Cambodia Travel Guide

Most visitors to Cambodia spend three days at Angkor and leave. That is a reasonable choice and also a shame. The Khmer empire covered much of mainland Southeast Asia for six centuries, and its infrastructure — reservoirs, bridges, hospitals, rest houses — is still traceable across the countryside. Add the Cardamom mountains, the Mekong's river towns, and the coast, and you have a country that rewards a slower, more lateral trip than the standard package allows.

At a glance

Reference facts for planning Cambodia.

Capital

Phnom Penh

Currency

Cambodian riel (KHR); US dollars widely used

Language

Khmer

Drives on

the right

Plug type

A/C/G, 230V

Best time to visit

Where the good months sit, and why.

Months to think twice about: Trying to cover Angkor, Phnom Penh and the coast in under a week. Distances look small on a map and the roads are slower than they appear.

Where to go

The places that justify the trip, and the guides we have written for them.

• Angkor complex

  Siem Reap

  Roughly 400 km² of temples, reservoirs and embankments. Two full days is the minimum; four is better.

• Ruins beyond the main circuit

  Koh Ker, Beng Mealea, Preah Vihear

  Remote temple complexes where you can be genuinely alone. Some require a day trip and a permit.

  Read the guide

• Cardamom mountains

  Southwest

  One of the largest remaining rainforests in mainland Southeast Asia, with community-run ecotourism and river kayaking.

• Mekong river towns

  Kratie, Stung Treng

  Slow provincial towns, freshwater dolphins, and a stretch of river that feels a century away from Phnom Penh.

Visas & entry

Most nationalities can obtain an e-visa online or a visa on arrival for a 30-day tourist stay.

• The official e-visa is issued online, takes a few days, and works at major airports and several land borders.
• Visa on arrival is available at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports and main land crossings; bring a passport photo and US dollars.
• Extensions are possible in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap through an agent or the immigration department.
• Overstaying carries a daily fine — check your exit date before you travel onward.

Apply only through the official Cambodian e-visa government portal; commercial sites charge substantially more for the same document.

Daily budget

Rough per-person costs, excluding international flights.

• Angkor passes are sold by the official Angkor Enterprise ticket office only — multi-day passes are far better value than single-day.
• The country runs on US dollars; small change is often given in riel. Carry clean, undamaged notes, as creased ones are sometimes refused.
• A tuk-tuk driver for a day of temple hopping is inexpensive and worth negotiating the night before.
• Street food is cheap and generally fine if you pick busy stalls with high turnover.

Recommended routes

Three ways to structure a trip, depending on how much time you have.

Getting around

Buses and minivans connect the main towns cheaply. Private cars with a driver are affordable for groups and far more flexible for remote temples. The rail line between Phnom Penh and the coast has resumed passenger service but is slow. Roads have improved dramatically in the last decade; journey times are still longer than the distances suggest.

Safety & hazards

Cambodia is generally safe for travellers, with petty theft the main urban concern. The serious, ongoing hazard is unexploded ordnance in rural areas — stay on marked paths and cleared ground, particularly near old conflict zones and around remote temple sites. Do not wander off established tracks in forested areas.

Cambodia guides

Long-form guides published for this destination.