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All the essential information you will need to know before your journey to Cambodia. Our travel Customer Care web pages will keep you on top of all the latest happenings in Cambodia.

COUNTRY FACTS

CAPITAL

Capital of Kingdom of Cambodia is Phnom Penh. 

SUPERFICY

Inland area: 181,035 Km2
Length: 450 Km
Width: 580 km at the widest point. 

GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION

Located on the eastern coast of South-East Asian Indochinese Peninsula, Cambodia shares its borders with Thailand to the West, Thailand and Laos to the North, Vietnam to the East and the Gulf of Thailand to the Southeast. Administratively, the country composed of 21provinces, three of which have relatively short maritime boundaries, 3 municipalities, 183 districts, 1621 communes, 13406 villages. The country has a coastline of 435km and extensive mangrove stands, some of which are relatively undisturbed. Cambodia's two dominant topographical features are the Mekong River, which is almost 5km wide in places, and the Tonle Sap lake. 

POPULATION

Cambodia has 14.5 million inhabitants in 2006 with an average density of 69 inhabitants/ Km2. The most populated province and also the largest is Kampong Cham, where 14.1% Cambodians live. 90% of the population is ethnic Khmer (Cambodian), Vietnamese is the largest non-Khmer ethnic group. The rest of the population is made up of Chinese, Cham Muslims and hill tribe minorities. The dominant religion is Theravada Buddhism.
 
LANGUAGE

Khmer is the official language while the second language, spoken by many urban citizen of middle age is French. Today however, English has gained popularity among city dwellers. A guide is however duly recommended, as language can be a problem outside of main cities for people who have no knowledge of Khmer language. * Khmer (official) 95%, English, French.

CURRENCY

The official currency is the Riel (r) although US dollars are still accepted everywhere. In the West of the country, use of Thai Baht is also commonplace. At the time of writing exchange rate is US$ 1 = 4000 Riel. Traveler's cheques can be cashed only at limit number of banks and usually incur a 2 to 5% transaction fee.  Visa, Master cards, JCB, CCB and American Express are accepted now in top-end hotels, restaurant and shops in main cities of Cambodia as like Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanouk Ville but can also be subject to 2 to 3% transaction fees. You can also get cash advance with your credit card either from automated teller machines (ATM) at Canadia Bank (subject to 2 to 3% transaction fees). However there are no ATMs with access to Foreign Account, and bank are usually open from 8:00am to 3:30pm from Monday to Friday; a few open a half-day on Saturday. Depending on the country you are traveling from, the best advice is to bring either cash in USD or Euro. Note that exchange rates for small and big notes vary, so we would recommend you to bring anyway small notes in USD dollars to cope with first expenses on arrival then either 100 USD or 100 Euros bank notes. Be careful, banks and foreign exchange offices do not usually take old, scribbled or even stained bank notes.   

CLIMATE

Cambodia has a tropical monsoon climate with two seasons: dry from December to May and rainy from June to November. During the rainy season it is usually raining in the afternoon or early in the morning. Temperatures are all year long warms. Climate is changing from place to place and year to year. 

LOCAL TIME

Cambodia is 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. It is the same time zone as Thailand and Vietnam.

WATER

It is advisable not to drink water from the tap unless it is boiled properly. and the number one rule is be careful of the water and especially ice, but the round pieces with holes in them or ice at the decent restaurants should be okay. Other ice may be contaminated, as it is moved from the ice truck in blocks and is handled by staff that cut it up into small pieces. If you don't know for certain that the water is safe, assume the worst. Reputable brands of bottled water of bottle water or soft drinks are generally fine, although in some places bottles may be refilled with tap water. Only use water from containers with a serrated seal-not tops or corks. Take care with fruit juice, particularly if water may have been added. Milk should be treated with suspicion as it is often un pasteurized, though boiled milk is fine if it is kept hygienically. Tea or coffee should also be OK, since the water should have been boiled. Have a nice cold beer or coke and wipe the bottle top before you put your mouth to it.  

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The country code for telephone calls to Cambodia is 855, Phnom Penh code: 023, Siem Reap:063, and Sihanouk ville: 034,  International direct dialing can be done from the main post office, private business centers & hotels. Public telephone booths can be found in the main post office and main hotels/restaurants.           

HEALTH & MEDICAL FACILITIES

Inoculation for yellow fever is a legal requirement for entry Cambodia for people coming from an infected area. There is otherwise no vaccination required, but visitors are however advised to receive inoculations against hepatitis A and B, typhoid and tetanus. Tablets for malaria are not necessary although doctors still usually recommend them. Phnom Penh and Siem Reap have good hospital staff with foreign medical personnel, however for live threatening injury it is advisable to be evacuated to Bangkok or Singapore and therefore strongly recommended to take out medical travel insurance.

TRANSPORTATION

There are two international airports in Cambodia: Phnom Penh International airport in Phnom Penh located at 20 minutes from the town centre and Siem Reap airport at 7 km from the heart of the town. Road network have improved but still need to be upgraded in some areas. To cover a distance, it is reasonable to count an average speed of 50 km / hour. By speedboat, it takes 5 hours from Phnom Penh to reach Siem Reap. Helicopter sightseeing in Angkor has become available using safe helicopters flown by qualified pilots. 

DRIVING

In Cambodia, we drive on the right side. International Driving license is not valid, only owners of a Cambodian driving license are allowed to drive a car. Renting a motorbike is possible in Phnom Penh and Sihanouk Ville but not in Siem Reap. For security reason, we will although not recommend it in Phnom Penh to inexperienced drivers.  

SHOPPING

In Cambodia all sorts of goods and manufactured products can be found. From antiques, silver items, jewellery, gems to silk, Cambodia offers a large range of beautiful handicraft products. Prices displayed are usually fixed, but in other cases, bargaining is recommended.

TIPPING

Tipping is not mandatory although it is appreciated. Note that prices in hotels and restaurants are usually including 10% for VAT and 5% for services charges.
TRAVEL TRIP
ACCESS

Please find below a list of carriers offering services into Cambodia:

Note that the main hub for connecting flights is Bangkok.

VISA AND PASSPORT

A visa is compulsory to enter Cambodia except for citizens of Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand. To obtain a visa, you must first ensure your passport will be valid for at least 6 months after your returning date.

VISITOR

There are 2 options at the moment to obtain visa for Cambodia:

• You can obtain your visa on arrival at the international checkpoints of Phnom Penh International airport in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airport. For people arriving overland from Thailand, Vietnam or Laos, visas must be arranged prior to arrival. Point of entry has to be clearly mentioned on the visa application.
• Visas can be delivered directly at Cambodian Embassies and Consulates abroad

AIRPORT TAXES

International airport tax from Phnom Penh: US$ 25.00 per person.   
International airport tax from Siem Reap: US$ 25.00 per person.
Domestic airport tax from Phnom Penh: US$ 6.00 per person.
Domestic airport tax from Siem Reap: US$ 6.00 per person.

BEFORE GOING

If you are traveling in Cambodia from October to March warm clothes are recommended and especially appropriate all in the northern and highlands area, in the south, light clothing is a must all year long. Although you can find all these products in Cambodia, we will also recommend you to take products for mosquitoes and for sun, a cap or a hat, sunglasses, a raincoat and a small bag to carry few things in case you have to leave your big suitcases at the hotel for few days.

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