed rides.

And since it's summer, now is the perfect time to go to Singapore (or go back if you've already been) with your family and friends!

Check this out, if you book between now and August 29, 2013, you can avail of super affordable and must-avail hotel deals and attraction offers using your BDO Credit Card.  

The promo package details are as follows:

• 3D/2N Sentosa Getaway at Hard Rock Hotel®, Hotel MichaelTM or Festive HotelTM, from SGD608 nett, inclusive of breakfast for two;
• Two (2) Universal Studios SingaporeTM Adult One-Day Pass; 
• Two (2) S.E.A. AquariumTM Adult One-Day Pass; and 
• Two (2) Adventure Cove WaterparkTM Adult One-Day Pass

Rates are SGD608 nett (low) & SGD708 nett (peak) for stay period from May 1 to May 23, 2013 and SGD688 nett (low) & SGD788 nett (peak) for stay period from May 24 to August 31, 2013.

You may also avail of other superb offers for your trip to Singapore using your BDO Credit Card:

• SGD10 off on one (1) Adult One-Day Pass at Universal Studios SingaporeTM and get additional SGD10 discount retail voucher;  
• SGD50 Package for one (1) S.E.A. AquariumTM & Adventure Cove Water ParkTM  Adult One-Day Pass. 

Promo period is from March 20 to August 29, 2013.

Promo Mechanics:
1. The promo is open to all active BDO MasterCard, Visa, JCB, UnionPay and American Express Credit Card Cardholders.
2. Promo period is until May 31, 2013 for Universal Studios SingaporeTM Pass and Bundled Tickets to S.E.A. AquariumTM & Adventure Cove WaterparkTM and until August 29, 2013 for the 3D/2N Sentosa Getaway, with hotel stay period of May 1 – August 31, 2013.
3. To avail of the offer, Cardholder must use his/her BDO / American Express Credit Card.
4. Bookings and payment may be done on-site and via promotion link on the Resorts World SentosaTM website with BDO MasterCard, Visa, JCB and UnionPay Credit Cards, while American Express Credit Cards may be used for on-site transactions, by specifying “BDO Promotional Universal Studios Singapore.”
5. Universal Studios SingaporeTM and S.E.A AquariumTM + Adventure Cove WaterparkTM Bundled Tickets are valid for purchase of up to 6 tickets per card per transaction.
6. Offers are not convertible to cash or gift certificates.
7. Offers cannot be exchanged for other items or discounts and cannot be used in conjunction with other promotional offers, privileges and VIP cards.
8. For hotel room accommodations, advance reservation is required. Blackout dates and specific hotel standard terms and conditions may apply.
9. Rates may be subject to applicable taxes and/or service charges.

What are you waiting for? Visit https://www.bdo.com.ph/promos/resorts-world-sentosa and book your trip to Singapore now!

South America: Applying for visas to Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile,Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay & Venezuela in the Philippines

One will appreciate Europe's Schengen visa when planning a trip to several countries in other regions or continents since visas have to be obtained separately. South America is one example since Philippine passport holders can travel visa-free to only six of the twelve countries of the continent. Here are visa requirements and embassy and consulate contact details for South American countries and territories (as of 3 May 2013).

Argentina
The Argentine Republic has an embassy in the Philippines. Filipino citizens require a visa to visit Argentina. To begin the application process, you may get an application form from the embassy:

Embassy of the Argentine Republic
8/F Liberty Center, 104 H.V. de la Costa Street
Salcedo Village, Makati City
Telephone No. (02) 8453218 / 8453219 / 8453230
Fax No. (02) 8453220

The following are the requirements for application:
1. Duly accomplished application form. Note that you should not fill in the date when you sign the form. The date should be the date of your interview. If you fill this in, you will be asked to fill out a new one on the day of interview
2. One passport sized photo pasted on the application form
3. Valid passport and photocopy of the information pages
4. Letter of request from the applicant stating the reason for the visit
5. Original Certificate of Employment indicating salary and duration of leave. For business owners, SEC or Mayor's Permit (original and photocopy)
6. Bank Statement (at least three months). They don't accept Bank Certificates.
7. Confirmed hotel bookings or hotel vouchers
8. Confirmed air ticket (original and photocopy) or booking certificate
9. For minors traveling alone, Affidavit of Support from parents, DSWD permit to travel (authenticated by DFA), photocopy of birth certificate and parents' marriage certificate.

