Cambodia essential info
Cambodia is a captivating land of beautiful temples, wild jungle, unspoiled countryside, colonial architecture and sandy beaches
Travel in Cambodia: vital statistics
Capital of Cambodia: Phnom Penh
Population of Cambodia: 14.5 million
Languages in Cambodia: Khmer. Chinese and Vietnamese also spoken.
Time in Cambodia: GMT+7
International dialling code in Cambodia: +855
Voltage in Cambodia: 220AC 50 Hz
Visas for Cambodia: Cambodia visas
Money in Cambodia: Riel (CRI). US dollars are useful and in the west, Thai Baht is common place. There is very limited acceptance of major credit cards outside of the major banks and Western-orientated restaurants. US dollars traveller’s cheques are much easier to exchange than traveller’s cheques in other countries. Tipping is not expected but wages are low so a little tip can go a long way.
Cambodia travel advice: Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Cambodia tourist board: Tourism of Cambodia
When to go to Cambodia
Cambodia’s dry season runs from November to April and the weather is ideal from December to February when humidity is at its lowest – although this is also the busiest time for tourists.
The wet season isn’t such a bad time to visit. Hotel rates are lower and it only rains for short periods each day. Travelling by boat is easier in the wet season as the rivers are higher but road travel can be tricky as sections of the road become impassable.
Cambodia’s jungles are bursting with lush foliage throughout the year. The Mekong river’s Irrawady dolphins are more easily spotted in the dry season.
This is also the best time to visit Tonlé Sap (Southeast Asia’s largest fresh water lake) since the water birds for which it’s famous are in greater concentration.
The lively
Bon Om Tuk water festival usually takes place in November with boat races in
Phnom Penh.
Chaul Chnam (Khmer New Year) in April is a huge celebration.
International airports
Pochentong (PNH) 12km from Phnom Penh.
Angkor (REP) 8km from Siem Reap.
Sihanoukville (KOS) 18km East of the town.
Getting around in Cambodia
Several local carriers fly between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. The journey is an easy 45 minutes but the airlines serving this route come and go out of business worryingly quickly.
Boats run between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh via Tonlé Sap, with the express service taking just 5 hours but they are pricey in comparison with bus services.
Express bus services run between Phnom Penh and Cambodia’s other major towns from as little as $4. In peak season, spaces fill up quickly. It’s advisable to buy tickets at the bus station the day before you plan to leave – at the latest.
Cambodian towns lack public transport but taxi, tuk-tuk and motobike taxis are plentiful and hiring bicycles is a fun way to get around.
There are no longer any passenger trains running on Cambodia’s crumbling rail network. The brave can try hitching a lift on a cargo train but at an average speed of 20mph journeys are painfully slow.
Ardent rail fans should try the bamboo trains running around Battambang. It costs $8 to hire a private bamboo train but sharing your carriage with pigs, motorbikes and mounds of rice is what makes the experience.
Cambodia accommodation
Accommodation in Cambodia’s main draws – Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville – covers the whole spectrum from luxury palaces where you can spend up to £300 a night to budget rooms from as little as £4.
Further afield, accommodation tends to be limited to basic
guesthouses, but these often family-run establishments are a great way to give back to the community if you choose the right one.
Cambodia food & drink
For the uninitiated, Cambodian cuisine is closest to Thai but the spices are less pronounced.
Chicken or fish amok – a coconut, chilli and lemongrass curry served in a banana leaf - is delicious. Other delicacies include krolon (sticky rice and coconut steamed in bamboo) and nem (parcels of fish-meat).
Vegetarians will usually have no problems but it is easier for those who can live with the occasional drop of fish sauce or shared woks.
The national beer is the very quaffable Angkor and for those undaunted by howling hangovers, local spirits such as rice wine aren’t bad either.
Health & safety in Cambodia
Landmines persist in extremely remote locations so if you do plan to go off the beaten track, take a local guide.
Inoculations against typhoid, hepatitis and tetanus are advisable but consult your GP or travel clinic first.
There is no malaria in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap but those venturing further afield should consider taking anti-malarials. Drink water only from sealed bottles.