Guide: 18 tips for traveling and visiting Cambodia (our experience)

We really wanted to get to know one of the most attractive countries in all of Southeast Asia, Cambodia.

We have just returned from the trip to see its impressive Angkor temples, one of the great wonders of the world that no one should miss.

But before travel to Cambodia There are some tips that are essential to take into account to be able to fully enjoy your trip.

Do you need a visa to travel to Cambodia?

La visa to enter the country is obtained in one's own Siem Reap airport.

As soon as you land you have to go through the security check where they will ask you for several things.

On the plane they will give you a paper that you have to fill out with your personal information, such as passport number, address and other similar information.

They also ask you to provide information about your stay in the country, such as where you are going to stay. They will ask you for this paper at arrival control along with your passport.

It is important that you keep in mind that the passport the one you travel with has to have one minimum validity of 6 months from the date of entry into the country.

You must also give them a ID photo and pay 20 dollars.

What vaccines and medicines are needed to travel to Cambodia?

If you travel from Spain, vaccines are not necessary, it is only necessary if you do it from an area at risk of yellow fever.

If you are going to visit some non-touristy areas, they may recommend the typhoid vaccine.

In any case, you must consult the tropical medicine unit that corresponds to you to make sure.

Important, bring a strong mosquito repellent, and as for any trip, it is advisable to bring aspirin, ibuprofen, paracetamolEtc. ...

In the Tropical Medicine Unit Your hospital also usually prescribes some antibiotics for infections and diarrhea.

Buy insurance to travel to Cambodia

This point may be the most important advice for anyone who wants travel to southeast asia.

!!Don't even think about traveling without health insurance.!!

We never think that anything could happen to us, but if it does happen and we don't have insurance, we could have a serious problem.

La medicine in these countries is private, very expensive and not very good.

But we do not insist on taking out insurance just because of the high costs of medicine in these countries.

To give you an idea, the guide who showed us the Angkor Wat temples He told us that the rich people of the country, when something happens to them, they go to the doctor in another nearby country like Thailand

Therefore, it is essential to have insurance that guarantees good coverage in case you need repatriation or a transfer to another country for treatment.

If you are going to travel on your own, here you can hire your travel insurance.

How to buy SIM card to travel to Cambodia

Regarding your trip, if you live in Spain you have the option in advance of your trip buy a sim card which will allow you to have a data connection with the Internet on your mobile.

You also have the advantage that the eSIM card Asia It will be useful to use in other countries if on your trip you combine a visit to Cambodia with other Asian countries, such as Vietnam and Thailand.

Here you have all the information for buy the Asia multi-country SIM card, and don't forget to use the code GUIDESTRAVEL with which you will have a discount.

Where to book tours and excursions in Cambodia

Being a country with such an interesting culture and a long history, many of us choose to hire a guided tour to teach us the secrets of the city.

If this is your case, you have to know that there are many options depending on how many days you want to spend touring the city.

Here you have a wide offer of excursions in Cambodia with guide in Spanish.

Specifically, if you are going to visit the Temples of Angkor, a highly recommended option is hire a tour with a guide in Spanish like we did.

But you have other options, from a private tour of Angkor  but also two day tours o three days through the temples, and also tours that are carried out at dawn or dusk.

How to get from the airport to Siem Reap in Cambodia

For the transfer from the airport to your hotel in the center of Siem Reap, it is best not to complicate things and book a reservation in advance of your trip. private transfer which is very cheap.

You can also do it at the airport upon arrival, or at the hotels if you want to return

Another option if you don't have too much luggage is one of the numerous tuk tuks that tour the city.

The hotels are usually very close to the airport since Siem Reap, which is where you arrive by plane, is a small city and the distances are short.

What is the currency of Cambodia

La official currency in Cambodia is the Riel, but in practice it is hardly used, because to pay for everything the dollar is used; You will only see their currency when you pay for something and they give you change less than a dollar.

Both in hotels, restaurants, tuk tuks and all types of tourist centers, the main currency is the dollar.

You can also change money if you need it in the hotels or withdraw money from the ATMs around the city.

You will recognize them by a large sign that says ATM (there is no loss) where they charge you a commission of around 2 euros.

What is the weather like in Cambodia?

If something marks the Cambodia climate is strong humidity, since it is a country with tropical climate and two very different seasons.

From November to February there is not much rainfall and it is less humid, with a temperature of about 30 degrees.

During the rainy season there may be floods that can cut some roads.

In our case we went at the end of June and beginning of July, and it poured every afternoon; They told us at the hotel that it was normal at that time.

But the rest of the day it is very hot because of the skyrocketing humidity, you can't stop sweating!

With average temperatures of 35 degrees, it is advisable to drink plenty of water and it doesn't hurt to bring a towel to dry off the sweat.

The high season is between December and February, in addition to the month of August.

The sun rises at 6 a.m. in summer and 7 a.m. in winter, and sets at 19 p.m. and 18 p.m. respectively.

How to get around Cambodia by transportation?

For moving around Cambodia the best thing is the tuk tuk.

For short trips between the hotel zone and the bar streets, the price you should pay is around a dollar per person.

At night the price goes up a little; We paid 3 dollars between 2 people.

