tips to travel cambodia
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TIPS TO TRAVEL CAMBODIA – The Things You Aren’t Told!

If you are Googling tips to travel Cambodia, then chances are high that you are either considering a trip, or are already planning one. You could even be already on the way. In any case, there are some things that you will need to know about the country that will make your trip a lot easier. Especially if you don’t already live in South East Asia!

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Having said that, my partner and I both live in Indonesia, and we were still caught unaware by many of these things. Cambodia is a different country to the rest of South East Asia in many regards. Therefore, this list of tips to travel Cambodia was designed to ease the shock of some things that will almost definitely catch you out.

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Table of Contents

Double Check your Currency

The first of my tips to travel Cambodia is definitely this! If you are not already aware, there are two currencies in Cambodia. That’s right. TWO!

The first one is an easy one, especially if you are coming from the United States. Because it is the U.S. Dollar. Which seems strange, but all the same, there it is.

The second currency, which is supposedly the “Main” currency, is the Cambodian Riel.

Now, the reasons for this seem to be wide and varied, but it boils down to what happened during the period of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. This was one of the most horrific periods in Cambodian history, and to add to the humanitarian crimes that were committed, they also totally blew up the Cambodian Currency system. Literally, when they actually blew up the bank.

two currencies in cambodia
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At the time that the Khmer Rouge were finally overthrown, the currency system had declined to such a point that it was virtually unusable. American peacekeepers and aid workers arrived, and brought with them the strong U.S. currency. Cambodia slowly adopted it, as it was a strong currency that they had faith in.

Now, the country runs a dual currency. Basically, you will pay most things in U.S. dollars. Your change and small money will come back in Riel. I always tried to pay most small purchases in Riel, especially in markets and for street food. It made it easier. You will also find that most prices, menu’s etc will have two prices on them, to accommodate for both currencies.

Not all Bills are valued the same

This is one of the tips to travel Cambodia that I wish I had known before I went there!

What you have to look out for is what I called a “scam” with the U.S. dollar. It’s not really a scam, but you can be tricked into taking bills that are pretty much worthless in Cambodia. Whenever you receive money (they only deal in bills in Cambodia, not change, with the U.S. currency) you need to double check them. Anything that they think is sub-par, they will not accept. That doesn’t stop them trying to give them to YOU, though. The poor, unsuspecting tourist.

Not all Currency is accepted
The bottom bill will not be accepted

When it comes to sub-par, we are talking about a few different things. A small tear, discoloration, or ink stain. A pencil mark or doodle in the corner. Any blemish at all will see it rejected.

The other thing is that some notes will have nothing wrong with them, but they will reject them as “old” currency that is seen as “declined” in value. The easy way to spot these bills is to look at the image of the President. If it is the older, small image inside an oval shape, then this is the old bill. The newer ones have the large image of the President. See the image above for an example.

If you find yourself in possession of a bill that you cannot offload or use, then take it to a bank. They will exchange it for you.

Bag Snatches are Common in Tuk Tuk’s

This is mainly in Phnom Penh, but can be true anywhere in Cambodia, especially in more touristy areas. In Phnom Penh, though, watch out! This is one of those tips to Travel Cambodia that you really want to keep in the back of your mind every time you head out.

This mainly happens in Tuk Tuk’s, but can also happen if you are riding a scooter, or are a passenger on one. The best rule of thumb is, DON’T have your phone out if you are moving around in Phnom Penh. If you do, then hold onto it securely. Same goes for bags!

Tuk Tuk Security
Tuk Tuk Security

When we are in Phnom Penh, we loop one shoulder harness of our backpack around our leg when we place it in front of us on the floor. We DO NOT get our phones out, and if we do, then the other person keeps a good lookout around us as we are moving. This system is far from fool proof however.

I have seen locals on scooters trail behind a Tuk Tuk (or Bajaj) and watch the tourists. They have a good view through the open back window. As soon as a phone is out, they speed up and the passenger reaches in to snatch the phone right out of your hands. Before you can even cry out, they have disappeared ahead into the traffic, or down a side alley.

Be warned!

Avoid ANY Airport Transactions

Even though this is a list of tips to travel Cambodia, this rule should really be adhered to in ANY airport. Not even just in South East Asia. But I definitely would be specially aware of it in Cambodia.

You have probably heard and read in multiple articles just like this that the worst possible place to do a money exchange is an airport. This is one of the golden rules of travel ANYWHERE. Although I will admit that I have done it out of desperation a couple of times. Especially when you need cash for a taxi. I can safely advise you that every time I have been ripped off! So avoid it at all costs.

Don't trust anything in airports
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This tip to travel Cambodia however, is not just about money exchange. It is, however in relation to money. Or at least, currency. Remember the first tip up above? Well, when it comes to palming off dodgy notes, the airport is where you will get stung. Incoming tourists and visitors are the least likely to know about the idiosyncrasies of the Cambodian Currency System, and if you are not careful, you will end up leaving the airport with a fistful of U.S. Currency that no one in the country is going to accept.

