Giant Ibis night bus at a glance…
- Price: $15
- Schedule: 11 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
- Time: 6 to 7 hours
- Buy tickets online
Over the years, I’ve taken more Giant Ibis night bus journeys than I care to admit. When I first moved to Cambodia, I vowed I would never take a night bus in Cambodia. Since then, I’ve made an exception for Giant Ibis because of their safety record and precautions. I’m now a regular on the Giant Ibis night bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. In this post, I’ll share some details about the company and the trip from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (and vice-versa).
The Giant Ibis night bus looks great in the morning, too.
Night buses in Cambodia are notoriously unsafe. Giant Ibis, on the other hand, makes safety a priority. Their buses go slowly, with a maximum speed of 60km (37 miles) per hour. They enforce this by transmitting the speed via GPS to the Giant Ibis office so that management knows if a driver breaks the rules and go faster. Going slowly is not only safer, but allows for a better night’s sleep, because even at at these speeds the bus usually arrives in six or seven hours. Another safety precaution Giant Ibis takes is to always have two drivers on each bus, and they switch half-way through the journey. If one driver feels fatigued he can switch out and take a nap.
In addition to offering a safe ride, each seat is equipped with a power socket that accept standard American, Euro, and UK plugs, and most of them usually work. The bus has WiFi (password: giantibis) that is provided by 3G. This means the connection works as long as there’s 3G coverage, which is for true for about 60% of the journey. Be aware that they do turn out the lights soon after the journey begins, so if you do want to read you will need to bring your own lighting.
The buses are air-conditioned and have a toilet on board. Overly cautious types such as myself bring a sweater for the former and tissues for the latter. Passengers are all given a bottle of water, and each bed comes with a pillow and blanket. When you board the bus you’ll be given a bag to keep your shoes in, so as not to get the beds dirty.
The 11 p.m. Giant Ibis night bus has lie-flat beds.
There are two Giant Ibis night buses going each way between between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, with slightly different seat configurations. The 11 p.m. Giant Ibis night buses have 32 beds, with 15 on the bottom bunk and 17 on the top. The beds do not fully lie flat, but offer a 45 degree angle that’s pretty decent, and some taller people seem to find the angled seat more comfortable than the lie-flat ones. Seat 6-F is right next to the toilet, and as such, is probably the least optimal seat on the bus. Each bed has a cubby at the bottom to keep your shoes (and feet) in.
The 11 p.m. Giant Ibis night bus seating chart.
The 11:30 p.m. bus has 30 lie-flat seats, with 14 on the bottom and 16 on the top. The only downside of this is because there are two fewer seats, there isn’t always a bed for the driver who may end up sleeping next to you in the aisle. On these buses, there are eight single beds and 11 seats of double beds.
The seating plan for the 11:30 p.m. Giant Ibis night bus.
The buses do not have two levels, rather, the seats are designed like bunk beds with one on the top and one on the bottom. All of the Giant Ibis night buses are arranged with one row of two beds next to each other, and a row of single bunks with an aisle in the middle. If you are traveling alone, try to get one of the single beds. I have traveled alone on the Giant Ibis night bus many times and have never felt unsafe as a solo woman, but again, be sure to get a solo bed (if you buy a ticket online, you can make an advance seat reservation).
Off to dreamland on the Giant Ibis night bus beds. This is the interior of the 11 p.m. bus.
The night bus buses are not new, but they are fully refurbished. As on all buses, the toilets are not the nicest in the world (if you are a larger person you’ll have a hard time squeezing in) but at least these ones are usually clean. The road between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap is still bumpy — although better than a year ago — and if you aren’t a sound sleeper, it can be a challenge to get a good night’s sleep. Luckily, that challenge is usually alleviated for me by bringing an eye mask, ear plugs, and a sleeping pill.
I travel between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap regularly, and the trip can be excruciatingly long. Because I save so much time by sleeping through the journey, I’ve become a regular on the Giant Ibis night bus. Despite being pretty highly strung about road safety in Cambodia, overall, I think the Giant Ibis night bus is a safe way to get across the country (here are the other options for this route).
In Phnom Penh, the buses boards on time at the Giant Ibis office on Street 106 across from Phnom Penh’s night market. For the daily night bus to Siem Reap they do not offer hotel pick up, but the office is centrally located and walking distance from the riverside. Once you arrive in Siem Reap the bus drops off at the more centrally located Giant Ibis ticket office near Old Market (rather than the Giant Ibis bus station).