If you would like to visit the temples by tuk tuk, you will have to negotiate the price, but to give you an idea, below we indicate some indicative prices since they will depend on haggling.

To see the short route of the most important temples in Siem Riep, it would be normal to pay about 15 dollars, which in practice can take you several hours.

They wait for you at the door of the temples until you leave.

And if you want to do a complete route, a fair price should be between 20 or 25 dollars.

What to eat in Cambodia

La base of food in Cambodia is rice, as in most of Southeast Asia, with a cuisine very similar to the Chinese and Vietnamese.

Soups are very common, even for breakfast, there are some with noodels or without them.

Keep in mind that many dishes are seasoned with cilantro or coriander, ginger and hot sauces.

Duck, chicken and fish are the most used accompaniments, along with vegetables.

It is not advisable to drink water that is not bottled. due to the risk of diarrhea.

Be careful with ice, concentrated fruit juices and natural fruit smoothies; If you are not sure that the water they are made with is bottled, we do not recommend consuming them.

To avoid food poisoning. It is important to eat at stalls or restaurants where you see more local people eating, as this guarantees that the food is rotated and that it is fresh, since laws and health controls are conspicuous by their absence.

One more thing, be careful with salads, as they are usually washed with water.

We only ate salads in good hotel restaurants, which tend to take care of these details to prevent their clients from falling ill.

Of course, in Cambodia you can eat “peculiar” foods, such as snakes, crocodiles and a multitude of insects, but unlike in Vietnam, here they hardly eat dogs.

And for the heat, the beer is pretty cheap.

In some places like Street Pub in Siem Reap They have a low price fight, but a beer of about 33 cl usually costs 0,5 dollars.

Where to sleep in Cambodia?

The accommodations in Siem Reap, the most tourist destination in Cambodia, in general, tend to be very cheap, so staying in impressive 5 star hotels It is very affordable.

Staying in basic backpacker-type hotels usually costs from $5, but we insist on telling you that it is a country where you can afford to stay in authentic great hotels at good prices.

We stayed in Siem Reap at the Lotus Blanc (5 stars) and the double room can be found by booking in advance for less than 50 euros, a bargain, a real luxury hotel at that price!

What to wear in Cambodia

When it's very hot. it is advisable to carry light clothing and don't press so as not to overwhelm you.

It is important to bring sunscreen. because the sun is strong when it comes out, as well as sunglasses. oilskin or umbrella in the rainy season.

When you go to enter the temples. It is mandatory to wear your shoulders covered and pants that cover your knees.

The head must be uncovered. and to enter the temples in the prayer areas it is mandatory to take off your shoes.

Rules for visiting temples

In addition to the advice on clothing that we have just discussed, there are a few more things to know when visiting temples.

It is prohibited to touch the reliefs and sculptures, in addition to not being able to sit on monuments and fragile structures.

Smoking is not allowed in the entire area of ​​the Angkor complex, since it is a smoke-free space.

Regarding the monks, it is only allowed to take photos of them with their consent. and women cannot touch them or sit near them.

Is it safe to travel to Cambodia?

As in any country, it is advisable to be attentive to your belongings, since there are pickpockets in all countries.

But usually, Cambodia It is a very safe country, in which there is almost no crime, especially for tourists, since in a way the country lives off a lot of the money these travelers leave behind.

I carried the camera around my neck all day and we haven't had any problems, just like in most Southeast Asian countries.

Should you tip in Cambodia?

Salaries in restaurants are usually quite low and employees depend to some extent on tips; It doesn't hurt to leave a tip of 5 to 10% of the amount.

To the guides and the porters too It is advisable to give them some tip.

You should give the baggage carriers and guides a dollar, depending on how happy you are; Between 3 and 5 dollars per day per person is an indicative figure.

Although feel free to give them more if you want, they will appreciate it given their low salary.

Many of the temples depend on tips and donations, so it doesn't hurt to help them preserve them.

How to haggle in Cambodia

Whenever you go to buy clothes or souvenirs, especially in street markets, you should haggle. Don't accept the first price and negotiate.

If you are not convinced by the price they give you and you cannot reach an agreement, leave, they will probably come back to get you to lower the price further.

And if not, there are a thousand similar positions in which to try again.

Women are usually nicer than men when it comes to haggling, at least in our case.

Also in transport types tuk tuk  You have to haggle, although you will see that the prices are very low, since salaries in the country are around 200 or 300 euros per month.

Food in local restaurants and stalls has a fixed price

Plugs and Wifi in Cambodia

Most hotels have wifi which works very well, and you will also find it in restaurants, although some of them use it as a lure to enter bars and then it doesn't work well.

The plugs carry a voltage of 220V, and although they have a different shape than the European ones, no need for adapters

18. Is there an embassy of Spain in Cambodia?

The answer is no; The nearest embassy is Bangkok.

In case you need it for something, here you have the details of said embassy.

Direction: Lake Radaja Office Complex, 23rd floor, suite 88-89

193 Radajapisek Road, Klongtoey, Bangkok – 10110

Phone consular emergency:

66818687507

Phone Numbers from outside Thailand:

662661.8284/8285/8286/8287

Fax: 6626619220