Know before you go
About Cambodia
Twenty pages of practical advice from the people who run the hotels here — visas and seasons, money and transport, what to eat and how to behave, region by region.
Before you go
Visas, seasons, money and the small decisions that shape the whole trip.
Cambodia in a nutshell
A small country with an enormous history: what Cambodia actually feels like once you land, and how long you really need.
Visas and entry
e-Visa, visa on arrival or nothing at all: which one applies to you, what it costs, and the paperwork worth doing before you fly.
The best time to visit
Dry season, green season and the shoulder weeks nobody talks about — what each one actually looks like on the ground.
Money: dollars, riel and cards
Cambodia runs on two currencies at once. Here is how that actually works at a market stall, a hotel desk and an ATM.
What to pack
A short list built around three realities: it is hot, temples have a dress code, and almost everything else can be bought here for a dollar.
Where to go
The five parts of the country worth planning a week around.
Phnom Penh, beyond the stopover
Most people give the capital one night. Give it two and it becomes the most interesting city in the country.
Siem Reap and the Angkor temples
Tickets, timings and the order to see them in — how to spend three days at Angkor without spending them in a queue.
The southern coast and the islands
Kampot, Kep, Sihanoukville and the two islands worth the boat — which stretch of coast fits which kind of holiday.
Battambang and the north-west
The country’s second city is its most charming: colonial shophouses, an art scene, and rice fields that start where the pavement ends.
Mondulkiri and the eastern highlands
Forest, waterfalls, cool nights and the only place in Cambodia where you should meet an elephant — walking, not riding.
Culture and daily life
How to eat, greet, celebrate and shop like someone who has been here before.
Culture and etiquette
The handful of gestures that mark you as a considerate guest — and the two or three mistakes visitors make without noticing.
What to eat and drink
Khmer food is the quietest great cuisine in South-East Asia. Ten dishes, where to find them, and how to eat street food safely.
Festivals and public holidays
Three festivals shut the country down and are worth planning around — one of them is the biggest water fight on earth.
Khmer words worth learning
Fifteen phrases, phonetically. Nothing changes a trip here faster than the first three.
Markets, crafts and what to bring home
What is genuinely Cambodian, what is imported and re-labelled, and how to bargain without being unpleasant about it.
On the ground
Transport, health, connectivity, budget — the day-to-day mechanics.
Getting around Cambodia
Tuk-tuks, ride apps, buses, boats and the one journey where paying for a flight is obviously right.
Health and safety
Cambodia is a safe country with two real risks, neither of them the one people worry about.
SIM cards, data and useful apps
Cambodian mobile data is fast, absurdly cheap and available before you leave the airport. Here is what to buy and what to install.
What it costs per day
Three honest daily budgets, plus the real price of the things everyone asks about.
Travelling responsibly here
Where your money helps, where it quietly does harm, and the two industries built entirely on visitors’ good intentions.
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