Cambodia is the successor state of the once powerful Hindu and Buddhist Khmer Empire, which ruled most of the Indochinese Peninsula between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries.
A citizen of Cambodia is usually identified as “Cambodian” or “Khmer”, though the latter strictly refers to ethnic Khmers. Most Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists of Khmer extraction, but the country also has a substantial number of predominantly Muslim Cham, as well as ethnic Chinese, Vietnamese and small animist hill tribes.
The country borders Thailand to its west and northwest, Laos to its northeast and Vietnam to its east and southeast. The geography of Cambodia is dominated by the Mekong River and the Tonle (fresh water lake), an important source of fish.
Cambodia’s main industries are garments, tourism and construction. In 2007, foreign visitors to Angkor Wat numbered more than 4 million.
It has two distinct seasons. The rainy season, which runs from May to October, can see temperatures drop to 22C and is generally accompanied with high humidity. The dry season lasts from November to April when temperatures can raise to 40C around April.
The best months to visit Cambodia are November to January when temperature and humidity are lower.
Cambodia is divided into 20 provinces and four province-level municipalities.
The capital is Phnom Penh
The main cities are Pailin, Sihanouk Ville and Kep.
Population: 13.000.000
Calling code: +855
GMT: +7
Currency: Riel (KHR)
VISA
All foreign visitors can obtain the Cambodia visa upon arrival at the airport. It is not necessary to get the visa at the Cambodian Embassy before the visit. You just have to prepare:
-Passport photocopy
-1 photo (3x4 cm)
-20 US$
It is the same by land; you can get your visa at the border. Prepare the same documents as above.
You can cross the border at Aranyapathet-Poi pet and Trat-Koh Kong from Thailand and Moc Bai – Bavet from Vietnam. Because of a high level of corruption in Cambodia, they might ask you to give them extra money for your visa. You don’t have to; don’t be intimidated, you may have to wait a little longer though.
If you want to get your visa done before arriving, you can apply in any Cambodian embassies or authorized travel agencies.
The Cambodian visa validity is 30 days from the date of issue, not from the date of entry.
THE MUST SEE AND HOW TO GET THERE
-Angkor Wat (Siem Reap)
If you arrive from Thailand in Poi pet you can either take a taxi or a bus. If you can team up with other travelers; take a taxi. It’s quicker than the bus and more comfortable. At the border they will tell you there is no other transport than the bus; it’s wrong. Just walk around next to the border and you will find taxis. The price should be 8 US$ per person for bus, if you are willing to take it, and 40 US$ for taxi. From Phnom Penh you can either take a bus from Phnom Penh Sorya transport, next to Phsar Thmey (Central Market) a plane or the boat.
-Kratie
From Phnom Penh, there are direct buses you can catch from Phnom Penh Sorya transport bus station, next to Phsar Thmey (Central Market). From Siem Reab, you must go by bus to Kan Pong Cham. From there take another bus to Kratie.
-Sihanouk Ville
From Phnom Penh, there are direct buses you can take from Phnom Penh Sorya transport bus station, next to Phsar Thmey (Central Market). If you want you can also take a minibus. You will find them around the station.
-Kampot
From Phnom Penh there are direct buses you can take from Phnom Penh Sorya transport bus station, next to Phsar Thmey (Central Market). If you want you can also take a minibus. You will find them around the bus station.
-Tuol Sleng S-21, museum of genocide/Killing Fields (Phnom Penh)
To go to the museum of genocide and the Killing Fields, you can book a tour from your hotel or you can rent a motorbike and go by yourself. I know driving in Phnom Penh seems scary but, just follow the flow and everything will be fine. Keep in mind the biggest one has the priority.
-Phnom Penh
Most of you will be arriving at the international airport, but for the others if you are in Siem Reab you can either take a plane, a bus or a boat. It all depends on your taste.
