Explore Our Cambodia
Don’t miss a visit to the capital city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh and whilst their visit the spectacular Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. A darker side of this city’s history is a visit to the S 21 Detention Centre where thousands were imprisoned, tortured and killed by the Khmer Rouge, this center demonstrates the country tragic past which not long ago.
The rural countryside in Cambodia stretches far, green and wide and offers a different pace to the cities. Enjoy the rhythm of rural life in the most enchanting colonial towns like Battambang, as well as hopping from paradise island to paradise island on any one of the Koh Rong Island’s off the coast of Sihanoukville.
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World Heritage Sites
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Ethnic Minorities
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Cities
Cambodia Highlights
Suggested Cambodia Itineraries
Explore our Cambodia sample itineraries to inspire your travel planning. The itineraries can be easily customised and adapted to your personal interests and preferences.
Khmer Culture – the integration of Buddhism, Hinduism, and indigenous animistic beliefs
Cambodian culture is much associated with religion. Over thousands of years, people in the golden land have developed their own Khmer Culture, which is the convergence of Hinduism, Buddhism, and indigenous animistic beliefs. Still, nowadays, more than 80% of Cambodian people are Theravada Buddhist followers.
Traditional costumes
As Cambodia is an agriculture-based country, their traditional costumes must be comfortable and convenient enough to wear to the farm. The images of Cambodian people are often tied with krama – a cotton carve to wrap around the heads to prevent the heat.
Besides, the national garment of the country is said to be Sampot, which has appeared since the Funan era. Sampot is a form of sarong that both male and female Cambodian would wear. More than just a cloth, this sarong is a tool to display the wearer’s social class, basing on the variations of colors and patterns.
Apsara Dance
Dating back to the 7th century, Apsara is the traditional art form of Cambodia. Mythology has it that Apsara is performed by the beautiful fairies who come to Earth to entertain the gods.
The dance features slow-pace moves, most of which are hand gestures. Research indicates that there are more than 1,500 distinct gestures that hold different meanings. In 2008, UNESCO designated Apsara Dance as a World’s Intangible Heritage thanks to its cultural significance.
Special cuisine
Cambodian cuisine might be less popular than the exquisite dishes of the neighbor Vietnam and Thailand, yet it is still quintessential. It is an excellent combination of different cuisines like Indian, Chinese, French, Vietnamese, and Thai.
Fish and rice are two staples in their meals. There are many scrumptious dishes made from these two ingredients. If you are a foodaholic, do not miss trying the specialties of Cambodia when stepping into this land.
As Cambodia is rich in culture and religion, several traditional festivals take place all year round. The country is among the list of nations that have the highest number of holidays and festivals in the world.
Cambodian festivals are much associated with Buddhism. The tradition has been so strong that even the western colonization and Khmer Rouge regime in the 19th and 20th century cannot quash the practice of these events. These days are a great time for the locals to unite and rejoice.
Additional to the major religious festivals, there are also fascinating occasions for tourists to participate in such as Water Festival with boat racing on Ton Le Sap, the joyful Angkor Festival, and the Sea Festival by the coastline. These events are extraordinarily joyful and would definitely worth your time.
There are quite a number of national holidays in Cambodia. Some of the holidays are to memorize the important periods and limestones of the nation’s history, while some holidays are religious occasions that have their roots from Buddhism and Khmer culture.
Beside the western calendar like other countries in the world, Cambodia has another traditional Chhankitek calendar, which is based on the movement of the moon. Consequently, many of the holidays do not have a fixed date in the western calendar because they depend on the lunar calendar instead.
There are 20 national holidays in total. The most important holidays in Cambodia are said to be Meak Bochea in February, when all the monks gather to listen to Buddha’s teachings, Khmer New Year in April, National Day of Remembrance to commemorate the massive killings during the Khmer Rouge in May 20, and Pchum Ben (between September and October) – the Buddhist holiday to pay tribute to the ancestors.
Dress code
As Cambodia is the sacred land with numerous temples, it is important for tourists to dress properly when visiting this country. It is better to pay much notice to your dress code, especially when you are women. Nowadays, people might be acquainted with wearing shorts and skirts everywhere you go. In addition to the fact that Cambodia is a holy land, the people in Cambodia are quite conservative, and they would never thumb up if seeing you wearing revealing clothes. Hence, try to cover your skin as much as possible.
It is better to be culturally respective, so put on a long pant or dress that below your knees and avoid tank top/ strapless/ spaghetti top when coming out, especially when you go to the temples.
Special religious etiquette (exercise gratitude, etc.)
Showing respect and gratitude towards the locals is a great way to gain trust and friendship. Cambodia people feel lucky for everything they have, and there is almost no complaint no matter how worse their situation is.
Additionally, you should show respect to elder people and the religious practicers (like monk and nun). Just a prayer-like gesture is enough.
Face-saving etiquette
Not only Cambodia but other Asian countries values face-saving etiquette. It is considered unacceptable to lose one’s face in front of other people; hence, avoid criticizing or shouting at others when you are in public.
It is never a wise thing to lose your temper. Try to keep calm and hang on your smile to make people respect you.