Note that it takes at least five (5) working days to process a visa. It will definitely be more since applicants are called for interview first. And it will take another two (2) days after visa is approved before it is released. Filing of applications is from 9:30 to 11 a.m. only

Bring all the requirements to the Embassy of the Argentine Republic. The staff will only accept applications with complete requirements. If your requirements are complete, you will be asked to wait for a call to schedule your interview. You may also be asked to submit additional documents if after evaluation, the Consul feels that there is missing information.

The Embassy will call you to schedule an interview, usually in the morning at 9:30 a.m. The Consul will interview you about your trip. If your application is accepted, you will be asked to pay the visa fee (peso equivalent of US$50) at BPI Tordesillas and come back with the deposit slip. A claim stub will be given to you for pick-up of your visa two days after. Releasing is from 2 to 4 p.m. only.

Bolivia
The Plurinational State of Bolivia has an honorary consulate in the Philippines. Filipino citizens traveling to Bolivia as a tourist or for business do not require visas for stays of not more than 30 days, provided that they will not seek any employment in Bolivia. To confirm this information, you may contact the consulate:

Consulate of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
c/o Mindanao Container Corporation
6/F 110 Legazpi Street
Legazpi Village, Makati City
Telephone No. (02) 8924304 / 8931727

Brazil
The Federative Republic of Brazil has an embassy in the Philippines. Filipino citizens traveling to Brazil as a tourist or for business do not require visas for stays of not more than 90 days, provided that they will not seek any employment in Brazil. Otherwise, a visa is required. Note also that upon arrival in Brazil, passports must be valid for at least six months, and that you have ready with you a copy of your ticket, itinerary, hotel accommodation and possibly proof of financial capacity if these are requested. To confirm this information, you may contact the embassy:

Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil
16/F Liberty Center, 104 H.V. de la Costa Street
Salcedo Village, Makati City
Telephone No. (02) 8451869
Fax No. (02) 8452076

Chile
The Republic of Chile has an embassy in the Philippines. Filipino citizens require a visa to visit Chile. To begin the application process, you may get an application form from the embassy:

Embassy of the Republic of Chile
17/F Liberty Center, 104 H.V. de la Costa Street
Salcedo Village, Makati City

(02) 8433461

It required extra patience on our part and several visits to the embassy to apply for visas to Chile. The following are the requirements for application:
1. Application form (one copy per person). Note that entries in the application form must be typewritten. No need to submit pictures.
2. Passport with at least six months validity.
3. Formal letter of request from the applicant addressed to the Consul stating purpose, duration of visit and means of travel.
4. Recent medical certificate (within the last three months) stating that the applicant is free from tropical disease.
5. Itinerary indicating arrival to and from Chile. Also bring a copy of your plane ticket. They don't have this on their checklist which is quite unfortunate since your application will not be accepted if you don't have this requirement. So you'll have to come back again the next working day unless you could produce a copy before 12 noon. And make sure it is a full print out (nothing missing or no parts cut) since they could use it as an excuse to let you come back.
6. Bank certificate of the applicant indicating own economical solvency to support a travel and stay in Chile as well as return to the Philippines. Note that they only accept bank certificates and that they are very stringent with this requirement. To put it bluntly, you have to show them you're loaded.
7. If you are invited, a letter of invitation from your host in Chile, with attached copies of Passport and National Identification Card properly notarized and legalized in Chile.
8. If you don't have a host, proof of confirmed hotel bookings or hotel vouchers. They also don't have this on their checklist and again, your application will not be accepted if you don't have this requirement. Also, if you have companions, make sure the booking submitted includes all names of each individual applicant since they will also require this and let you come back if the booking is only under one name.

Note that it takes five (5) working days to process a visa. So if you apply on a Monday, you will get it the Monday after. Filing of applications are from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Note also that you may not retrieve your passport while it is with them. Retrieving it will mean withdrawal of the application and you will have to start the process again.

Bring all the requirements to the Embassy of Chile. The staff will only accept applications with complete requirements. If your requirements are complete, you will be asked to wait as the Consul evaluates your application. The Consul may ask you to produce more documents and resubmit again or call you for an interview. If your application is accepted, you will be given a claim stub for pick-up the week after.

