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Cambodia boasts a rich culture with its many ancient temples and impressive natural scenery, such as the empty beaches, mighty rivers and the remote forests.

At the present, more of Cambodia is open to visitors than any other time in decades. As well as the famous temples at Angkor near Siem Reap, there are many other beautiful places to discover. The empty beaches in Sihanoukville on the South Coast of Cambodia, are a great place to relax and enjoy the sun. You may choose to visit here on the way back to Phnom Penh, stopping at Kampot and Kep on the way.

Many of the provincial towns offer a combination of colonial architecture, sleepy riverside locations and some very friendly local people. The best of these to visit are Kompong Cham and Kompong Chhnang, and probably the most satisfactory is Battambang.
Cambodia is situated in the southeast of the Indochina Peninsula. It shares its international borders with Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

Cambodia is administratively divided into 20 provinces, with two major cities; Phnom Penh, the capital, and Sihanoukville, a large sea-port in the south.

Once over-run by war and poverty, today Cambodians, ranging from officials to common people, are eager to establish Cambodia as a stable, safe environment in which to live, work, and travel. Cambodia has now emerged from the decades of war and isolation that made it known for crime, refugees, poverty and political instability. Those magical Angkor temples are drawing gaping travellers by the busload once again, and Cambodia is well and truly back on the South-East Asian travel map.

Visa & Entree Requirement

A passport with at least Six-month validity is required. A visa is required for most nationalities. One-month visas are available on arrival at the Siem Reap International Airport and at border crossings from Thailand,. Visas are not available at the crossing with Laos. Tourist visa: US$20. Business visa: US$25. Diplomatic, Official, Courtesy, and Special (Cambodian) visas are issued free of charge. One 4x6 photo is required.

Tourist visas can be extended for one month, but only one time. Business visas can be renewed indefinitely. Renew visas through a travel agent or the Department for Foreigners on Confederation de Russie (Airport Road, located opposite Phnom Penh International Airport.
Tel: 012-581558. Fax: 023-890380.
E-mail: visa_info@online.com.kh

Get your Tourist Visa through email in 3 days

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has launched e-Visa, which enables you to apply for a Cambodia tourist visa online. Instead of applying through Cambodian Embassy, all you need to do is to complete the online application form and pay with your credit card. After receiving your Visa through email, print it out and bring it along when you travel to Cambodia.

Overland Border Crossing

The Thai crossing at Poipet is the most accessible to Siem Reap; the Thai crossing at Koh Kong and the Vietnamese crossings at Ha Tien and Phnom Den give international access to southern Cambodia; and the Vietnamese crossings at Moc Bai and Chau Doc are most convenient to Phnom Penh.

THAILAND - CAMBODIA 

1. Aranyaprathet / Poipet Border (Bangkok - Siem Reap)

Cambodian visas and Thai transit visas available on arrival at the Border
It’s a 465km, 9-12 hour trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap. The usual route begins with a 4-5 hour bus or a train ride from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet (‘Aran’), the town on the Thai side near the border, then a short tuk-tuk ride the last 6 km to the border crossing to Poipet Cambodia. On the Cambodian side, National Route #5 from the border to the town of Sisophon is in good condition taking only about two hours. Much of the remainder of the route from Sisophon to Siem Reap is hardpack dirt which deteriorates during the rainy season. Dry season travel time is about 2-1/2 hours. Longer in the wet season. There are two options in planning an overland trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap: 1) buy a package ticket in Bangkok or Siem Reap, or 2) put it together yourself.

Option #1: Package Tickets

In Bangkok you can buy package tickets from travel agents. The price ranges from 400-800 baht. Regardless of the cost of the ticket, most travel agencies are sending customers to the same bus companies. When you buy your ticket, ask about the type of transportation you will be on, especially on the Cambodian side. Make sure it is a tour bus or full sized bus, not a pickup truck.

You will depart Bangkok between 7AM and 8AM, arriving at the border crossing near Aranyaprathet 4-5 hours later. At the border, you will disembark and will be told how to locate your onward transportation on the Cambodian side of the border. The last leg of the trip to Siem Reap tends to be uncomfortably slow, due both to poor road conditions and the tendency of some bus companies to deliberately drag out the trip so that the passengers arrive in Siem Reap at night, who are then ‘delivered’ to a commission-paying guesthouse. Scam alert: Some travelers report they have purchased package tickets on Khao Sarn Road for a trip to Siem Reap via Poipet, but instead are taken through an alternate crossing point such as Pailin or O’Smach. Travel through these crossing points is longer, slower and more vulnerable to additional scams.
Generally speaking, package trips going the opposite direction - from Siem Reap to Bangkok - are quicker and there’s less hassle.

