David Droogleever

Review of BUVA

Bottom line: would not wish this experience on my ...

Bottom line: would not wish this experience on my worst enemy, avoid at all costs (unfortunately, I hear the other ferries are just as bad)

Pros: easy to book online, (relatively) fast speed ferry, departures 3+ times per day

Cons: no email support, unbelievably late service, little to no communication on logistics, changes, or anything else, overpriced for what you get, complete uncertainty in service delivery, insufficient chairs/space in waiting areas

The full story:

I'm going to try to be as objective as possible with as little use of hyperbole.

I decided to go to Koh Rong Samloem in order to get as far away as possible from 'civilization' in a new country (this would be my 53rd country). I knew it would be relatively tough to get to a remote island such as Samloem, but I figured it was worth the effort.

After hopping off the overnight bus from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville at 6:30a, I killed 3-4 hours before heading over to the Buva Sea office. Before walking in, I noticed the office (next to the main ferry terminal) was jam-packed full of seemingly confused travelers. I was already concerned.

I showed my reservation on my phone and was given a lanyard with a ferry pass. I was told to return at 10a, one hour before the 11a schedule departure. No other information was given.

After passing time at a nearby cafe, I came back at 10 am. The agent said a bus had already left but that I should wait in the lobby. So I stood there. After about 10 minutes, an agent unstacked some chairs in spread them out in the middle of the waiting area.

One hour passed and suddenly everyone poured outside in the hot sun to wait for the bus. I asked where we were going and the agent stated that there is another terminal that the bus would take everyone to. All of this would be a surprise to anyone not prying this information out of the agents because there are no instructions stating the procedure on the ticket, website, or anywhere else obvious. (I did read some Google reviews alluding to how terrible his company was, but figured they were sensationalized.)

One bus arrived which could only fit about 1/4 of all of the passengers waiting outside. Another two buses came, and while everyone was trying to cram into the next bus, agents were yelling from the other bus asking for more people to get on that bus. It's incredibly confusing because you don't know which bus to get on and everyone was worried about the process getting longer and longer while they got hotter and hotter. Eventually, I piled onto one of the open air buses which drove for 30 minutes to the 'other side of town' (north side of town where there is another ferry pier). Again, no communication was given stating where we were going or how long it would take. We were just being shuttled around as sheep led to the slaughter.

Once we go to the north pier, agents yelled to go 'that way' and we were directed (by hand waving) to herd into a small, unsigned area which was apparently the waiting room. It was now about one hour after the stated departure time. I stood the entire time as there were no seats until the ferry came about 75 minutes after departure time. There were multiple ferries and the destination is not labeled, so you're not really 100% sure if the ferry you are getting on is really the right one unless you double confirm with the agent yelling instructions or by asking the other passengers where they are going to the same place you are going. Remember, there are many, many piers that are end destinations at multiple islands, so it's important to know where you are going to end up!

The ride over was smooth as the waters were not choppy. As it was the fast ferry, the ride over was about 45 minutes. Once landed, no one really stated where you were exactly. I would have felt more comfortable if there was an announcement stating "you have arrived at Saracen Bay, please exit if this is your stop".

I decided to use a different ferry on my return trip despite the fact that I already pre-booked and pre-paid for a return leg on Buva Sea.