Cambodia, a beautiful country filled with amazing people, some of the most jaw-dropping temples on the planet, and a rich, sometimes quite tragic history. But I’ve recently spent 3 weeks exploring the length and breadth of the country, and I’ve put together the most comprehensive travel guide for visiting Cambodia, right now.
Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia, right next to Thailand and just below Vietnam. Another thing is if you visit Thailand, you should plan a trip to Cambodia. It’s also a budget-friendly destination, as well as a very underrated destination.
When To Visit
the wet season it’s hot, and in the summer it’s very hot. Now, the wet season runs from May to September, and the dry season runs from October to April. So, the best chance you can have to visit there is just as the wet season is ending, so it’s not super hot with also not going to rain every single day. And if you do find yourself in a bit of a wet spell, they do sell these plastic raincoat poncho things to keep you dry; they’re good things to keep around.
Accommodation
I’m staying there in the hotels because it’s very cheap. In other more expensive countries, I try to stay in hostels and dorms, like in Costa Rica. In Thailand, also, some places I stay in hostels and dorms though Thailand is budget-friendly, but the Thailand trip is too long, so I had to cut my budget. But in Cambodia, I stay less than a month, so it’s comfortable to stay in good quality hotels. Also you must try Airbnb for hotels they always have good deals and easy to use.
Transportations
Actually, getting around the country is fairly well-served by two main modes of transport. Again, around big distances, buses and boats are the best options. The best websites to use are “Camboticket” and “12Go Asia” by far the best websites for booking any sort of transportation around the country. Getting around also isn’t that expensive; it’s pretty cheap to get bus tickets and boat tickets while you’re in among the cities.
A fantastic app to use is Grab. Now, Grab is amazing for the whole of Southeast Asia, but in Cambodia, they have Grab TukTuks. So, Grab TukTuks are definitely worth using.
Scooters
Something that was a little strange is scooters are extremely common in the whole of Southeast Asia, but in Cambodia, there really weren’t that many places to hire them, like in Thailand you will find scooters anywhere you go. And the roads were absolutely crazy around there. So, hiring a scooter is not something that’s really that comfortable to do. The only place I recommend doing it is Kampot further mainland and on Koh Rong because there’s no other way of getting around. And in Kampot, it’s going to cost you between 5 and 8 dollars a day. They tend to rent and Encourage tents are a bit more expensive, it’s about $10 a day.
Currency
The currency in the country now is a bit complex as they use two different currencies: the dollar and the riel, which can get a little bit confusing. But to make things simple, $1 equals 4000 riel. Now, you’ll get thousands and thousands of riel, but you’re not a billionaire; it’s just that the currency is so incredibly inflated. That’s how it works. Generally, if you spend, say, $20, on your change, it’s going to be less than $10; they’ll give you that change in the equivalent riel. Sometimes you’re getting dollars, but generally, that’s how it will work because they’re using both currencies. To let you know where you have to pay with, how much do things actually cost will generally.
Budget: My cost for hotels and foods
Things actually cost will generally: hotels there will cost from between $10 and $9 upwards. Food will generally be $2 enough from in markets and around $6 or $7 and upwards in restaurants. Alcoholic drinks do cost a bit more but rates still revolve around $2 or $3 for a cocktail and bottles of water around 50 cents.
My Recommendation Rout Map
So, the highly recommended plan after arriving in Phnom Penh is first to spend a bit of time there, then to head to Siem Reap, and then Battambang. Head your way back down to Phnom Penh because that’s the way the transport system works. Then make your way down to Kampot and then around to Sihanoukville, waiting at the ferry to the islands.
Phnom Penh
Come on, folks, got your back on, and you’re ready to start exploring. First thing you have to do is you gotta go and see the Killing Fields, pay respects, because it’s such a traumatic, sad part of the country’s history, but it’s one that you have to learn while you’re there. So go there, take it all in, and just see really what is the tragic path of the country’s history. After that, you can move on to things like going to see Silk Island, and of course, the Central and the night markets as well. They are good things to go and see. Be careful when eating there because I did get food poisoning, so just be careful. Replace safe if you want them, don’t get anything with meat in it. After that, you can go and see the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. Hopefully, now it’ll be open for you guys. And you can also go to the Cambodian National Museum. That’s worth a visit.
