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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

 

 

Angkor Wat

 

 

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. The exchange rate is 4,200 riel for 1 US$ (June 2008). 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.

 

Little girl fishing

 

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.

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

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

 

Silk weaving

 

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 afternoons. The countryside turns lush and green again.

Average maximum daily temperatures (°C), amount of sun hours per day and amount of days per month with rain in Phnom Penh.
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
°C 28 29 30 31 31 30 30 30 29 29 28 27
Sun hours/day 9 8 9 8 8 6 6 6 5 7 8 9
Days with rain 1 1 2 4 10 11 12 12 15 13 7 2

 

Dolphins in the Mekong river

 

 

Organizations we support in Cambodia

Monsoon Adventure supports various organizations during our Explorations. 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.

 

 

Explore Cambodia with Our Tours.

 

 

Monsoon Adventure
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