Visa fee is US$30 for single entry and US$60 for multiple entry. Exact amount is required. Releasing is from 12 noon to 2 p.m. only. On the day of release, between 9 to 10 a.m., you will have to get a deposit slip from the embassy and pay at the Metrobank branch on the ground floor. You unfortunately cannot pay beforehand. You have to submit the deposit slip to the embassy before 10 a.m. so that they will process your visa. Failure to do so would move your visa release by another working day. You will be asked to come back at 1:30 p.m. to pick up the visa. But the wait could take from a few minutes to several hours. So unless you have a lot of time on your hands, you can ask someone else to pay and pick-up your visa for you.

Colombia
The Republic of Colombia has an embassy in the Philippines. Filipino citizens traveling to Colombia as a tourist or for business do not require visas for stays of not more than 90 days, provided that they will not seek any employment in Colombia. To confirm this information, you may contact the embassy:

Embassy of the Republic of Colombia
18/F Aurora Tower
Araneta Center, Quezon City
Telephone No. (02) 9113101
Fax No. (02) 9112846

Ecuador
The Republic of Ecuador has an honorary consulate in the Philippines. Filipino citizens traveling to Ecuador as a tourist or for business do not require visas for stays of not more than 90 days, provided that they will not seek any employment in Ecuador. To confirm this information, you may contact the consulate:

Consulate General of the Republic of Ecuador
The Phinma Plaza, 39 Plaza Drive
Rockwell Center, Makati City
Telephone No. (02) 8700575 / 8700510

Falkland Islands
You will have to get a visa from the British Embassy.

French Guiana
You will have to get a visa from the French Embassy.

Guyana
The Republic of Guyana does not have a diplomatic mission in the Philippines. Filipino citizens require a visa to visit Guyana. Unfortunately, there are no instructions where to apply for a visa. Here are the visa requirements and visa application form. You may try obtaining it from the honorary consulate in Seoul, South Korea:

Consulate of the Republic of Guyana (Seoul)
Trico International Ltd.
Rm. 201, Hyunjin Building
226-29, Yunnam-dong, Mapo-gu
Seoul, 121-865
Republic of Korea
Telephone No. +82 (2) 7847202
Fax No. +82 (2) 7849073
E-mail: whkim@tricoint.co.k

Paraguay

Although the Republic of Paraguay has an honorary consulate in the Philippines, they do not issue visas. Filipino citizens require a visa to visit Paraguay. Visas must be obtained from the Embassy in Seoul, South Korea. You may course it through the consulate:

Consulate of the Republic of Paraguay
Suite 801-802 One Global Place
5th Avenue cor. 25th Street
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Telephone No. (02) 5193863 to 66 / 5193870

Alternately, you can apply for a visa in another South American country. If you apply in Bolivia, it will take at least three working days to process in the embassy in La Paz or the consulates in Santa Cruz or Cochabamba. In Argentina, you can get it after one working day. It's US$65 for single entry and US$100 for multiple entry.

You will need two (2) of each the following:
1. Passport size photos
2. Photocopy of your passport
3. Photocopy of your round-trip ticket
4. Photocopy of your temporary entrance stamp to the country where you are applying for a Paraguay visa
5. Photocopy of your credit card or other proof of income

Peru
Peru has an honorary consulate in the Philippines. Filipino citizens traveling to Peru as a tourist or for business do not require visas for stays of not more than 60 days, provided that they will not seek any employment in Peru. To confirm this information, you may contact the consulate:

Consulate General of the Republic of Peru
Suite 404-405 CLMC Building
259 EDSA, Greenhills, Mandaluyong City
Telephone No. (02) 7260355 / 7260359

Suriname
The Republic of Suriname does not have a diplomatic mission in the Philippines. But Filipino citizens traveling to Suriname as a tourist or for business do not require visas for stays of not more than 90 days, provided that they will not seek any employment in Suriname. To confirm this information, you may contact the embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia:

Embassy of the Republic of Suriname (Jakarta)
Jl. Darmawangsa VIII / 16,
Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan 12160, Indonesia
E-mail : surinameembassyjkt@gmail.com
Telephone No. +62 (812) 83625355 / +62 (813) 18792809

Uruguay

The República Oriental del Uruguay has an honorary consulate in the Philippines. Filipino citizens require a visa to visit Uruguay. To begin the visa application, request for application forms and requirements via e-mail at uruguayconsulate.philippines@gmail.com. 

