I'm considering a road trip from PP to Kep mostly taking highway 2. Can anyone tell me what the road conditions are like. Thanks

Hah its hilarious isnt it. A trip to Kep is an adventure here still. Its the last bit I hate, seen so many accidents on the last 10 km

pczz wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 12, 2019 12:05 am

Hah its hilarious isnt it. A trip to Kep is an adventure here still. Its the last bit I hate, seen so many accidents on the last 10 km

Thanks. Yeah sure haha I took hwy 3 down via Kampot and back via Kep a couple of weeks ago. I enjoyed the ride, but Highway 3 was a big mess of roadworks and the last 20 km to Kampot was pure hell. Best to avoid that road for a few months. I had planned to go back via hwy 2 but missed the turn off in some small town and returned via hwy 3. I was just wondering if hwy 2 was sealed or gravelled and smoothish or washed out and potholed like hwy 3 in many places.

epidemiks wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:16 pm

In December it was bumpy to Takeo as usual, then great until a dozen or so km from the kep turnoff.

Thanks

hw41 then hw 3 quickest at the moment 3hrs 20 approx in private taxi ... minibus managed 3hrs 10 2 weeks ago - went out via airport and right onto start of hw41...previous trips all the drivers going onto the top of hw3 then cutting across a now ruined road onto hw41 then it joins hw3 which is under construction all the way to Kampot ( A friend came Kampot via hw2 last week in minibus took 5 hours for some reason)

I do it every week but usually try to avoid peak times as traffic is crazy on road 3 with the construction works. If I leave later evening (I go around 7pm on Friday) I can make it in 2h 30m via road 3 and 31 (independence monument to near Kep beach).

Last Sunday returning to PP (left Kep 7pm) road 3 was busy so I turned off at the Takeo turning and went across towards Takeo then up Road 2. that also took me 2h 30m to get back to PP

The main part of road 2 is pretty much as I have always known it - rather narrow and bumpy but with proper cover and no major potholes all the way. it can get a bit slow when there is a lot of traffic as there are then very few opportunities to overtake slower traffic. The stretch of road from the roundabout on road 2 across to road 3 is even bumpier but is again properly covered and no major potholes and is relatively short.


Road 3 down to the Takeo turnoff is full of roadworks with a few places that have major road damage and no surface cover. The road is very narrow and it becomes difficult to overtake if busy (that is why I go in evenings). They seem to be making rapid progress with the expansion works but have not started laying the top surface anywhere yet (that I saw)


On road 3 from the Takeo turnoff to the kep (road 31) turnoff it is also dug up on both sides, narrow and difficult to overtake, but this is relatively short.

Road 31 is fine all the way to Kep now. the couple of bad sections in the last 20km have now been fixed and you can drive ok on them but they have not yet had the final surface applied (but they are smooth and not pot holed any more).

I did road 3 to Kampot a few weeks ago and that was awful and would be much slower than road 31.

I do it in a 4x4 pick up so my experience of bad road conditions may be different to others....

From Kep to PP I took road 31 to road 3 last week, left around 9am. Arrived at Naga around 1. Had a short 10min break for coffee at the first PTT station. I'm not a slow driver but was a very stressful, long drive with not may opportunities to overtake cause of the roadworks.
To come back I took road 2 and switched to road 31 at Angkor Chey. Left at the same time but took me a hour less, didn't stop for coffee. Still half an hour more than usual but the roads were quiet, good and easy to overtake so way less stressful.

whiteribbon wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 24, 2019 10:51 pm

From Kep to PP I took road 31 to road 3 last week, left around 9am. Arrived at Naga around 1. Had a short 10min break for coffee at the first PTT station. I'm not a slow driver but was a very stressful, long drive with not may opportunities to overtake cause of the roadworks.
To come back I took road 2 and switched to road 31 at Angkor Chey. Left at the same time but took me a hour less, didn't stop for coffee. Still half an hour more than usual but the roads were quiet, good and easy to overtake so way less stressful.

I did the same; Kep to PP in 4 hours via 31 and 3. I have only been as far south on hwy 2 to Tonle Bati. The traffic was moderately heavy but I think most of that traffic would branch off to Hwy 3 a bit further south. The road was a bit narrow but in fairly good order. If it was like that all the way to Angkor Chey, I would be happy. It was a nice ride from there to Kep.

Did both ( 3 to go and 2 to come back to Kep) again this week. Nr3 is definitely one to avoid now but was stubborn and thought if I leave an hour earlier the traffic would be better. It wasn't. Nr 2 is a bit annoying at the start (narrow indeed and passing a lot of villages where you have to slow down) but at one point it completely clears up and it's a pleasant drive to Kep. An hour difference almost.