Cambodia Information
A visit to Cambodia is truly a unique experience. Once the greatest city in the world, with more than one million inhabitants, Angkor dominates Cambodia, not only the past but also the present. The first impression of Angkor Wat is unforgettable. That Angkor is not listed as one of the Seven Wonders of classical antiquity is easy to explain; it hadn't yet been build, and the Greeks had no idea that Cambodia existed. But Angkor is greater then the Seven Wonders. It surpasses them all, individually and even collectively. There is nowhere else like it in the world. One has to see Angkor to believe it.
But Cambodia is much more than only Angkor. Phnom Penh, beautiful situated at the Tonlé Sap and Mekong Rivers, is probably the most beautiful capital of the former Indochina. Old french colonial buildings are witnesses of the rich past. The splendour of the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. The National Museum has precious pieces of old Khmer art. S-21 Tuol Sleng, the former torture place, now a museum, and the Killing Fields are witnesses of the dark past during the regime of the Khmer Rouges of Pol Pot.
The countryside of Cambodia consists of endless rice fields where the farmers live and work almost the same way as centuries ago during the period of the Angkor empire. Their daily life influenced by nature. A walk though rice fields and small villages is a fascinating experience.
On the Tonlé Sap lake, the biggest lake of Southeast Asia, people live in floating villages and make their living from catching fish.
The south of Cambodia has besides beautiful beaches and the sea resort town of Sihanoukville, also beautiful national parks like the Ream National Park and the Bokor Mountain National Park.
The mighty Mekong river slingers through the country and is the habitat of the endangered fresh water dolphins.
Ethnic minority people like the Kreung, the Phnong and the Tapuon live in the mountainous northeast of the country. Each with its own way of living like generations ago.
The Cambodian people are very friendly and hospitable to visitors who want to discover their country. There is peace at last after many years of war and it is now safe to travel in the country. The Cambodians are optimistic and seize the opportunity to rebuild their country. Now is the time to discover this beautiful, fascinating country and its people.
Sua s'dei! Welcome!
Highlights of Cambodia
- The temples of Angkor
- Irrawaddy dolphins
- Apsara Dance
- Yaklom Lake
- Bokor Mountain National Park
- Preah Vihear
- Ream National Park
- Sihanoukville
- National Museum Phnom Penh
- Bonn Om Tuk water festival
- Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
- The Russian Market
- Cambodian cuisine
- A boat trip on the Sangker River and the Tonle Sap lake
Practical Information about Cambodia
Visas and Passport
Visas are required for all western tourists. These are issued on arrival
at Phnom Penh and Seam Reap International Airports and at all overland
crossings from Thailand and Vietnam. You have to obtain an advance visa
if crossing overland from Laos at Voen Kham. A single-entry tourist visa
(20 US$, one passport photograph required) is valid for 30 days. Your
passport has to be valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of
your trip.
Health
Make sure you have medical insurance. Hospitals in Cambodia are very
basic. In case of serious sickness or emergency go to Thailand for medical
care. See our Health page for more general information about health.
Money and Banks
The currency of Cambodia is called Riel. For the currency exchange rate click here. Dollars are everywhere accepted,
for small and large purchases. Travelers' cheques from American Express
of Thomas Cook can be cashed in at banks. Buy travelers' cheques in
US dollars, other currencies can not be cashed in everywhere. Credit
cards are only accepted at deluxe hotels and restaurants. ATMs can
be found in Phnom Penh and Seam Reap.
Electricity
Electricity in Cambodia is 220V, 50 Hz. Power sockets are generally of
the round, two-pin variety. Adapters can be bought at markets and supermarkets.
Power cuts are frequent in the provinces.
Communications
Postcards sent from Cambodia to western countries take about 5 to 10
days to arrive
To telephone to Cambodia from home, dial your international access code
followed by 855, then the local area code (minus the initial zero), then
the number.
To call home from Cambodia, dial 001 (or 007) + your country code + area
code without the initial zero + the number.
In the capital and provincial cities there are many internet cafes for
checking and sending email.
Cambodia in Books
- Gecko Trails by Carol Livingstone
- Off the rails in Phnom Penh - Guns, Girls and Ganja by Amit Gilboa
- A Dragon Apparent by Norman Lewis
- Tiger Balm by Lucretia Stewart
- Angkor - An Introduction to the Temples by Dawn Rooney
- Travels in Siam, Cambodia, Laos and Annam by Henri Mouhot
- History of Cambodia by David Chandler
- Brother Number One - A Political Biography of Pol Pot by David Chandler
- Voices from S-21 by David Chandler
- Sihanouk - Prince of Light, Prince of Darkness by Milton Osbourne
- First They Killed My Father by Luong Ung
- When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him
- Stay Alive My Son by Pin Yathay
Cambodia in Films
- Lord Jim starring Peter O'Toole (1964)
- The Killing Fields (1984)
- Apocalypse Now, Director Francis Ford Coppola starring Marlon Brando
and Martin Sheen (1979)
- Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie (2000)
- Beneath the Banyan Tree, Director Matt Dillon starring James Caan
and Gerard Depardieu (2001)
Time
Cambodia is 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or Universal
Time Coordinated (UTC). When it is midday in Cambodia, it is 1 am in New
York, 5 am in London, 6 am in Amsterdam and 3 pm in Sydney.
Opening Hours
Government Offices are open Monday to Saturday from 07.30-11.30
and from 14.00-17.30. but don't come too early or too late, as the officers
may not be there yet or have left already.
Banks are usually open from 08.30 till 15.30.
Crime and personal safety
After years of war Cambodia is now at peace and is safe again
for tourists to visit. In Phnom Penh watch out for pickpockets, also
by begging children. Do not venture out in the city after 10 pm. Keep
all your valuables at the hotel safe.
Upcountry stay on the roads and paths. There are still many landmines
buried in the countryside. Do not leave the roads in the countryside,
even when you have to go for a "toilet emergency"!
Climate
Cambodia is a tropical country and the weather is warm all year
round. Cambodia has 3 seasons. The cool season (November to February) is
cool with temperatures in the mid- to upper 20s Celsius. In the hot season
(March to May) the temperatures and humidity rise with peak daytime temperatures
of 35C. Do as the locals and avoid the midday heat. The rainy season (June
to October) brings rain on the whole of Cambodia. The rain falls mostly
in the afternoon and evening. The countryside turns lush and green again.
Organizations we support in Cambodia
Monsoon Adventure supports various organizations in Cambodia.
In Phnom Penh we support Friends by
having lunch or dinner in their restaurant. Friends is an organization
which helps street children.
In Stung Treng in the northeast of Cambodia we visit the weaving project
of the Stung Treng
Women's Development Center (SWDC), a project which gives woman a
chance for learning skills and employment.
Monsoon Adventure supports the project of Handicap International Belgium
in Siem Reap, a project where victims of landmines can receive a prosthesis
and physiotherapy treatment. More information and photos about this Handicap
International Belgium project.
Discover the real Cambodia with the Monsoon Adventure Group Tours.
