Home to the world’s largest religious structure, as well as an iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cambodia’s popularity has been on the rise for years. It was one of our favourite places in all of Southeast Asia, with beautiful sites, delicious food and wonderfully friendly locals. It’s not hard to feel right at home in Cambodia.
Head to Cambodia for $1 margaritas, beautiful ancient temples, luxurious all inclusive resorts and heaps more. There’s so much to explore here, with a distinct vibe that’s unlike the rest of Southeast Asia.
When To Visit: December to February, during the driest months of the year and when the weather is a little cooler is generally the best time to visit Siem Reap. Cambodia can generally be busier during this peak holiday time, but it is still considered the best time to visit.
Don’t be fooled though that this is the “cool” time of year to visit, the weather can still be very hot, especially if you’re walking around exploring temples all day. Make sure you always carry water on you and keep yourself protected from the sun.
Language: The official language of Cambodia is Khmer, although many locals in Siem Reap can speak and understand English. Depending on their confidence with English, they might even want to practice with you and have a big chat!
Visas: All tourists travelling to Cambodia are required to hold either an e-visa or a tourist visa. If you’re travelling for tourism on an Australian passport you can apply for an electronic tourist visa (e-visa) online through the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation.
Capital City: Phnom Penh
Time Zone: Cambodia follows the Indochina Time Zone GMT +7.
International Airport: There are three main international airports across Cambodia – Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH), Siem Reap International Airport (REP) and Sihanouk International Airport (KOS).
Currency: The official currency of Cambodia is the Cambodia Riel KHR, however US Dollars are also widely used and accepted. At that time of writing, $1AUD converts to 2,794KHR, $1USD converts to 4,064KHR and £1GBP converts to 5,186KHR.
Almost all prices you come across in Siem Reap, including ticket prices, restaurants, markets, fruit stands, tuk tuks, etc, will be listed in USD. ATMs are easily accessible in the main town and around Pub Street. Most ATMs will dispense USD. Some hotels and high end restaurants will accept credit and debit cards, but generally Cambodia is more of a cash country. Always make sure you have some cash on you.
Driving: Always drive on the right side of the road in Cambodia.
Power: In Cambodia the power plugs and sockets are of type A, C and G. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.
Internet Access: Depending on where you stay, hotel wifi will be your main source of internet connection. Most hotels have excellent high speed wifi so you can scroll and stream until your heart’s content. Restaurants around Pub Street can be hit or miss with wifi – some connections are excellent while others say they’re connected and then won’t load. Better to be safe than sorry and only rely on being connected in your hotel.
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