Cambodia Travel InformationGetting To Cambodia
By plane
Phnom Penh International Airport is located 7 km west of the capital. The airport in Phnom Penh receives flights from Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai, Taipei and Guangzhou. Siem Reap International Airport receives flights from Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul-Incheon, Singapore and Taipei.
Airport Tax: International departures : US$25 for adults, US$13 for children 12 and under. Domestic departure: US$6.
By Sea
From Laos there is one border crossing on the Mekong, a 2 hour boat ride north of Stung Treng. Beware of scams from border officials who usually try to make a few extra dollars from scamming tourists. From Vietnam you can travel between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh by boat, or by combination of road and boat. Boats leave daily from Chau Doc in Vietnam's Mekong Delta for the 5 hour boat trip to Phnom Penh.
By Road
You can enter Cambodia from Thailand by using the border entry point at Poi Pet. From here you can catch buses to Siem Reap. From Vietnam the Moc Bai crossing is the closest and most convenient to Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City. Both entry points have visa-on-arrival facilities at the Cambodian immigration checkpoints. Beware of scams when entering Cambodia by road. Most common is the inflation of the visa fee. To avoid this, get your visa in advance from a Cambodian embassy or consulate.
Visas
All visitors need a visa to enter Cambodia, except for citizens of Malaysia, Singapore, Laos and Philippines. The price for a tourist visa is US$20; business visa costs US$25. You will need a passport which is valid for at least 6 months and has one completely blank visa page remaining, one or two passport photocopies when applying at some embassies/consulates (not needed if applying on arrival), and clean US dollar notes with which to pay the fee to avoid paying higher prices in the local currency.
Apply in advance for a visa at a Cambodia Embassy and enjoy a 90-day validity (but must be used within 3 months). You can obtain a visa at any Cambodian embassy or consulate overseas. Visas are also available when arriving at the airport in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, as well at all six international border crossings with Thailand, some international border crossings with Vietnam, and at the main border crossing with Laos. Citizens of most countries can now also apply for an e-Visa online for US$25. The service is very convenient and you get the visa by e-mail in 3 business days. See www.mfaic.gov.kh for more information.
Custom Regulation
Duty-Free
Visitors will not be charged duty for 1 bottle of spirit, 200 cigarettes and a reasonable quantity of perfumes.
Advise: Antique items are prohibited to be taken out of Cambodia. If you have traveled to Cambodia from neighboring countries, you are best advised to declare your belongings to customs to avoid any problems when leaving Cambodia.
Money
Currency
Riel is the currency of Cambodia. The notes come in denominations of 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10 000 riels. US$ are widely accepted and easily exchanged across the country. For exchange rates click here
Credit Cards
Credit Cards are accepted by most banks and major hotels and restaurants but only in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The most commonly accepted credit card is Visa card. If you plan to travel to areas outside the major towns it is advisable to carry US Dollars in small denominations and a good supply of Riel with you.
Banking
General Banking hours are M-F 8:00AM to 3:30PM. Some banks are open on Saturday mornings.
ATM'S
ATMs can be found in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
Traveller's checks
Like credit cards travellers checks are accepted in major business establishments, such as large hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and some souvenir shops; American Express (in US$) are the most widely accepted.
Getting Around Cambodia
By road
- Taxi: In the capital taxis are located at most hotels, Central Market and the airport. Fares are Un-metered so make sure you agree to the price before your journey.
- Motorbike Taxi: Motor-bike taxis are everywhere and provide travellers with a cheap and quick way to get around Towns and Cities.
- Cars, Vans and mini-buses: Vans and mini-buses are readily available for tourist to hire to visit the temples at Angkor, or for day trips around Phnom Penh. The cost of a car plus driver would set you back around US$20+/day.
By plane
The domestic aviation scene in Cambodia is not the best by western standards.
The only airports currently operating passenger flights are Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The third major airport Sihanoukville, is expected to start receiving scheduled domestic and international flights again in early 2009 after going through a slowdown in services.
The only current operator is Siem Reap Airways www.siemreapairways.com, owned by Bangkok Airways, which flies ATR-72 turboprops between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Siem Reap Airways had its operator license suspended in December 2008, but its owner Bangkok Airways www.bangkokair.com has taken over to fill the gap.
Hotels & Accommodation
Cambodia offers a wide choice of Western-style accommodation available in the major tourist towns of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and to a lesser extent in the beach town of Sihanoukville. Hotel accommodation in Cambodia rangers from budget hotels and guesthouses to opulent five star hotels with every luxury.
Food
Khmer food is similar to Thai and Vietnamese food but not as spicy and with its own flavours, usually including rice, soups, beef, pork, noodles and fish. In addition to Khmer food, there are also many Chinese and other international restaurants in Phnom Penh and other towns around Cambodia to keep your taste buds happy.
Cambodia Nightlife
- Phnom Penh: The place to go for late night entertainment in Phnom Penh is Street 51 'The Strip', a street in Phnom Penh which runs parallel to Norodom Blvd; this is the home to most of Phnom Penh's late night entertainment and has some of the most popular bars including The Walkabout Bar, The Heart Of Darkness, Howie's Bar, Soho 2, Shanghai bar and lots more. There are many more Asian and western bars and dance clubs located around the city.
Siem Reap: Siem Reap does not have as many bars and clubs as the capitalbut still boastsalively nightlife scene with many bars concentrated near the old market on a street appropriately named Pub Street. Here you will find more than 40 bars with the more popular establishments with visitors being the Temple Bar and the Angkor What? bar.
Shopping
Phnom Penh is a bargain shopper's paradise. The first place shoppers usually head for is the yellow domed Phnom Penh Central Market. Here you will find on sale almost anything you can think of, including watches, gold and silverware, ceramics, cottons, antiques, electronic equipment, clothing, shoes, luggage and lots more.
Communication
Country code: 855, Phnom Penh code: 23. Phone cards are available and can be purchased at many outlets. The telephone networks consists of satellite, landlines, cellular and GSM which connect to Phnom Penh Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and other main cities. International dialing can be done at main postal offices, business centers, hotels or at public phone booths, which can be found on main streets.
Internet
There are many Internet cafes available in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
Television
There are 11 TV stations, including two relay stations with French and Vietnamese broadcasts. Cable television, including programming from Thailand as well as other satellite networks is also available.
Newspapers
English language newspapers, Cambodia Daily, Cambodia Times and The Phnom Penh Post, Cambodia's oldest English language paper.
Health & Security
Take basic precautions like drinking only boiled or bottled water and eating freshly cooked food. Vaccination is not required but is generally recommended that travellers get vaccinated for cholera, typhoid, tetanus, and hepatitis A and B if you are going to stay in the country for an extended time. Cambodia is a safe and friendly country to visit but always be careful in the cities at night, and be watchful of pickpockets on the streets.
