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Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel

40 Best: Cambodia B&B

September 2004

Last year, Brandon and Andrea Ross decided to sell their house in southern California and move to Cambodia, a country they’d fallen in love with when backpacking through Southeast Asia a few years ago.

In January, the Rosses got married, opened a B&B in a quiet Siem Reap neighborhood (near the giant temple complex of Angkor Wat), and started running private tours of the area. Their company, Journeys Within, is the first of its kind in Cambodia to be owned and operated by Americans. Because she and Brandon live in Siem Reap, Andrea says travelers feel a level of service and security they can’t get from companies based in the U.S., half a world away. All of the local guides are handpicked, and the Rosses will handle everything from restaurant recommendations to lost passports.

Journeys Within currently offers several itineraries in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam and also creates custom trips. The Big Three Cambodia tour includes Angkor Wat, Battambang, and the capital of Phnom Penh for $875. You get domestic flights from Bangkok to Siem Reap and from Phnom Penh to Bangkok; a scenic boat ride from Siem Reap to Battambang; transportation from Battambang to Phnom Penh in a private car with a driver; three nights at the Journeys Within B&B in Siem Reap and one night each at hotels in Battambang and Phnom Penh; an English-speaking guide throughout; and most meals.

When: Year-round.
Details: Airfare from the U.S. to Bangkok is not included. Extra nights at the B&B from $50. Single supplement $227.
Contact: Journeys Within, 877/454-3672