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Cambodia Travel Guide

The latest travel Information on Cambodia, includes ideas on Things to See and Do, Local Events, Consulate & Embassy Contact Addresses and much more, all from a first-time visitors point of view.

Cambodia Information

Overview

For so long off the tourist trail, visitors began to return to Cambodia in the late 1980s, but were restricted to the capital, Phnom Penh, and a few of the temples of Angkor near Siem Reap. It would be many years before the whole of the country was safe to travel around. In 1999, the remaining Khmer Rouge troops defected to the government side.

The temples of Angkor literally rise out of the jungle and are a magnet for visitors to Cambodia. Angkor Wat is the largest and most famous of the temples, and visitors could easily spend a week exploring the hundreds of other exquisite structures. Phnom Penh is a bustling city, often overshadowed by glamorous Angkor. It is a city of contrasts with fine colonial architecture side by side with ramshackle streets.

Elsewhere, few visitors take the time to discover the hill tribes around Banlung, the unspoilt countryside around sleepy Sen Monorom and the charming riverine town of Battambang with its faded colonial architecture. Those looking for relaxation make their way to Sihanoukville with its lovely sandy beaches and laid-back lifestyle.

With the road network little by little improving, so much more of this delightful country is open to visitors who take the time to discover the Cambodia beyond the temples.

Top Things To See

Delight in Cambodia’s Buddhist temples, such as Preah Vihear, close to the border with Thailand in the Dangrek Mountains, which is the site of various celebrations, especially during the Cambodian New Year.

The interrogation centre of the Pol Pot regime in Phnom Penh is now the chilling Toul Sleng Museum of Genocide, also called S-21 (security office 21). It is also possible to visit The Killing Fields/Cheoung Ek Memorial, just outside the city.

Do not miss Phnom Penh’s gorgeous Royal Palace, which has a stunning and famous Silver Pagoda. Be sure to pay extra attention to the floor - it contains 5,000 silver tiles.

Head to the magnificent temples of Angkor, the remains of the once mighty Khmer civilisation. Angkor Wat itself, built in AD 879-1191 to honour the Hindu god Vishnu, is often hailed as one of the most extraordinary architectural creations ever built, with its intricate bas reliefs, strange acoustics and magnificent soaring towers.

See the much photographed Ta Prohm at Angkor, easily recognisable because of the roots of massive trees growing through the building. They are left there to show how many of the temples looked before they were reclaimed from the jungle and also because the roots are holding the structure together.

Examine the extensive collection of Khmer artefacts in the distinctive, red-brick, pseudo-Khmer-style National Museum, constructed by the French in 1917.

Take a trip out of town to Oudong, 30km (19 miles) from Phnom Penh, located on a hill overlooking vast plains and famous for the burial chedis of the Khmer kings. Little is left of this once former capital, but the first glimpse of the ruins on the hill is quite magical.

Travel to the little-visited northeast, to Rattanakiri province, where there are hill tribes, gem mines and unspoilt national parks.

Climb up to abandoned Bokor, the former French hill station, where there are the eerie remains of a hotel, casino, church, villas and a former royal residence. Enjoy the view down to the coast from the ramshackle hotel terrace. Equally as eerie, take time to visit Kep, once a beach resort which was destroyed in the 1970s, and the villas reclaimed by the forest.

Relax at Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s only beach resort, with its sandy beaches and offshore islands which are ideal for scuba-diving.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Top Things To Do

Look out at one of the world’s major rivers, the Mekong River. Try spotting some of Cambodia’s famous freshwater dolphins close to Kratie. If not, take a river cruise along the Tonle Sap from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, the most significant inland wetland in South-East Asia.

Go for an elephant ride in Rattanakiri and Mondulkiri; remember to grab a tour guide!

Be a part of the extravagant Water Festival (October/November). It is around this time that the Tonle Sap changes direction, leaving behind an abundance of fish. Multitudes mingle on the river banks in Phnom Penh to watch hundreds of brightly coloured boats and their paddlers battle it out for top honours.

Watch a traditional Cambodian Apsara dance. Siem Reap is probably the best place to watch a dance display, although travellers can occasionally catch a spontaneous one in the villages.

Go birdwatching at Prek Toal, a biosphere reserve on the northwest of Tonle Sap Lake, close to Siem Reap. Look out for water birds including endangered spot-billed pelicans.

Swim in volcanic Yak Lom lake near Banlung town in Rattanakiri province. The water is clear and cool and the surrounding forest is ideal for a picnic.

Experience a little of the ’gold rush’ and seek out the gem mines in Rattanakiri province. The mines and the attendant camps move regularly, depending on what they find. Miners are quite happy to show their finds, excavated by hand from deep holes in the red earth.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Going Out

Food and Drink

Restaurants and other businesses abound in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Food stalls are also common in all towns and cities. Khmer cuisine is very similar to Thai, but with fewer spices involved.

National specialities:
• There is a plethora of sweet dishes, such as sticky rice cakes.
• Succulent fruits include banana, coconut, the durian fruit (known for its distinctive odour), jackfruit, longan fruit, lychee, pineapple and rambutan fruit (which has translucent white flesh), to name just a few.
• Grilled fish, rolled in lettuce or spinach and dipped into fish sauce.
• Like Vietnam, a must-have accompaniment to every meal is fermented fish paste.
• Rice noodles proliferate and can be bought covered in curry sauce from street vendors.

National drinks:
• Fresh coconut juice.
• Green tea.
• Rice wine.
• The local beer is called Angkor.
• The most popular, and refreshing, Khmer drink is soda water with a squeeze of lemon.