Consulado de la República Oriental del Uruguay

2F GT Tower, 6813 Ayala Avenue corner H.V. Dela Costa Street, Makati City

Telephone: (+632) 857-5955 / Trunk line (+632) 898-8599 Loc. 5955

Fax: (+632) 856-3848

Email: uruguayconsulate.philippines@gmail.com

The following are the requirements for application:

1. Applicants must fill in visa application from A1 and the corresponding form B:  (B1) Tourist Visa, (B2) Business Visa or (B3) Conference Visa. Forms must be filled in English and preferably digitally, be sure to attach supporting documents. Afterwards applicant must send it to the Consulate of Uruguay (Manila) by e-mail, fax or courier.

2. Copy of passport (front and back)

3. Hotel reservation or itinerary and lodging accommodation (Please provide name, contact number, e-mail and address, should be based in Uruguay)

4. Airline ticket

5. Request letter stating your reason of going to Uruguay and indicate contact details (address and contact number)

Requirements for B2 and B3 are slightly different. Note that it takes at least three to four weeks to process a visa since approval comes from Uruguay. Once the applicant has submitted all important documents, the Consulate will inform applicant about the status of the application after three or four weeks. Once the visa has been approved, the Consulate will contact the applicant to arrange for an appointment.

On the day of the appointment, the applicant must deposit the exact amount of visa fee to the Consulate's bank account and bring the deposit receipt which is to be submitted to the office staff. Visa cost is US$42 depending on the current exchange rate that the Consulate is using. Exact amount will be given prior to the appointment.

Venezuela
The Bolivaran Republic of Venezuela has an embassy in the Philippines. Filipino citizens require a visa to visit Venezuela. Please visit the embassy for more details:

Embassy of the Bolivaran Republic of Venezuela
Unit 17-A Multinational Bancorporation Center
6805 Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Telephone No. (02) 8452841, 8452842
Fax No. (02) 8452866

Each country in South America also has its own currency. I've experienced the difficulties first hand. But that's another story!

Argentina-Chile border crossing at Paso Los Libertadores

Two days ago, we made our third South American border crossing. We spent two hours going through border controls at Paso Los Libertadores where Argentinian and Chilean Immigration and Customs share a building. Our bus had to queue which took quite a while. We weren't even allowed to get off the bus until it was our turn.

As soon as our bus was given the go, we were asked to line-up with our documents and follow the conductor to the building. We first lined-up at the Argentinian Immigration window for our exit stamps. Then we lined-up at the next counter for our entry stamps into Chile. We kind of delayed the line since the officer was surprised to see Philippine passports. And she had to inquire with her colleagues how to process our visas since we are required to have them for entry into Chile.

With that settled, passengers were asked to board the bus and wait for our turn at Chilean Aduana (Customs). When our turn came up, everyone on the bus was asked to get off again, this time with all our belongings. We were then asked to line-up (firing squad style) in front of a long table where we placed our hand-carried items. They then collected our forms (Chile has a list of things to declare and make sure you do if you have something that's on the list or ask if you're not sure). At the same time, our luggage was unloaded from the bus and sent through the x-ray. If they find something in the luggage, they ask who the owner is and ask questions as soon as the owner approaches them. Once the luggage scan is done, passengers are then asked to pass their hand-carried items through the x-ray. When cleared, we were finally asked to board the bus again. It took a several more minutes before the bus was cleared to pass.

The travel time from Mendoza, Argentina to Santiago, Chile is approximately seven hours. There was an accident along the way plus road construction that added three hours to our trip, bringing our total travel time from Córdoba via Mendoza to Santiago de Chile to over 21 hours! 

Good thing the vineyards of Mendoza and the drive through the Andes Mountains, especially the Aconcagua Provincial Park, made the trip very interesting.
Our first two border crossings were less eventful. We had made a land trip from Brazil to Uruguay two weeks ago. The bus company had our passports and they were stamped in Brazil while we were sleeping. In Uruguay, it would have also been the same. But since we had visas, the bus attendant had to wake us up to fill in information the officer needed.

The river crossing last week from Uruguay to Argentina was even simpler. It was the first time I saw Immigration officers from two countries seated beside each other. First was the Uruguay exit stamp. Then they Uruguayan officer passes your passport to the Argentinian officer for your entry stamp, and it's done. So technically, you've entered Argentina while still in Uruguay. When we arrived in Buenos Aires, we went through customs and we were done.

Since I'm constantly on the road, it will be difficult to update the blog regularly. But you're sure to get daily updates from my Instagram and Twitter accounts. So do follow @ivanhenares on both.