Option #2: Do it yourself

1) From Bangkok take a bus or train to Aranyaprathet. Bus: 164-196 baht (first class), 140-155 baht (second class), 4 hours, departing the Northern Bus Terminal (Morchit), hourly from 4AM to 6PM. Train: 48 baht, 3rd class, 6 hours, departs Hualamphong Station twice daily (5:55AM and 1:05PM).
2) From Aranyaprathet, take a moto or tuk-tuk from the bus station to the border for 50-60 baht, respectively.
3) Cross the border to Poipet.
4) On the Cambodian side, you have four options for transportation from Poipet through Sisophon and on to Siem Reap: A) Taxi; B) Official Bus; C) Tourist Bus, D) Shared/private taxi, or E) pickup truck.
a) Taxi: Recently increased to $40-$50 for the whole car. 3-4 hours. This is the easiest, fastest, most comfortable, most expensive option. For a local shared taxi, $10/seat.
b) Official Tourist Bus: From the border take the free shuttle 1 km to bus station. $10 for the official bus. Buses leave when full which can sometimes take quite a while.
c) Package Tourist Buses: These are the same buses that the package ticket holders from Bangkok use. (See Option #1: Package Tickets.) Price is variable. Comfortable but often very slow. 4-6hrs.
d) Pickup Truck: 30 baht (bed) - 50 baht (inside) to Sisophon. Change vehicles in Sisophon. 50 baht (bed) - 100 baht (inside) to Siem Reap.

2. Chong Jom, Thailand/O'Smach Border

Cambodian visas and Thai transit visas available on arrival at the Border
Remote border crossing north of Siem Reap in Oddar Meanchey province. From Siem Reap travel to Kralahn, then north to Samrong and then on to the border. Guesthouses available in Samrong.

3. Chong Sa Ngam, Thailand/Anlong Veng Border

Cambodian visas and Thai transit visas available on arrival at the Border
Remote border crossing northwest of Siem Reap in Oddar Meanchey province, opposite Thailand's Si Saket province.

4. Ban Pakard, Chantaburi, Thailand/Phsar Prom Border (Pailin)

Cambodian visas and Thai transit visas available on arrival at the Border
Located in Pailin, Cambodia, opposite Thailand's Chantaburi province. From Bangkok, bus to Chantaburi for about 150 baht (4 hours). Mini bus to border for about 100 baht (1-2 hours). Cross border. Motodup to Pailin. Taxi from Pailin to Battambang (shared taxi for 200baht, private for $25-$30.) 3 or 4 hours but road conditions change with the season.
5. Ban Laem, Chantaburi, Thailand/Daun Lem Border (Battambong)
Cambodian visas and Thai transit visas available on arrival at the Border
Located in Kamreang, Battambang province, Cambodia, opposite Thailand's Chantaburi province.

LOAS - CAMBODIA

1. Voeung Kam, Laos/Dom Kralor Border (Battambong)

Cambodian visas are available at the land border (Photo require). but not available at river crossing. Loas Visa is not available at these Border.
There are two border crossing points with Laos relatively close to one another: 1) the riverine crossing at Koh Chheuteal Thom; 2) the road crossing at Dom Kralor. Expect extra fees for “Stamps” on both sides of the border.

To get to the Lao border crossing from Phnom Penh

Take a taxi or bus to Stung Treng town, and then arrange transport to the border from Stung Treng. The road from Phnom Penh all the way through Stung Treng and to the border has recently been improved and is currently in comparatively good condition. Travelers used to take the ferry most of the way to Stung Treng, but now with the improved road conditions, most people go by road.

To get to Stung Treng either

1) Take a Phnom Penh Sorya Transport bus (station near the Central Market in Phnom Penh) for 42,000 riel, 7-10 hours. The bus departs the Phnom Penh station daily at 7:00AM,or; 2) To get to Stung Treng via Kratie: Take a Phnom Penh Sorya Transport for 21,000 riel, 7 hours. Departure daily at 7:30AM. Then take a share taxi to Stung Treng for 20,000 riel, 2-3 hours.

To get to the border crossing from Stung Treng either

Take a ferry ($5/person, $30 for a private boat, 1 - 3 hours) or the minibus to the road crossing.

Going the other way, from Laos to Cambodia

You can cross the border by road or river. By river, take a boat from Don Khone or Don Khong to Voeung Kam ($2-$5). From Voeung Kam, get a Cambodian boat to Stung Treng for $10. (There had been several reports of price gouging by the boats to Stung Treng, but there have been fewer reports of this as of late.) Then take a bus to Phnom Penh on the Phnom Penh Sorya Transport for 42,000 riel.

