TRAVEL TIPS FOR CAMBODIA

Cambodian tourism is now well and truly open. This is most obvious in the wide variety of services available to travelers. The main tourist destinations, in particular, offer easy to find accommodations, sites to visit, and eateries where you can eat and drink to your heart’s content. However, take a look at the tips below and remember that the country is still developing. It may still be difficult to communicate in some locations, and in the countryside far fewer people speak English.

Deciding what time of year to visit
The best weather is in December and January, when the nights are cool and the sun is not too fierce. This is also the most expensive time for traveling to Cambodia, because it is high season in Southeast Asia. If you are looking for more inexpensive travel, come during the monsoon season (June to November) when the crashing rain can be exciting, though the days are hotter. Or, come in low season (February to June), but be prepared for extremely hot weather. At this time of year even the locals hide all day.

How to get there by air
There are a number of ways to enter Cambodia. The most common, of course, is by air. You can fly from Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, and a variety of other locations into Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. More flights are planned for the future between Cambodia and the Middle East (Dubai and Doha are both being discussed). Both airports are conveniently located and getting into town is relatively easy. Often, you can arrange for a pick-up through your hotel if you have reservations. If you haven’t, there are fixed price taxis from both airports that can take you into town, or a motorbike taxi if you have less luggage. Sihanoukville (on the beach) will soon be accessible by air as well, as the old airport is now being renovated and should be reopened in the next few years.

How to get there by road or boat
Another way to get to Cambodia is by ground travel. From Thailand, you can take the bus or train from Bangkok up to the Cambodian border at Aranya Prathet/Poipet. This takes around five hours and is very straightforward. After going through immigration at the border, you can hire a vehicle to take you over a bumpy road to Siem Reap, which is currently being upgraded. Once the road is finished it will be a much easier way to enter the country. Currently, it is necessary to bargain and shop around for prices after crossing into Cambodia, but hopefully this will change when the road is completed. It is easier going the other way; there is a direct bus from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap to Bangkok.

You can also come from Thailand through Trad to Koh Kong by taking a bus from Bangkok to Trad, and then crossing the border at Haad Lek into Koh Kong on the Cambodian side. From Koh Kong, you can take a boat to Sihanoukville, which takes four hours if you get the timing right. There are also now taxis and buses that can take you right up to Phnom Penh since the road has been built by the Thais. This latter route can take up to seven hours, but only because of the four ferry crossings. Bridges are being built that will reduce the journey time significantly.

There are also lesser border crossings between Cambodia and Thailand at Chong Sa Ngam, Thailand and Anlong Veng of the Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia; Ban Pakard of Chantaburi, Thailand and Psar Prom of Pailin, Cambodia; and at Ban Laem of Chantaburi, Thailand and Daun Lem of Battambang, Cambodia. It is essential that for all of these places, you confirm the up-to-date details about visa availability, border opening times, and transportation arrangements.

To enter Cambodia from Vietnam, there is a bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh. It comes through the Moc Bai/Bavet border crossing in Cambodia’s Svay Rieng province. This is relatively easy and cheap, taking about six hours and costing approximately US$6 and up. Alternatively, you can hire a taxi to take you the entire trip or take the boat through Chau Doc and up the Mekong, which is an interesting way to get from one capital to the other. There is a useful new international border crossing, Ha Tien, at Xa Xia, Vietnam and Prek Chak, Cambodia. If you choose this way, use taxis on both sides. This allows you to beach hop from Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island into the coastal resorts of Kep and Cambodia.

There are more remote crossings at Phnom Den of Takeo province, Cambodia and Tinh Bien in Vietnam; Xa Mat of Vietnam and Trapeang Phlong of Kampong Cham, Cambodia; and Le Tanh of Gia Lai province, Vietnam and O’Yadaw of Ratanakiri, Cambodia. However, these latter are unconfirmed. It is essential to confirm whether crossings are open or not with up-to-date guides.

