Country Dossier for Cambodia The Facts Brief History All other nationalities require a visa to visit Cambodia. A tourist visa is valid for 90 days from the date of issue. We recommend that you apply for your visa before you leave your home country. Please check with your nearest embassy for processing times and conditions along with the latest visa requirements for your nationality before you leave your home country. Please note: All travellers must arrive on day 1 with valid visas for entry into Cambodia. Buying your visa online is a fast and effective way of ensuring your visa is ready for entry/the border crossing. You can also visit http://www.travcour.com for current visa information. Border Crossings Between Thailand & Cambodia: Money US Dollars are widely accepted in Cambodia. In Phnom Penh and other towns many goods and services are priced in US$ but in some instances you may need to pay a combination of US$ and KHR. Changing Money, Credit Cards & ATMs Working Out Your Budget Entrance Fees Angkor Wat complex (including the main temples and surrounding area) costs US$20 for one day Optional Excursions Local Transport Food & Drink Approximate costs for meals and snacks are as follows: Approximate costs for drinks bought in a shop in the street are as follows: Prices in restaurants and hotels can be as much as double those specified. It is not recommended that you drink the local tap water in Cambodia. However bottled water, soft drinks and fruit juices are widely available. Tipping Bargaining Weather Visit www.worldclimate.com to get an idea of what the weather will be like on your trip. Security Landmines: Sadly, Cambodia has several million anti personnel mines buried around the country. Therefore if you are travelling on your own at any time, you should be supervised by an experienced local guide when visiting remote sites. Local Food & Drink In major towns and cities you will be able to buy cuisines of nearby countries such as Thai and Vietnamese, as well as foreign cuisines and the occasional baguette and crème caramal; a manifestation of the bygone French colonial period. Drinks Vegetarians National Holidays Emergency Contact Alternatively contact our Operations department at the Tucan Travel office in London (office hours - 9am to 5.30pm local time): Please note that this number is a service for emergency calls only. We respectfully request that you consider the urgency of your enquiry. Non-urgent enquiries should be made during office hours. Please be considerate of time zones. Last Updated 22/01/09
After a period of colonization beginning mid 19th century, Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953 and became a constitutional monarchy under King Norodom Sihanouk. In 1970, a military coup led by Prime Minister General Lon Nol and Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak outsed King Sihanouk. Sihanouk realigned himself with the communist Khmer Rouge rebels and overthrew Lol Non’s pro-United States government in a bitter civil war which ended in 1975. Following on, the Khmer Rouge, led by the infamous Pol Pot, saw the death of anywhere from 1.7-3 million Cambodians. These innocent people were killed, tortured, or left to starve because they were linked to the previous regime, civil servants, people of education or of religion, critics of the Khmer Rouge or Marxism, or simply resistant to the regime’s brutality. In 1979 the regime was deposed after an invasion by Vietnam, but warfare between the Vietnamese and the Khmer Rouge continued throughout the 1980s. In recent times, stability has returned to Cambodia and more and more travelers are recognizing the appeal of the country’s natural beauty and peoples’ resolve.
Visas
Citizens of Malaysia or the Philippines are permitted to enter Cambodia without a visa.
Between Vietnam & Cambodia:
Cambodian side - Poipet
Thailand side - Aranya Prathet
Prices quoted in this country dossier are in US dollars (US$), unless otherwise specified.
Local Currency.
The monetary unit in Cambodia is the Riel (KHR). For up to date exchange rates with your own currency visit www.oanda.com or www.xe.com.
Bank and exchange counters are available in cities and towns. Larger hotels will also exchange cash and traveller’s cheques.
We suggest you take a combination of US$ cash and travellers cheques; however, other currencies can be exchanged if you cannot obtain US$. Travellers cheques can be difficult to cash outside major cities. Some banks will accept credit card cash advances but this can be expensive.
Our Asia & Russia pre departure information includes a general list of all the things you should take into consideration when budgeting and an estimate of what you should allow per day for spending money. Below are some specific notes relevant to our tours in Cambodia.
