21 Apr 2025
I had a mixed experience with Tour East Cambodia. The half-day Angkor Wat tour was advertised as lasting 3.5 to 4 hours. The tour guide was courteous, although I felt the pace was a bit rushed. However, the bigger issue came when I encountered an unrealistic upsell.
Angkor Wat includes several temple complexes beyond the main site, such as Ta Prohm, which is famous for its dramatic trees overtaking ancient ruins. I asked the guide if we could visit Ta Prohm as well. He was initially hesitant, then quoted an additional USD 20, claiming it was "far away." I reluctantly agreed.
To my surprise, after a brief detour of less than 10 minutes and roughly 6 kilometers, we arrived at Ta Prohm. Why the extra USD 20 for a nearby site, especially when we still had ample time? This location should be part of the tour to begin with. We spent about 45 minutes there before returning to our hotel in Siem Reap. Altogether, the entire tour lasted under 3 hours—well short of the advertised 3.5 to 4 hours, even with the “detour.”
In all fairness, the tour guide realized the upsell was ridiculous and then waived the extra fee. I spoke up, but it doesn’t mean they will try this on someone else.
The issue with tour operators like Tour East Cambodia is the assumption that tourists are uninformed and can be overcharged at every possible opportunity. In today’s world of Google Maps and GPS, it’s easy to verify distances and travel times.