Vietnamese visas are not available at border crossings. They must always be purchased in advance through the embassy or a travel agent.

The northern border with Laos is open at Voeung Kam, Laos and Dom Kralor, Cambodia. On the Laos side you can cross the border by either boat or bus. Check the situation of visas prior to travel as there have been reports of river visas not being available. You can get to Phnom Penh or Kratie by bus from the Cambodian town of Stung Treng. It is the nearest town to the crossing and you can get there by local transport.

Communication
Internet is now available in all tourist areas. The price can range from US$0.50 (2,000 Riel) to US$1 per hour and is cheaper in Phnom Penh. International calls can be made inexpensively through any internet shop using internet-based phones, but also at most hotels though at a higher cost. The post offices are open from 7am to 5:30pm and the main office in Phnom Penh is near Wat Phnom. Click here for more information and a list of internet cafes.

Tipping and bargaining
Tipping is not widespread in Cambodia, but people are starting to adopt the practice. If you receive good service, please feel free to tip, but do not feel that you have to. However, bargaining is common, and if you can keep a good sense of humor, do try it. The Khmers treat it as fun and it is enjoyable to get to know someone this way, particularly if you try out a few words in Khmer. Remember, not only is it part of the culture, but it is also supposed to be good-humored. Losing your temper or thinking someone is cheating you is besides the point and will be counterproductive!

Health
There are no obligatory vaccinations you will have to receive before visiting Cambodia, but it is sensible to have received inoculations against tetanus, polio, typhoid, and hepatitis A and B. If you are staying for awhile and are visiting during the rainy season, you may also wish to be vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis and rabies. Ask your doctor for recommendations.

Do take precautions against mosquitoes. Dengue fever is common and malaria is prevalent in the countryside. Ask your doctor about taking anti-malarias, especially if you are going to the mosquito band, which includes Sihanoukville and Kampot. Only drink water from bottles with an intact seal. If you end up with the common diarrhea, drink plenty of fluids and use oral rehydration salts. If it does not go away in three days, see a doctor. Travelers should be aware that HIV/AIDS is prevalent in Cambodia. If you need to see a doctor, there are a number of international clinics and pharmacies in the bigger towns.

Landmines are no longer as big a threat as they once were, although you should still be extremely careful and think sensibly if you are off the beaten track. Only follow well-worn paths and do not wander off into the wilds, even if you are answering the call of nature.

Security
Cambodia is no longer the haven of danger that its old reputation may suggest, but it does pay to be careful, particularly at night. Do not take your passport or large sums of money out with you. The theft of bag/phone/camera is common, and being held up in the street when on motorbikes and motodops, motorcycle taxis, is not uncommon. Don’t say that it won’t happen to you. Experience has shown that these are the first to fall victim to crime.

Guns are common in Cambodia and there is a rising youth drug culture. You don’t need to be alarmed, but also do not walk alone at night and take motodops with drivers you already know or who are known to the establishment you are visiting.

If you encounter problems, you can go to the tourist police or check with your embassy. This may not be a great experience. Officers often do not speak English and there may be need for payment. However, if you are trying to handle an insurance claim, you can get the necessary paperwork pushed through.

Most countries have embassies in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Find out where your embassy is before you travel.

For more information
There are a number of sources with more information on Cambodia. Books are available on the history of the country, especially those by the Cambodian specialist David Chandler. The Killing Fields remains the most widely seen movie of the Pol Pot era, and there are more and more heart-wrenching accounts of the genocides available as written by survivors.

In Cambodia itself, you can read the English-language Cambodia Daily and the Phnom Penh Post, or the French Cambodge Soir. There are also Chinese-language newspapers. Catch up on the news with the BBC or CNN, which are available on cable in many hotel rooms.

For more information about the country itself, there are websites created by the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism and your own government’s foreign offices. These latter will also alert you to any difficult situations under development within Cambodia before you travel.