Cambodia is definitely amazing. A tragic story, super friendly and smiling people, charming streets with trees all around, monks everywhere, restaurants for all tastes, speechless temples … The country is tourist indeed, but with a cozy ambiance and tourists with a good taste.

Cycling around Angkor to explore the temples is just magical! Learn about the tragic history of the country from not so long ago (1979) seeing with your own eyes where it happened is definitely the best way to learn more about the history of the world. Interact with the friendly people of Cambodia that do not bear the scars of their tragedy is inspiring! Cambodia certainly marked and left us wanting more, 6 days here was not enough.
What was worth it: The temples of Angkor, learn from close the tragic history of the country in Phnom Penh
What we wanted to do but we didn’t: Floating village in Kompong Phhuluk, the bamboo train in Battambang, Kampot on the coast or the island of Phu Coq.
A few tips:

  • CURRENCY: In Cambodia everything works in dollars for tourists, but don’t worry, you can withdraw US dollars at any ATM in the city. Just be aware that when the change is of cents you will receive in local currency but the rate they use is usually quite good.
  • VISA AT THE BORDER: If you plan to do your visa at the borders of the country bring with you US dollars because it’s cheaper to pay in dollars than in local currency of Thailand, Vietnam or Laos. At the border the conversion rate is not good at all.
  • VISA TO OTHER COUNTRIES: You can easily make your visa to other countries in Phnom Penh, but before going to an embassy, check how much the service cost in your hotel. Incredibly, in Cambodia, it is cheaper to buy some things in the hotel than you doing by yourself, such as visas, bus and so on. We paid US$ 45.00 for the visa at the Embassy of Vietnam and the hotel was charging just US$ 34.00 for this service.
  • CROSSING THE BORDER: If you are crossing the border from Thailand to Poipet in Cambodia, do not listen to all the crap that the locals you tell you about the difficulties at the border to catch the local bus to Seam Reap. The bus that leaves from the station at Poipet is comfortable and takes 3 hours maximum. Arriving at Seam Reap a tuk-tuk to the hotel is around US$ 1 per person. They invent all those lies to scare you and convince you to buy the taxi, which is more expensive.

What can you buy with 1 US$ in Cambodia:

  • 1 scarf
  • 1 night at hotel in shared room
  • 1 breakfast (bread, butter and jam)
  • 1 noodle with vegetables and chicken
  • 10 postal cards
  • 1 banana milkshake
  • 15 min foot massage
  • 1 beer can
  • 2 coca-cola cans
  • 1 day bike hire
Our itinerary (6 days)

We left Bangkok by bus to Aranya Prathet and crossed to Cambodia in Poipet, making our visa on arrival. From Poipet we took the local bus to Siem Reap where we stayed three days visiting the temples. Then we took a bus of 3 hours to Phnom Penh and stayed there for two days. From there we went to Vietnam in a trip by bus and boat through the Mekong River, crossing the border at Samnor Kaam – Vinh Xuong to Chau Doc.

View Full Size Travel Map at Travellerspoint

The best of the country

Best period

Average spent/day
  • 40,00 – 60,00 US$ for the couple

Must-see places

  • Angkor Wat
  • The best temples: Ta Prom (for the integration of the huge tree roots with the temple), Bayon (for the 216 beautiful smiling faces carved in all temple towers), Preah Khan (for the endless corridor in its internal structure) and Banteay Srei (for the magnificent carvings)
  • The entrance gates of Angkor Thom

Amazing experiences

  • Explore the temples of Angkor by bicycle.
  • Learn about the tragic history of the country during the Khmer Rouge regime visiting The Killing Fields and Toul Sleng Genocide museum.
  • Interact with the friendly locals in the late afternoon the river in Phnom Penh.
  •  

Essential cooking

  • Amoc (fish with coconut milk and lemon grass).
  • Insects (if you dare, we did not)

‹ Back to Countries, photos and videos