In Siem Reap, the night bus leaves from the Giant Ibis ticket office near the Old Market. If you’re arriving in Phnom Penh, the bus drops off at the Giant Ibis office on Street 106 in Phnom Penh. You can find maps for both stations at the end of this post.
Giant Ibis night bus schedule:
Phnom Penh – Siem Reap: 11 p.m., 11:30 p.m.
Siem Reap – Phnom Penh: 11 p.m., 11:30 p.m.
Tickets on the Giant Ibis Phnom Penh to Siem Reap route cost $15, and prices are the same for locals and foreigners. You can buy tickets online and choose your seats in advance.
Hi Lina,
For Saigon-Phnom Penh, does Ibis only take passengers who have secured a visa in advance, or do they go through the Visa on Arrival procedure at the border for passengers who don’t?
Thank you!
Thanks a lot for your info….I am planning a trip in March and your review was really helpfull
Hey,
we are not sure about taking the night bus or one during the day. How is the route? Is it worth going during the day and looking at the scenery?
Thanks for your help.
Can anyone tell me where to pick up the day (8:45am) bus in Siem Reap? Google maps is a bit confused. Thanks
Lina, thank you very much for information and time for this post! It’s really very useful!
Can you please unswer does back of these “beds” could be moved up in a stright position like normal seat? Or does it fixed in 45 dergees and doesn’t move at all?
Thank you!
They are fixed and do not move.
Hi Lina,your blog has been really helpful. Me and my friends are heading to Cambodia in May and were supposed to just stay in Siem Reap. But after booking non-refundable tickets, we’ve decided to head first to Phnom Penh. We are planning on taking the night bus. How long does it take from the aiport to their terminal in Siem Reap? Our flight lands at around 9:30Pm. Do you think we can make the 11:00PM bus? Thanks.
The airport is around 20-30 minutes from the bus station, but you need to factor in how much time you need to get your bags and get a visa.
I’m pretty sure you can change the ticket if it’s more than 24 hours in advance of the trip.
Hello! How far is the Giant Ibis bus station from the Siem Reap airport? My flight gets in at 9:50pm and I was wondering if I have enough time to make it on the 11:30pm bus?
The airport is around 20-30 minutes from the bus station, but you need to factor in how much time you need to get your bags and get a visa.
Hi. Is it possible to book tickets for Pnohm Penh to HCMC in Siem Reap? We’re planning to do a night bus trip to Pnohm Penh and another bus ride from Pnohm Penh to HCMC. Thank you :)
Yes, you can book them online at giantibis.com or any local travel agent in Siem Reap.
Since you often take the night bus, has your bus ever broken down? If so, how many times has it happened? Also, what’s the longest you’ve been delayed going to Siem Reap coming from Phnom Penh with the night bus?
Great article. I’m considering taking the Giant Ibis night bus next month.
Neither of us have been on a Giant Ibis night bus that have broken down, and we do take it regularly. The road is better now so the trip is usually pretty fast — around 6 hours or less.
Thanks for the reply, Lina. I’ll do more research and maybe decide whether I want to take the night bus. The mixed reviews about it is really making me feel very concerned, but I know it is subjective and is always different for all travellers. Thanks again!
I took the night bus in December without issue. I found it all well organised and on time. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again. I think the more you read, the more you can talk yourself out of things. There really is nothing to be concerned about. Seeing lots of other buses on my journey through Cambodia, these are definitely the best!
Hi! Your review has been really useful. However I found the departure point (as well arrival point) of what you mentioned is conflicting with what Great Ibis said on their website:
“The bus departs from downtown Siem Reap at the Giant Ibis bus terminal just north of the Sokha Angkor Resort and directly behind the Angkor National Museum.”
“The bus will drop you off in downtown Siem Reap at the Giant Ibis bus terminal just north of the Sokha Angkor Resort and directly behind the Angkor National Museum. Once you’ve received your baggage there will be plenty of tuk tuk’s waiting to take you to your next destination.”
Will you kind enough to clarify for me? Cant thank you enough! :)
My post is correct, unless something has very recently changed. I will take the night bus from Siem Reap in a week, so I can confirm then. Or just give them a call, the info on the website might be out of date.
I took the night bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh in December. It goes from downtown.