Generally speaking most entrance fees will be covered by the recommended spending money. There are, however, other sites and museums that are not part of the tour programme which you may wish to visit in your free time. If you have an International Student Card you will often be entitled to reduced entrance fees. The following will give you an idea of some entrance fees (all prices are approximate and are likely to change due to local inflation or exchange rates):
Tuol Sleng Museum (Museum of Genocide – formally S-21) - US$2.
Royal Palace & National Museum in Phnom Penh US$3 (you are charged extra for cameras/video cameras)
Most excursions and entrance fees are NOT included in the local payment and you can therefore choose as many or as few optional excursions as you like! A full list of the main excursions available on each tour can be found on the optional excursions guide, available to download on our website. All prices given are approximate and are likely to change due to local inflation or exchange rates.
When you have free time to sightsee on your own you’ll be able to experience the local transport. In Cambodia you’ll find that most tourists use motorbike taxis or tuk-tuks to get around as they are the cheapest method of transport (around US$2). In major cities drivers can speak English although this isn’t always the case. Many people like to hire their own motorbike, which will cost around US$6 per day (bicycles are available to hire for approx US$1).
Meals and drinks are generally not included on our tours in Cambodia.
Simple snack: US$0.50
Light meal: US$1-3
Fancy restaurant: US$5-20
1l of water - US$0.30
30cl bottle of soft drink - US$1
30cl bottle of local beer - US$1.5-2.5
Although tipping may not be a custom to you at home, locals here depend on your tips as many of them have families and children to support. Tucan Travel aim to support the local community on every tour by staying in locally operated hotels and employing local guides for many excursions.
In South East Asia we operate a compulsory tipping kitty system to save you money and embarrassment in countries where tipping is a way of life and where requests for tips can be infuriatingly persistent. Each member of the group contributes to the kitty (approx US$15 per person per week) and this is then used to pay tips to any people who provide services to the group as a whole e.g. guides, porters, drivers, housekeeping staff in hotels etc. The tour leader administers these tips.
Bargaining is a way of life in much of South East Asia and in markets and shops you are pretty much expected to bargain for your goods. It is nothing to be afraid of and, in fact, can be quite fun! Please bear in mind it is considered disrespectful to agree a final price but then walk away.
Cambodia’s warmest month is April, and temperatures can often reach up to 40ºC (105ºF); however, temperatures are warm From December onward. Monsoon season falls from May to October and at this time temperatures are still in the low thirties (high eighties).
Cambodia is a safe and friendly country but in any foreign place you should exercise a reasonable degree of caution. Be sensible (NOT paranoid). Don’t walk around lonely back streets, especially on your own or at night, don’t wear expensive looking jewellery or a classy watch and don’t carry a wallet in your back pocket. Don’t carry your camera openly; always have it in a small day pack which is firmly attached to your body, preferably in the front in crowded places. Take particular care not to become too relaxed if you have had a few drinks and are returning to your hotel at night – it is best to always take a taxi. Always wear a money belt or leave your valuables, including your passport, in the hotel security box.
Food
In Cambodia you will find an abundance of tasty rice dishes served with dried salted fish, chicken, beef or pork, and seasoned with flavours such as chilli and mint. Soup is a popular accompaniment to most meals as well. Amok, a boneless fish cooked in coconut and spices, and sam chruk, a roll of sticky rice with soya bean and diced pork, are a couple of Cambodia’s more popular dishes. You will be able to buy a wide range of seafood and meats in most medium and upmarket restaurants. You might even feel brave enough to try chong roet – crunchy cicadas!
Cambodia is a great place to indulge in a relaxing cup of tea (consumed without sugar or milk). Coffee, soft drinks and fruit juices are widely available. Beer is easy to find as well with Ankor Beer being one of the most popular brews.
Vegetarians will find a wide variety of dishes to choose from in Cambodia as many of the local and international dishes available are vegetarian.
New Year’s Day - 1 Jan
Women’s Day - 8 Mar
Cambodian New Year - 13 Apr
Independence Day - 17 Apr
International Labour Day - 1 May
Genocide Day - 9 May
King Sihanouk’s Birthday* - 1 Nov
(*some public offices and museums close for one week over this holiday)
In the case of an emergency please contact our
Tel: +44 (0) 208 896 6700
Fax: +44 (0) 208 896 6701
Mobile: +44 (0) 78 9984 3645 (please be considerate of time differences).
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