Legal drinking age: There are no age restrictions.

Tipping: Tips are appreciated in hotels and restaurants where no service charge has been added, and by tour guides.

Nightlife

The nightlife in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and to a lesser extent in Sihanoukville, is pretty vibrant, mainly because of the large number of visitors and expat residents. There are bars and restaurants but very few clubs and live music venues. Bars and restaurants range from dingy, smoky bars to upmarket cocktail bars and elegant restaurants.

The major hotels offer entertainment, and weekly Apsara dance performances are often held from November to March in some hotel gardens, mainly in Siem Reap. The Holiday International Hotel in Phnom Penh has a popular nightclub, the Manhattan Club. Gambling is legal in Cambodia and there are several casinos in Sihanoukville and on the border with Thailand.

Shopping

Cambodian artisans are very skilled and there is no shortage of articles to buy. Unique to Cambodia is the krama, a checked scarf made of cotton or silk. Silk is still handwoven in Cambodia and is a ‘must buy’ either as lengths of material or in the form of scarves, bags or purses. Silver boxes are traditional souvenirs, many in the shape of animals, which were either used in ceremonies or to hold betel leaves. Visitors are advised that there are strict controls on the export of antiques - and stone carvings in particular.

The markets in Cambodia are always a great source of souvenirs. Try the Central Market, in Phnom Penh, which is well worth a visit as it sells clothes, gifts and gems. Gems are a particularly good buy for small stones, but only spend large amounts if you know what you are buying. The Russian Market (Psar Toul Tom Poung) is crammed with stalls holding a vast selection of bargain souvenirs including clothing, silverware, jewellery, silk, bags, DVDs, CDs and ceramics, as is the Old Market in Siem Reap. Bargaining is expected in the markets, which are open daily from around 0700 to 1700 hours. Look out for shops selling handicrafts to raise money for disadvantaged Cambodians.

Shopping hours: Daily 0800-2000.

Climate

Tropical monsoon climate. Monsoon season is from May to November. The most pleasant season is the dry season, from November/December to April. In the north, winters can be colder, while throughout most of the country temperatures remain fairly constant. There is often seasonal flooding in Phnom Penh and the rest of Cambodia in late July and early August; travel may be disrupted.

Required Clothing

Lightweight clothing is worn all year. Rainwear is essential during the rainy season.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2009 period.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
7 Jan Victory Day.
21 Feb Meak Bochea Day.
8 Mar Women’s Day.
14-16 Apr Cambodian New Year.
1 May Labour Day.
13-15 May King Sihamoni’s Birthday.
19 May Visaka Buja Day (Birth of Buddha).
23 May Royal Ploughing Day Ceremony.
1 Jun International Children’s Day.
18 Jun Former Queen’s Birthday.
24 Sep Constitution and Coronation Day.
29 Sep-1 Oct Pchum Ben Day.
23 Oct Paris Peace Agreement.
31 Oct Former King Sihanouk’s Birthday.
11-13 Nov Water Festival.
9 Nov Independence Day.
10 Dec Human Rights Day.

2009
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
7 Jan Victory Day.
Feb* Meak Bochea Day.
8 Mar Women’s Day.
Apr* Cambodian New Year.
1 May Labour Day.
May* Visaka Buja Day (Birth of Buddha).
May* Royal Ploughing Day Ceremony.
13-15 May King Sihamoni’s Birthday.
1 Jun International Children’s Day.
18 Jun Former Queen’s Birthday.
24 Sep Constitution and Coronation Day.
Sep/Oct* Pchum Ben Day.
23 Oct Paris Peace Agreement.
31 Oct Former King Sihanouk’s Birthday.
Nov* Water Festival.
9 Nov Independence Day.
10 Dec Human Rights Day.

*Date to be confirmed.

Note

The religious festivals are determined by the Buddhist lunar calendar and are therefore variable. Public holidays falling on a Saturday or Sunday are carried forward to the following working day.

Health

Diphtheria

Special Precaution: Yes

Hepatitis A

Special Precaution: Yes

Malaria

Special Precaution: Yes

Rabies

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Tetanus

Special Precaution: Yes

Typhoid

Special Precaution: Yes

Yellow Fever

Special Precaution: No*

Health Care

Health insurance, including emergency evacuation, is absolutely essential. Doctors and hospitals expect cash payments for any medical treatment. The cost of medical evacuation is high. The hospital in Phnom Penh is reliable. It is suggested that any visitors bring adequate supplies of any essential personal medication, since that medication may not be available in Cambodia.

Note

* A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required by travellers arriving within 10 days from infected areas.

Further Health Information

We advise you to check health requirements for the country you are traveling to with your GP, practice nurse or travel health clinic as health requirements and vaccinations can change at short notice.

Money

Currency

Riel (KHR; symbol CR). Notes are in denominations of CR100,000, 50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500, 200 and 100.

Currency Exchange

US Dollars are widely accepted and exchanged as are Thai Baht close to the Thai border, but other currencies are generally only recognised at banks. There is no need to change money into Riels.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

Credit cards are now more widely accepted in upmarket hotels, shops and restaurants catering to visitors. There are ATMs in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. It is always best to carry cash (US Dollars if necessary) in small denominations.

Traveller's Cheques

Limited acceptance. Traveller’s cheques are generally not recommended. Traveller’s cheques in US Dollars can be changed at banks and some hotels, but can be difficult to change outside major cities.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 0800-1500. Some banks are open on Saturdays until 1200.

Passport/Visa

British