So when you arrive and decide to purchase a SIM Card, or buy a coffee while you wait for a taxi, or whatever you may do to spend money at the airport, double check your change!!

Or better still – avoid any transactions at all!

ATM Withdrawal Fees are High

Before my first trip to South East Asia, I had read a lot about the sky high ATM Fees in Thailand. So I came prepared with cash to exchange for Baht. I therefore only used an ATM once in Thailand, and that was because I ended up making an unplanned stop in Bangkok at the end of my trip.

tips to travel cambodia Atm fees are high
ATM fees are high

If you are heading to Cambodia, though, expect the same high fees. Maybe not quite as bad, but they are high! If you are coming from the U.S. then bring some currency with you. You don’t even have to exchange it, so it’s a no brainer. For travelers from elsewhere, consider getting some U.S. currency before you leave home. It will save you in the long run.

If you absolutely NEED to use an ATM, then follow the golden rule and take as much as you need. Don’t keep going back to the ATM every couple of days, because those fees WILL add up.

Use a Tuk Tuk to get to Angkor Wat

I wrote an entire article about this point, and you can check it out HERE. Today I will also include it in my tips to travel Cambodia, because it will make your life a little bit easier.

When you go to Siem Reap, you will need to organize how to get to Angkor Wat. If you are going on multiple days, as we did, then you will be forever hailing Tuk Tuk’s. IF they are around.

How to get to Angkor Wat driver
My amazing Tuk Tuk driver, Channa

Instead, find a good Tuk Tuk driver and keep him! We did exactly that, and basically had our own private chauffeur for 5 days. We negotiated $20 a day fee, and he took us everywhere!

Even better than that, he was a local driver that grew up literally across the road from Angkor Wat. He knew the history, along with everything you might want to know about the area and Siem Reap itself. Every day he picked us up at the hotel, dropped us at temples, waited for us and drove us to our next destination. He knew where to go, the best temples to visit, and gave us a full brief about each before we arrived.

Getting our own Tuk Tuk driver was one of the best decisions we could have made in Siem Reap. He even dropped us at the pub or restaurant on the way home if we needed. Nothing was too much trouble.

After all, we WERE paying for it. You can read about it by hitting the button below.

Get your e-visa in Advance

If you need a visa for Cambodia, then use the option to get it online. IF you have the time.

We decided to visit Cambodia a few days before we were due to actually go. I got online easily, and filled out the requirements for an evisa asap, as well as paying the fee by Mastercard. The site said that it would take up to 3 business days to be approved, which I was sweating on as we only HAD 3 business days. As it turned out, I did the application on Friday night, and by late Monday I had the approval. Then, it was smooth sailing through Phnom Penh airport on arrival.

An easy and painless way to check your visa requirements for Cambodia is by using the tool below.

If you don’t have the time, you CAN get a VOA at the airport. The application is swift and easy, and from what I saw on the day when we arrived they were approving them fast. The only catch is that they will only accept cash in USD as payment. There are NO ATM’s on the arrivals side of Customs, so you MUST HAVE the cash.

I believe there was some sort of exchange facility, but I am not totally sure about that, either. To take out any potential issues, I advise the online in advance option.

Do your research, depending upon where you are entering the country. Some land borders and smaller airports will not have VOA options. So double check THIS website once again.

Install WhatsApp on your Phone

If you are like me, you come from a country that doesn’t really use WhatsApp that much. I hardly knew anyone back home in Australia that used it, and even then it was only for the odd “group” chat that they set up in my old workplace.

This tip to travel Cambodia, though, is to install WhatsApp!

tips to travel cambodia whatsapp
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In South East Asia, they use it almost religiously. Every one will message you on WhatsApp, and most business is done on WhatsApp. This may seem weird, but it is true to the point that they actually PREFER to do business on WhatsApp than online. Every website you go onto, their contact details will be WhatsApp. Every business card will list WhatsApp.

If you don’t have WhatsApp in South East Asia, then you will really find yourself behind the ball!

Use the Grab App When Possible

Grab is basically the Uber for this part of the world. In some parts, like Indonesia, they are also adopting Uber, but very rarely. If you have the Grab app, you will be set. Especially in Cambodia, where they use it everywhere.

Use Grab to call a Tuk tuk
Use Grab to call a Tuk Tuk

You can even call a Tuk Tuk on Grab. Food. Basically everything that you would have called with the Uber app, you will call with Grab in Cambodia. The other thing is that you know the price in advance with Grab. There can be no taxi scams if you already have the price.

You will also find that many of the Grabs that turn up to pick you up will actually be taxi’s. They work double jobs. Sometimes triple! So don’t be alarmed if you order Grab, and a metered taxi rocks up.

So get it installed and make life a bit easier.