From Laos to Cambodia by road

Travelers report that people who bought package tickets from their guesthouse in Laos to travel from Laos through to Stung Treng Cambodia are met by onward transportation at the border after they cross into Cambodia. But otherwise, there is no regularly scheduled onward transportation available on the Cambodian side of the border. Traveler's the arrive without pre-arranged onward transportation report that there are sometimes private taxis and Motos waiting at the border but there are times when no transportation is available, requiring a long wait for transport to show up.

VIETNAM - CAMBODIA

1. Moc Bai, Vietnam / Bavet, Cambodia Border

Cambodian visas are available at the border. Vietnam visa are not available at this Border.
Direct bus (The bus crossing border directly): Phnom Penh Sorya Transport. Station at the southwest corner of the Central Market (Phsar Thmey) several times daily. $12/person. Mailinh Open Tour. Station at #391, Sihanouk Blvd. $11/person. Please contact us for ticket.
Daily minivans from Capitol GH and Neak Krorhorm Travel in Phnom Penh for about $7. Bus to the Border, check through immigration, walk across the border and meet a prearranged bus on the other side.
Local taxis depart from Market Chhbar Ampeou at the far south end of town. Shared taxi costs $5 for a cramped and harrowing ride to the border. Private taxi for $35. At the border, check through immigration, walk across the border arrange another taxi or van the rest of the way to HCMC.

2. Kaam Samnor, Cambodia/Ving Xuong, Vietnam Border (Chao Doc on Mekong River)

Cambodian visas are available at the border. Vietnam visa are not available at this Border.
This Mekong River border crossing is near the Vietnamese city of Chau Doc. Coming from Cambodia, this crossing is accessed primarily from Phnom Penh.
From Phnom Penh, you will taxi (shared taxi: 10,000 riel) or bus east on National Route #1 to Neak Luong town (where the Route #1 meets the Mekong River.) At Neak Luong, take a ferry down the Mekong to the Kaam Samnor crossing near Chau Doc (10,000 riel.) Stamp out of Cambodia, take a motorcycle taxi to Vietnamese Immigration, stamp into Vietnam, and then catch another motorcycle taxi into central Chau Doc a couple of kilometers away. There are guesthouses and hotels in Chau Doc. Allot about 5 hours for the trip from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc. Mini-vans leave Chau Doc for HCMC regularly all day long. They can found clustered around the central market area and cost about US$3/person. The mini-van drivers wait for a full van before they leave so, to minimize your wait, try to get into a van that's almost full. 

3. Moc Bai, Vietnam / Bavet, Cambodia Border (Ta Keo Province)

Cambodian visas are available at the border. Vietnam visa are not available at this Border.
This border crossing in Takeo province Cambodia is about 10 km south of the the Vietnamese city of Chau Doc. Coming from Cambodia, this crossing can be accessed from either Phnom Penh or Kampot.
From Phnom Penh, take a shared taxi from Phsar Domkor (Market Domkor) to Phnom Den in Takeo province ($8-$10.) Walk across the border to Tinh Bien, Vietnam. From Tinh Bien, take a motorcycle taxi or car taxi to Chau Doc about 10km north. From Chau Doc, most travelers continue on to HCMC.
From Kampot, arrange a taxi to the border (Phnom Den) through your guesthouse. Private taxi costs about $25 and take 2-3 hours. If you like, the guesthouse can help to find other travelers to share the taxi with you and reduce the per person cost. The taxi will travel through Kampong Trach district of Kampot province to the border crossing at Phnom Den. Much of the road is hardpack and may deteriorate in the rainy season increasing the travel time. At Phnom Den, walk across the border to Tinh Bien, Vietnam. From Tinh Bien, take a motorcycle taxi or car taxi to Chau Doc about 10km north. The 'right price' is reportedly about $3, though drivers ask as much as $10. Don't forget to bargain! There are guesthouses and hotels in Chau Doc. Mini-vans leave Chau Doc for HCMC regularly all day long. They can found clustered around the central market area and cost about US$3/person. The mini-van drivers wait for a full van before they leave so, to minimize your wait, try to get into a van that's almost full.

4. Xa Mat, Vietnam/Trapeang Phlong (Kampung Cham Province)

Cambodian visas are NOT available at the border. You MUST get your visa in advance.
Recently opened. In Kampong Cham province, Memot district, bordering the Vietnamese province of Tay Ninh.