Notice your hand and feet
These are little yet important protocols to practice when traveling to Cambodia. The locals consider the head as the most sacred part of the human’s body, so don’t touch it. In contrast, feet and left hand are believed to be the dirtiest; thus, do not use your left hand to shake other’s hand or point your feet at them. Remember to remove your shoes before going to sacred places like temples and sanctuaries, also.
In order to avoid cultural offense and show respect to the local culture, it is important to dress properly. Followings are some tips that travelers should notice:
Take off your shoes and headcovers when entering a sacred place
Leave your shoes, sandals, and hats behind if you are about to enter the temples. If you feel putting on and off your sneakers waste too much time and effort, use flip-flops instead. You will walk a lot and need to remove your shoes quite often, so try the most convenient one to put on.
Riel (KHR) is the official money currency in Cambodia. 01 US Dollar would have an equal value to approximately 4,000 riels. The exchange rate fluctuates on a daily basis, but this rate is largely accepted all over the country.
Even though riel is the official note, the United State Dollar is widely used throughout this nation. While people use riel for small purchases like in a convenience store or a restaurant, USD is preferable when conducting larger transactions. A fun fact is that most ATMs in Cambodia would allow you to withdraw USD rather than riel.
In border areas with Thailand and Vietnam, Thai Bath and Vietnam Dong are acceptable. In case you travel to Cambodia from Vietnam, for example, you can use the leftover Vietnam Dong notes on your wallet to buy things at the airport or at a local market
E-visa/Visa on Arrival (VOA)
Tourists need to have a valid passport and a Cambodian visa to cross the border. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months prior to your entry or you won’t be able to obtain a visa. If your passport is damaged or have a page missing, the Immigration Office might refuse your entry, also.
The traditional way to get a visa is to obtain your visa at the Cambodian Embassy or Consulate in your country before you travel. You can also apply for an E-Visa in advance via its official government website.
Another way is to obtain a tourist visa upon arrival. Most tourists can get VOA at Cambodian International Airports in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. For land crossings from the neighbor countries like Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, the International Check Border points are where you could get your visa.
Please note that these three options are not available for all travelers. People from Afghanistan, Algeria, Arab Saudi, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Nigeria are required to get a visa in advance at Cambodian Embassy in their country.
It costs $30 for a single-entry tourist visa and $35 for a business one.
A single-entry visa would allow you to stay in Cambodia for maximumly one month. A passport-sized photo is a must-bring item if you don’t want to get fined. In case tourists want to extend your visa, it would take a couple of days to arrange at the Immigration Department.
Visa Exemption
Travelers with Southeast Asian nationalities (including Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Brunei, and Indonesia) are allowed to enter Cambodia without a visa.
However, the duration of stay for each nationality is different. With a normal passport, people from Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore can stay up to 30 days within Cambodian borders. Tourists from Thailand, Myanmar, and Brunei can stay for 14 days, while 21 days is the longest stay that Philippine people are allowed to stay there.
Custom Regulations
Generally speaking, Cambodian Custom Regulations is not so fierce. Only with the importation into or exportation from Cambodia of items like drugs, firearms, antiquities, or ivory do the customs authorities enforce its strict rules.
You are entitled to bring along a “certain amount” of duty-free items when arriving in Cambodia. However, things like tobacco, cigarettes, or liquor are sold in cities at prices that are as low as duty-free rates (sometimes it’s even lower), so there’s no need to pack along so many.
In addition, your money should be clarified on arrival, but for most of the times, the officers won’t ask about it.
Loose as the rules might be, there’s one thing you need to bear in mind: never take any stone sculptures from the ancient heritages out of Cambodia. It’s illegal.
DO’s
Dress Modestly
It is absolutely fine to get dressed up comfortably, or even sexily if you are about to go to a pub in Siem Reap or at a pool party at a luxury resort. However, things are not the same if you are about to visit the heritages. Leave your shorts, miniskirts, and any other clothes that are above your knees or reveal too much skin at home. Put on a long pant or a long dress, instead.
Show cultural respects
It is necessary to show your respect for the Cambodian people and culture. Social class is quite notorious here, so pay attention to your etiquette when meeting the elderly or the monks.
Bargain
That Khmer people are hospitable and honest does not mean you won’t be overcharged when shopping in their markets or shops. Bargaining is a must-do in almost all Asian countries, not just Cambodia.
DON’Ts
– Give money to children and beggars on the streets. Many of these people are forced to do that job and would get nothing even when you give them money. All would come into the wallet of their “boss” instead.
– Talk about sensitive topics. It is never a should talk about politics or war with Cambodian people. Especially, they really hate mentioning about Khmer Rouge period, so do not bring them to your conversation.
– Be culture offensive. Many things sound to be exceptionally unrespectful to Cambodian people such as touching someone’s head, using the left hand to give and receive things, pointing your feet to other people or to Buddha’s images, pointing your index finger to others, complaining about their country, and so on.
– Show affection in public. Cambodia is still a conservative society and they tend to avoid interacting with people of the opposite gender when they are in public. Holding hands, hugging, and kissing is unacceptable, too.
– Drink tap water. Tap water is not clean, so avoid drinking it. You can use bottled water instead.