Siem Reap
And as you’re making your way up to Siem Reap, you have to visit Angkor Wat. Now, Angkor Wat is one of the most popular places in Cambodia because of Angkor Wat, which is without a doubt the most stunning temple I have ever seen in my entire life. If you’re in Cambodia, you have to go and see it. So, pay a visit there, do the surrounding temples, then make your way to the floating villages. Also, try a Cambodian cooking class while you’re there, and then head to the Phare Circus, which is a great circus run by all the locals and it helps them out a lot.
Battambang
After Siem Reap, you can make your way down to Battambang, where there are some amazing temples. Also, there are Killing Caves and Bat Caves which are worth seeing. Also, try the Bamboo Train, which is basically a bamboo platform contraption that runs along the abandoned Cambodian railway. The locals operate the Bamboo Train, so go and try that out as well.
Kampot: A hidden Gem
But from Battambang, a funny thing you have to do.I want you to arrive in Kampot. It’s so nice; there are things to do here as well. You’ve got the pepper farms, as well as the salt fields to take a look at. Kampot’s got really good nightlife as well; you can go and have a few drinks there. Also, maybe take a ride up and down the river on a boat cruise at night; that’s good fun as well.
Islands: Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem
And then you can make your way down to is Sihanoukville. Now, there isn’t really that much to see there, but it’s just the linking point between the mainland and the islands.
Now, the islands, the two of them, are Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem. Koh Rong is the bigger of the two and the one that most people go to, but Koh Rong Samloem tends to be the one that’s a bit nicer and a little bit less rowdy and crowded. So, heading to the islands is basically just to get a taste of the island life in Cambodia. Everything there is really pretty basic.
If you want to have a good hostel to stay in, I recommend staying at the Nest Beach Club because they do some parties and stuff as well, so you can have a good time there. You can get around the island using a motorbike; it’s quite difficult to get to the main roads, but once you’re there, it’s quite easy to get around. So, just take some time here on your trip to wind down, relax, enjoy the sun, the clear waters, maybe going to see the bioluminescent plankton as well because it’s a pretty cool sight to behold. So, that’s basically the route you can take. Now, again, it’s a more specific thing.
Visiting Temples
Yeah, all right, so a little bit of etiquette when it comes to temples and Buddha. So, for temples, if you’re going to attend, guys should be fine wearing a T-shirt and shorts, but for girls, you have to have your shoulders and your knees covered, so it’s best to wear T-shirts and trousers. You gotta respect the culture, and sometimes the temples as well, it’s best to remove your shoes if you want to go in; taking your shoes off is absolutely fine, which just makes sure you pay respects. Another thing to bear in mind is it’s highly disrespectful to have any tattoos of Buddha, so you might be tempted while you’re there, but just don’t do it. Top of Form
My Favorite places
Places from Cambodia were Siem Reap, Battambang, and Kampot. Because I swear this is my favorite things like the bamboo train, the Cambodian cooking class, later about Maya food when you get to the country fairly early on, it’s going to be beneficial. So when you’re going out for food, you know exactly what you’re eating and what stuff’s in what. Also, you cannot miss the floating village if you’re going to Koh Rong. Definitely try to see the plankton at night because that’s the quietest, surreal experience. And last but not least, I’m going to walk you up absolutely have to go there if you’re in Cambodia. It will blow your mind. Get there for the sunrise and just savor it because it’s unbelievable.
Is It Safe?
So, as for how safe is the country, well, in my entire time there, at no point did I feel in any sort of dangerous or risky situation. The locals are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, honestly, so nice. Just respect the people, respect their culture, and everything will be fine. One thing to pay close attention to is stray dogs. Don’t go trying to touch them, don’t try and stroke them because some of them will have rabies, and not all of them are friendly. They will attack you if they do not feel comfortable with you approaching them.
So, that’s all the things you should know before you visit. I try to cover everything in one blog. Beside anything you want to know just comment blew.
