Renting a scooter in Cambodia is easy, the biggest challenge is whether you have enough petrol in your tank to get you to your destination (and get you back!) – but you needn’t worry.

While there are a few regular looking petrol stations in Cambodia, the majority of the filling stations are small roadside racks of one liter recycled bottles that are very convenient for for keeping your motorcycle topped up.

During our trip we rented bikes, and no matter how far we ventured out of town on our sightseeing expeditions we were never more than a kilometer away from one of these filling stations, which is really useful when you don’t know how many miles to the gallon (or KM) your scooter does.

Entrepreneurial restaurant owners and small convenience stores all seem to do a side business selling petrol, and most of them proudly display a basic tubular framed rack filled with recycled glass bottles on the road side so that you can drive right up to refill.

The current going rate for a liter of petrol is 4,000 riel (one dollar), although when we were in Phnom Penh we saw it for a little bit less.

I loved this branded Pepsi bottle petrol stand that we came across in Phnom Penh. This vendor obviously takes pride in their branding efforts – and good to see that you can also buy half a liter (in a recycled water bottle).

Not to be outdone … this petrol vendor in Kampot has also jumped on the branded Pepsi bandwagon, although their rack is slightly more rustic.

Recycling in Cambodia

Cambodia doesn’t appear to have a robust recycling infrastructure in place, so it is good to see that bottles are getting recycled at these roadside petrol stations.

Renting a Scooter – Quick Facts

• Average price across Cambodia for renting a scooter is about $4-5 per day.
• When scooters are rented via the guest house or hotel you don’t have to provide any additional ID or a drivers license (as the hotel already have a copy of your passport on file).
• If you rent a scooter from a travel agent, ticket shop, restaurant or anywhere else other than the place you’re staying you’ll usually have to leave your passport as collateral.
• We were never asked for a driving license. Not once.
• Insurance? What insurance?

Flashpacking through Cambodia

Flashpacking through Cambodia: For Baby Boomers on a Budget is my latest Roving Jay travel guide full of travel tips, advice, and sample itineraries for flash packers who want the back packing experience without foregoing some of life’s creature comforts – like a comfortable bed, a hot shower, free wi-fi, and somewhere to plug your electric toothbrush in.

I spent almost three months backpacking around Cambodia in 2017/2018 to research this travel guide, and I share insights and first hand knowledge of tourist traps and off-the-beaten-path discoveries. We ate street food, drank 50c beers, and travelled by train, bus, minivan and tuktuk to identify the best ways to get from A to B.

If you’d like to receive a free Review Copy ahead of the general public release, please click here.

Here’s my Cambodia posts on this blog:

• Cambodia Visa and Arrival at Siem Reap Airport
• Cambodia: How to Avoid the Crowds at Angkor Wat
• Filling up your scooter in Cambodia
• The Best Tasting Street Food in Siem Reap
• Angkor Wat at Dawn: Is it worth it?
• Come face to face with Angkor Thom’s Bayon
• Good vs. Evil at Angkor Thom’s Impressive Southern Gate
• The Baphuon Temple and the Terrace of the Elephants at Angkor Thom
• Visiting Siem Reap’s War Museum
• Where to Stay in Siem Reap
• Visiting Siem Reap’s Markets
• Give your taste buds a disco at Siem Reap Night Market
• Responsible Tourism at Joe to Go in Siem Reap
• What to See and Do in Siem Reap
• Which Siem Reap Floating Village should you visit?
• Memorable Boat Trip from Siem Reap to Battambang
• Libations and Bric-a-Brac tempt our purse strings in Battambang
• Vegetable Amok at About the World Restaurant in Battambang
• Cooking Classes at Nary’s Kitchen Battambang
• Pomme Bar, Restaurant and Hostel, at the Core of the new Battambang
• An educational trip around Battambang’s Central Market
• Sightseeing and things to do in Battambang Cambodia
• Bayon VIP Bus from Battambang to Phnom Penh Cambodia
• Exploring Phnom Penh’s 172nd Street in the dark
• The challenge of wandering Phnom Penh’s streets
• A visit to Phnom Penh’s Central Market
• Exploring Phnom Penh’s Markets
• Phnom Penh Photo Diary
• Tops sights to see in Phnom Penh
• Touring S-21 Security Prison (Tuol Sleng Museum Phnom Penh)
• A reflective visit to The Killing Fields
• Taking a train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville
• The majesty of Otres Beach sunsets
• Our Workaway Gig at Otres Beach Market Cambodia
• Working Away to make Cambodian Bagels
• Cambodia Pastry Wars: The Battle of the Quiche
• Our Cambodia workaway gig renovating a market stall
• Unwind on Cambodia’s Koh Ta Kiev Island
• Cambodian Beach Massage and Grilled Seafood
• Building Community during our Cambodian Workaway
• Gecko Village in Kampot Cambodia – a Photo Essay
• Christmas Eve in Kampot
• more coming