TRAINS IN CAMBODIA
There is only one train service in Cambodia from Phnom Penh to Battambang. The train only runs once a week on Saturday. If you have time the journey can be a good experience. Be ready for delays.
| Phnom Penh – Battambang | ||
| Train station | Saturday | |
| Phnom Penh | Depart | O6:20 |
| Pursat | Arr/Dep | 14:00 |
| Battanbang | Arrival | 20:00 |
Train runs on Saturday only.
| Battambang – Phnom Penh | ||
| Train station | Saturday | |
| Battambang | Depart | O6:40 |
| Pursat | Arr/Dep | 12:00 |
| Phnom Penh | Arrival | 19:00 |
Phnom Penh to Battambang is 275km
The price of the ticket is 5 US$
BUSES IN CAMBODIA
Since there is only one railway line, buses are the most convenient option to travel in Cambodia.
From Phnom Penh you can easily go to; Siem Reap (Angkor Wat), Sihanouk Ville, Poi pet, Battambang, Kratie, Kampot and Ratanak Kiri.
There is no centralized station in Phnom Penh. Buses from different companies depart from different stations. One of the largest stations in Phnom Penh is; Phnom Penh Sorya transport, next to Phsar Thmey (Central Market).
From this bus station you can go to all the cities listed above. The company name is Phnom Penh Sorya transport.
| Phnom Penh – Siem Reap – Phnom Penh | |||||||
| Departure time | Price | ||||||
| From PP | 7:00am | 7:45am | 8:45am | 11:30am | 12:45pm | 1:45pm | 4 US$ |
| From SR | 7:00am | 7:15am | 7:30am | 8:30 am | 12:30pm | 1:30pm | |
Runs Daily, Air-conditioning
| Phnom Penh – Sihanouk Ville – Phnom Penh | |||||||
| Departure time | Price | ||||||
| From PP | 7:00am | 8:00am | 9:00am | 11:30am | 12:45pm | 1:45pm | 4 US$ |
| From SV | 7:10am | 8:00am | 9:00am | 12:15pm | 1:15 pm | 2:15pm | |
Runs Daily, Air-conditioning
| Phnom Penh – Kampot – Phnom Penh | |||
| Departure time | Price | ||
| From PP | 7:30am | 1:15pm | 4 US$ |
| From Kampot | 7:30am | 12:30pm | |
Runs Daily, Air-conditioning
| Phnom Penh – Kratie – Phnom Penh | |||
| Departure time | Price | ||
| From PP | 7:15am | 8:00am | 5.25 US$ |
| From Kratie | 7:15am | 9:30am | |
Runs Daily, Air-Conditioning
International Bus:
If you are traveling by land in Southeast Asia you can also go to Bangkok, Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and Laos’s border by bus.
| From Phnom Penh | Departure time | Price |
| To Bangkok | 6:30am | 15 US$ |
| To Laos’s Border | 7:00am | 17 US$ |
| To Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) | 6:45am, 8:00am 11:30am, 13:00pm | 12 US$ |
The Buses from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, Saigon and Laos’s border run daily. They all have air-conditioning and Video TV.
For more information about timetable you can access:
-www.ppsoryatransport.com/index.php?page=schedule
BOATS IN CAMBODIA
There are eight boat companies providing services between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and one boat company operating Phnom Penh to Chau Doc. Since there is limited numbers of passenger travel, boat companies are taking turn to cruise, one company a day. 7:00AM is the departure time. Ticket should be bought at least one day in advance. All boats are equipped with air-conditioner.
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap:
-Departure daily at 7:00am
-Journey will take 5-6 hours but might be extended depending on the water level.
-25 US$. If you book through an agency you may find cheaper.
Phnom Penh to Chau Doc:
-Departure daily at 9:00am
-Journey will take 4-5 hours
-Operated by Hang Chau Boat Company
-15 US$ per ticket
PLANE IN CAMBODIA
If you want to fly from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh click on the window below to check price and timetable.
PLANE TO CAMBODIA
If you still don’t know which airline you want to fly with, you can click on the window above to check price and timetable. If you live in central Europe I recommend you to take easy jet or ryanair to London because the price of the ticket is usually cheaper.
HOTELS & ACCOMMODATION
For hotel reservation you can access Hotels combined which offers more than 200.000 hotels in 20.000 thousands destinations across 195 countries. Click on the window bellow to check the price for hotel across Australia. Many languages are available on this website.
If you are a budget traveler you can still find the price that will suit your budget. Hostel world offers you a search over 17.000 hostels in over 168 countries. To check the prices or make a reservation click on the window below. Many languages are available on the website.
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