Review: EXNET Taxi Cambodia, The Cambodian First Ride-Hailing App Like Uber

Do you know that Uber-like apps exists in Cambodia?

Hi, it’s Takumi working in Phnom Penh. Have you ever used Ride-hailing apps like Uber and Grab?
Uber and Grab have not entered into Cambodia yet, but there are more than 5 Uber-like apps in Cambodia.

Today I’ll introduce EXNET Taxi Cambodia (EXNET) which is the first and leading ride-hailing app in Cambodia.

When you visit Cambodia, you should install EXNET and use it!

Additional Note:
Uber started its service test in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I tried Uber in Phnom Penh last week and wrote how Uber works in Cambodia in the following article. So please check it as well!

Uber tests its service in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The first and leading Uber-like app in Cambodia

EXNET was launched in June 2016. Around 500 drivers registered their app and around 2,000 people downloaded EXNET app already.

The fare system is same as other ride-hailing apps like Uber and Grab. The fare depends on the distance and time.

On EXNET, there are two types of vehicles, an ordinary car, and SUV.
I describe fares below.

*During high-demand time, fares is higher than above. If you want to know that, please get the official information from the app.

Before the minimum fare of Classic-App Meter was 4,000 KHR so EXNET changed the fare.

Anyway, next I’ll introduce the steps to use EXNET Taxi Cambodia and how it was.

How the first Cambodian ride-hailing app EXNET Taxi Cambodia works

EXNET Taxi Cambodia works almost same as the world giant ride-hailing apps like Uber and Grab.

There are 8 steps to use EXNET as below.

1. Download & Install
2. Register
3. Set pickup
4. Choose service
5. Set destination
6. Confirm booking
7. Ride the car
8. Pay by cash

I’ll explain one by one.

1. Download & Install

First of all, download EXNET app from App Store or Google Play. It depends on your smartphone. If you have iPhone, go to App Store. If you have Android, go to Google Play.



This is the screenshot of App Store when I visited EXNET app page.

I already installed the app so the button displayed is different from you will see. The install button will be displayed on your smartphone.
Please download and install the app as usual.

2. Register



When you finish installing EXNET app, go to the next step, registration.

Once open EXNET app, EXNET ask you to fill your phone number. According to EXNET staff, you don’t need to get Cambodian local SIM card, if you can receive SMS from EXNET with your home country SIM card.*



After submitting your phone number, you’ll receive SMS. There is a verification code, so please enter the code. Then the registration is completed.



*Some EXNET drivers call you to find you when they arrive at the pickup location. So if you have Cambodian local SIM card, it will be more convenient.

3. Set pickup

Next, set pickup location. EXNET uses GPS and shows your current location on the app.



If you want to change the pickup location or the pin location is incorrect, you can change the location by moving the pin.



4. Choose service

Next, choose the taxi type. EXNET provides two type of taxi, ordinary car, and SUV. As I described above, The price of SUV is expensive than that of the ordinary car.



In my past experience, the ordinary car type is enough.

5. Set destination

Actually, I think this part is not convenient. You can’t set your destination on map. You should set it by name search and EXNET doesn’t show the destination on the map after you set.
If there are multiple places have the same name, you can’t check whether you could set your destination correctly.


EXNET doesn’t show the destination on the map.

I asked EXNET staff about this. They answered I should set a landmark nearby my destination as the destination and tell the correct destination to the driver after departure. I felt it was not convenient. In my experience of using Uber and Grab, I could set my destination by moving the pin on the map and I prefer this.

You can find the pickup time and estimated cost before confirm booking as below. This point is good.




Pickup time and estimated cost

6. Confirm booking

After setting your destination, confirm booking.
Press the button “Confirm booking”. After confirming the booking, the taxi location will be displayed on the app.

7. Ride the taxi

When the taxi arrives at your pickup location, ride the taxi. If you set a landmark as your destination, you need to tell the real destination to the driver.



8. Pay by cash

Unfortunately, EXNET doesn’t accept credit card payment. You should pay the fare by cash. When the taxi arrives your destination, the fare is calculated and displayed on the driver’s app.

Check the calculated fare and pay by cash directly to the driver.

This is the end of how to use EXNET.

Review of Cambodian first Uber-like app

In my previous experience, it took about 5 mins on average to get Taxi arrived. I think it’s convenient more than TukTuk because when I try to take TukTuk, I need to find TukTuk on the road and negotiate the price with TukTuk driver. It would take more than 5 mins. And the outside of Cambodia, it’s too hot to find and negotiate for me lol.

Furthermore, I tried other Cambodian ride-hailing apps as well though, others were not stable like apps were frozen or it took too long time.

Even EXNET doesn’t accept credit card payment and I can’t set the destination by moving the pin on the map, EXNET is still convenient for moving within Phnom Penh.

Summary

My conclusion is that EXNET is convenient for moving middle to long distance within Phnom Penh.

I tried other Cambodian ride-hailing apps though, others were not stable and inconvenient.
So if you are looking for a ride-hailing app in Cambodia, I recommend EXNET Taxi Cambodia.

In the case when you move from the airport to the downtown or visit the killing field, I strongly recommend you to use EXNET.

When I used EXNET Taxi Cambodia to get from the airport to Phnom Penh city, the fare was about 8 USD. It’s cheaper than the traditional taxi and almost same as TukTuk.
And the fare to the killing field should be cheaper than TukTuk.

33,980.44 KHR is about 8USD

Let’s use EXNET Taxi Cambodia and be free from price negotiation!

Additional Notes: Uber begins its service test in Cambodia

As I mentioned at the beginning, the giant ride-hailing app, Uber finally started its service test in Cambodia.
I tried Uber in Phnom Penh last week. To be honest, Uber was more convenient than EXNET and other local ride-hailing apps.
Uber has not decided to start its full service in Cambodia yet. But if Uber decides to enter in Cambodia and provide its full service, it would be hard to compete with Uber for local ride-hailing apps including EXNET.

I wrote how Uber works in Cambodia in the following article so if you are interested in, please check it out!

Uber tests its service in Phnom Penh, Cambodia