Pack Long Shorts and Skirts

One of the most important tips to travel Cambodia, especially if you are going to Angkor Wat, is to be prepared to dress appropriately. This is also important in Thailand, so if you are heading to South East Asia, then heed this warning.

To enter any of the inner Temple areas, especially at Angkor Wat, there are pretty strict dress standards. In the end though, I always found them pretty standard common sense.

There are dress standards at the Temples
There are dress standards at the Temples

Guys, pack the longest shorts you own. Knees must be covered if you want to be able to get in to see the best parts of the temples. Also, wear sleeved shirts. No tank tops or singlets allowed. Wandering around the outer temple areas is not so strict, but you will still need the right shirt.

Ladies, you will need to cover your shoulders especially, and a nice long skirt would come in handy. DO NOT try to wear lycra or hot pants. Save them for the beach areas around South Cambodia.

If you forget to bring the correct attire, then don’t stress. The market stalls are accustomed to it, and are waiting to sell you overpriced dresses, long pants, and t shirts that you will have to bargain for!

Have a Good Water Bottle

Cambodia, described in a few words, is hot, dry and dusty. Which is really weird to me. It can be jungle jungle jungle, and then suddenly a dust bowl. Go figure.

So as you can imagine, a good supply of water comes in handy. Especially when trudging your way around temples on one of the hottest days that you have ever experienced. Trust me, it gets VERY hot out there!

I love my water bottle. It keeps things cold on even the hottest days. Our Tuk Tuk driver had a ready supply of iced water waiting for us every time we came out of a temple, and I just kept topping it up. If not for my trusty bottle though, I would have melted!

You can check out the bottle I use by clicking the link below. I highly recommend it if you are coming to South East Asia, and especially Cambodia!

Land Borders Can Be Dodgy

Ok. So this is one that may or may not happen, but I have seen, heard and experienced it enough to put it in my list of tips to travel Cambodia.

When you go through a land border, be prepared. That means more than just having your documents all printed out, just in case, your visa, passport and whatever else in hand.

You MAY need to just carry some extra cash as well.

The last time we went through the Cambodian land border, there was one custom’s officer that asked everyone a series of questions, followed by “do you have $5”. No one knows why he asked, but 2 out of 3 would pay up without questioning it. What the payment was for, no one knew, but it might be best to be prepared!

Last time we were there, we got through ok, as we were in a group on a bus. I did have some friends that were alone, and were detained for some time over a “fee” that they still have no idea about! It’s never a big “fee” but best be prepared anyway.

Buses Can be Dodgy – Even the Good Ones

Having traveled on a few different types of buses in Cambodia, I have seen the good, and also the bad. The last one I was on was a minibus from Siem Reap to the border at Poi Pet. It was certainly a little dodgy, to say the least.

Giant Ibis is a good reliable bus company
Giant Ibis is a good reliable bus company

This bus seemed to work ok, but by chance, and a couple of overbookings, I was forced to sit right up front with the driver. From my vantage point I was able to see the console in front of him, that really may as well have not even existed! None of the instrumentation worked. Not the speedometer, odometer, or the temperature gauge. Even the Fuel Gauge read empty for the entire journey.

I would have been holding my breathe for the entire trip, if I hadn’t been even more concerned about the driver, who was nodding off the entire trip. It was all I could do to keep him distracted as much as I could for the entire 4 hours!

This is not the experience on all buses though. If you can, book Giant Ibis. On their big buses they have up to 3 drivers on board, and safety is very good! The best way to book Giant Ibis and the GOOD buses in Cambodia is on a website I discovered called Bookaway. I now use them everywhere I go. Click the link below to check them out.

If you can skip Phnom Penh, then skip it!

I can usually find something that I like in nearly every city of the world. Unfortunately, Phnom Penh was not one of those places.

At first, I thought that maybe that was because the hotel was crap, and so was the neighborhood, the food, and nearly everything else. But now, after I have heard of several others that had the same experience, I am convinced it is just the city.

tips to trave cambodia phnom penh
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Phnom Penh is hot, dirty, and has absolutely nothing going for it. If anyone tells you different, then they have some sort of agenda. Or they are trying to sell you something. Here, I am just trying to be honest.

IF you are stuck there for a day or two waiting to transfer to Siem Reap, or some other destination in country, then the only thing I can recommend is to visit the Killing Fields and S21 Prison. They are integral in the history of the country, and something I WILL never forget.

Other than that, I would not recommend Phnom Penh to anyone. Full Stop.

Summary

That’s it for my tips to travel Cambodia. If I come up with any more, I promise to update this article, but having only just left the country, these are the ones that stick fresh in my mind.

Personally, I really recommend visiting the Angkor Archeological Park at least once. Angkor Wat is amazing, and a once in a lifetime experience. Other than that, the southern islands are spectacular and very, very under rated!

Did you find this article helpful? Then drop me a comment below to let me know!

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