5. Xa Xia, Vietnam/Prek Chak, Cambodia (Ha Tien Border)

Cambodian visas are NOT available at the border. You MUST get your visa in advance.
The Ha Tien border crossing is now a international border crossing open to foreign travelers. The opening was officially announced by the Cambodian government May 22, 2007 and has also been confirmed by on-site inspection. The border reportedly actually opened May 24. After years of anticipation (since the opening of the Koh Kong crossing in 1998), the opening of the Ha Tien crossing represents the removal of the last road block on the coastal travelers trail from Koh Chang Thailand, though the beach towns of Cambodia and on to southern Vietnam and Phu Quoc Island. Overland travelers can now beach hop across Indochina without ever having to leave the coastal roads.
From Kampot to the Ha Tien Crossing: The road from Kampot/Kep to the border crossing is, for the most part, in good condition, taking about 1h15m to traverse. Take Route 33 east from Kampot to the intersection of Route 31 at Kampong Trach town. (This is also the road from Kampot to Kep. Just bear left at the White Horse monument and on to Kampong Trach, instead of bearing right to Kep). Turn south on Route 31 in Kampong Trach. All but the last few kilometers to the border are sealed. There are also a couple of short cuts off of Route 33 before Kampong Trach town. They are slightly shorter but the the road is hardpack dirt, rough in parts and probably prone to flooding in the rainy season. The Ha Tien destination is so new that the tour operators and motodups in Kampot haven't settled on a standard foreigner's price for a moto to the border yet. Current prices vary from $5-$15 for a motodup and $10-$25 for a tuk tuk. The real price will probably settle around $8-$10 for a motodup and $15 or so for a tuk tuk.
Motodups to Ha Tien town and Ba Hon are available on the Vietnamese side for $2-$4. Boats to Phu Quoc leave out of both towns.

Climate & Weather

Cambodia's climate is similar to the rest of country in Southeast Asia. It is dominated by the monsoons, which are known as tropical wet and dry because of the distinctly marked seasonal differences. In summer, moisture laden air the southwest monsoon is drawn landward from the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Thailand. The southwest monsoon brings the rainy season from mid May to mid September or to early October, and the northeast monsoon flow of drier and cooler air lasts from early November to March and then hotter air prevails in April and early May.
The southern third of the country has a two-month dry season; the northern two-thirds, a four-month one. Temperatures are fairly uniform throughout the Tonle Sap Basin area, with only small variations from the average annual mean of around 25ºC. The maximum mean is about 28ºC and the minimum mean, about 22ºC. Maximum temperatures of higher than 32ºC, however, are common and, just before the start of the rainy season, they may rise to more than 38ºC. Minimum temperatures rarely fall below 10ºC. January is the coldest month, and April is the warmest. Typhoons tropical cyclones that often devastate coastal Vietnam rarely cause damages in Cambodia. The total annual rainfall average is between 100 and 150 centimeters, and the heaviest amounts fall in the southeast. Rainfall from April to September in the Tonle Sap Basin Mekong Lowlands area averages 130 to 190 centimeters annually, but the amount varies considerably from year to year. Rainfall around the basin increases with elevation. It is heavier in the mountains along the coast in the southwest, which receive from 250 to more than 500 centimeters of precipitation annually as the southwest monsoon reaches the coast. This area of greatest rainfall, however, drains mostly to the sea; only a small quantity goes into the rivers flowing into the basin. The relative humidity is high at night throughout the year; usually it exceeds 90%. During the daytime in the dry season, humidity averages about 50% or slightly lower, but it may remain about 60% in the rainy period.

Culture

During the Khmer Rouge's 'clean slate' period millions of artefacts, statues and books were destroyed, but famous examples of Angkorian-era architecture like Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom remain intact. The National Museum in Phnom Penh is the perfect place to see examples of Khmer sculpture, in particular the beautifully portrayed Hindu deities.
Theravada Buddhism is Cambodia's dominant religion. Khmer is the official language. English is fast becoming the dominant second language, overtaking French, which is still spoken by many people who grew up before the 1970s.
In general, Khmer cuisine is similar to Thai, but with fewer spices. A Cambodian meal almost always includes a soup, and fish is the nation's most popular dish. The three flavours which find their way into many Cambodian dishes are coriander, mint and lemongrass. The French influence is best seen in the daily-baked bread. Sweet dishes include sticky rice cakes and jackfruit pudding. Tap water should be avoided, so stock up on mineral water.

Local Currency

Cambodia's currency is the riel, abbreviated by a lower-case 'r' written after the sum.
Notes are in denominations of 100,000, 50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5000, 2000, 1000, 500, 200 100.

Transportation

Internal flights operate between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Battambang, Koh Kong, Kompong Som and Stung Treng, with travel time being about 45 minutes
Government-run ferries depart from the Psar Cha Ministry of Transport Ferry Landing and go to Kompong Cham, Kratie, Stung Treng, Kompong Chhnang and Phnom Krom.
Traffic drives on the right. Most roads are in poor condition, although the highway to Vietnam is open.