Cambodia

From Imakoopedia

Cambodia is a country in south-east Asia. It is bordered by Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

Table of contents

1 Understand 2 Regions 3 Cities 4 Other destinations 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By bus 5.3 By boat 6 Get around 6.1 By road 6.2 By boat 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact 18 Get Out 19 External links

Understand

Following a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh in 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns; over 1 million displaced people died from execution or enforced hardships. A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside and touched off 13 years of fighting. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy, as did the rapid diminishment of the Khmer Rouge in the mid-1990s. A coalition government, formed after national elections in 1998, brought renewed political stability and the surrender of remaining Khmer Rouge forces.

Regions

Cities

• Phnom Penh — the capital
• Siem Reap — the access point for Angkor

Other destinations

• Angkor Archaeological Park — home of the imposing ruins of ancient Khmer civilization
• Preah Vihear — hilltop temple predating Angkor

Get in

All visitors, except citizens of ASEAN countries need a visa to enter Cambodia. As usual the visa can be obtained at any Cambodia Embassy or General Consulate overseas. Visa is available on arrival at Pochentong International Airport (Phnom Penh), Siem Reap International Airport, Ka-om Samor, Poipet border checkpoint and at Bavet. Note that only these entry points (as of now) give out visa on arrival. You will need one passport-size photo, filled forms and a passport which is valid for at least 6 months. Tourist visas cost US$20 and business visas US$25. The tourist visa is valid for 30 days and can be extended for another 30 days in country itself at a cost of US$ 15 through most travel agencies.

By plane

Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are the two most commonly used airports for travel to and from Cambodia. Travellers going specifically to visit the Angkor Wat temple ruins prefer to use Siem Reap since it is closer to the ruins site. Direct flights to Phnom Penh start from Bangkok, Singapore, Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei, and Vientiane, while direct flights to Siem Reap are available from Bangkok, Vientiane, Pakse, Singapore, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City. The major airlines operating to and from Cambodia are Thai Airways International, Malaysia Airlines, Silk Air, Vietnam Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Lao Aviation and China Southern Airlines.

By bus

Buses arrive from most major cities in Thailand and Vietnam. Be prepared for trips that can take up to or beyond 12 hours depending on road conditions. Most tourist buses stop for lunch at the border so travellers can get visas issued on the spot however it is recommended that you get your visa from the Cambodian consulate in Bangkok to avoid the "extra fees" corrupt border officials will want to charge. Travelling by land almost always requires at least one change at the border. If you purchase a single ticket from a travel agent you'll get a spot in a van or pick-up truck. Truly "public" transportation involves taking a bus to the border and then negotiating for space in a car or pick-up. While this is usual a cheaper option, it will take up a good chunk of time. Beware of scams if traveling overland through Cambodia. In the past scams have included requirements to purchase a SARS health form for 50 baht, and a $100 US Dollar into Cambodian Riel exchange requirement. Tourist bus employees often take kickbacks from restaurants and guesthouses they suggest. Tourist buses will stay at rest stops for 2-3 hours or feign mechanical problems, extending the travel to 12 or more hours, which usually makes tourists too tired to argue when arriving at an overpriced guesthouse.

Bangkok-Siem Reap: If you bargain and play your cards right, then you can go from Kao San Road (to busstations Bangkok for a few cents - to Aranya Prathet for a few dollars - to border by local bus for a few cents - to Poipet on the other side by walking) to Battambang or Siem Reap in the back of a pick-up for a few dollars, totaling less then 6 US (year 2002).

Saigon-Phnom Penh: It can be interesting to go by tour (3 days) on the Mekong delta, ending up in Phnom Penh. The cost is about 35 US in total for three days from Saigon to Phnom Penh (2002).

By boat

Ferries arrive from Thailand's southern coast. From Bangkok this is a long, multi-part trip, but getting into the country can be half the fun. There is no border cross for tourists on the Mekong from Laos.

Get around

By road

Cambodian roads, while somewhat improved from their previous state, remain mostly in abysmal condition. Nearly all highways are unpaved dirt, and while now maintained fairly regularly, they fall apart with alarming speed in the wet season. Overloaded logging trucks also do a good job of smashing poorly built bridges. In all, buffer your schedule and expect delays when travelling around the country.

Motorcycles can be rented with or without a driver by the hour or day in just about any town. For quick trips across town, just stand on a corner for a minute and someone will offer you a lift-- for a small, usual standard, fee.

For longer journeys there is a system of buses and pickup trucks that usually depart from the market square between 6-9am.

Ask price in your hotel, then go to the market and bargain for half of it.

For example: for the trip between Siem Reap and Battambang (2003) By bus you can go for 10 US. By pick-up arranged from your hotel you can go for 5 US. By pick-up arranged yourself bargaining at the truck stop you can go for 2 US. And even this is likely to be well over the local price.

By boat

Ferries operate seasonally along many of the major rivers. Major routes include Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Siem Reap to Battambang. Boats are now slower than road transport, charge higher prices for foreigners, and are often overcrowded and unsafe — sinkings occur regularly. Then again, Cambodia's highways are also dangerous, and boats are probably the safer of the two options.

Talk

Cambodians primarily speak Khmer, which unlike most languages in the region is not tonal, but makes up for it with a large assortment of consonants and vowels. Many older Cambodians speak French as their second language, but most of the younger generation knows at least MTV English. German and other European tongues can be found in the tourist centers and Japanese is also a popular language for tourist industry workers.

Buy

The Cambodian riel is the local currency, but US dollars are so widely accepted in Cambodia that you don't really even need to exchange money. The exchange rate is fairly stable at 4000 riel to the dollar, and it's not uncommon to receive change in a mix of the two. The Thai baht is also accepted, particularly near the Thai border (eg. Siem Reap).

ATMs can be found only in Phnom Penh and they don't support international withdrawals (although this may change soon), so bring cash or traveler's checks with you. If you must get money you can go to a bank and get a cash advance on a credit credit, but this is expensive and time consuming.

VISA and JCB are the most widely accepted credit cards. MasterCard and American Express cards are becoming more widely accepted slowly. American Express traveler's cheques in US dollars are the most widely accepted. Credit cards and traveler's cheques are accepted in major business establishments, such as large hotels, some restaurants, travel agencies and some souvenir shops. Keeping some change of riel to pay for transportation rentals is a good idea.

Eat

Cambodia food uses coconut, seafood, chicken, and the ubiquitous "river spinach" found in much of Southeast Asia. There is a strong French influence found in the availability of good coffee (served with sweet condensed milk), French bread, and Laughing Cow brand cheese.

Aside from the national noodle dish there is lots to be found on the markets. Try the tarantula, snakes on a stick and different sorts of insects. A simple, cheap but complete meal with rice, vegies, and meat is often served in a plastic bag on the streets.

Drink

Cambodia's domestic beers include "Angkor" and "ABC", most big international labels (San Miguel, Carlsberg, etc) can also be found.

Wine is on most moderate to upper range restaurant menus, but probably wont be found in many bars or night clubs, unless they are in Western hotels.

If you are lucky you can find some coconut beer to try.

Sleep

Cambodia has the usual Southeast Asia range of accommodations from $100-and-up airconditioned high-rises to $2 guesthouse rooms. On the budget end, expect to provide your own toilet paper, sheets, towels, etc.

Learn

Cambodia has limited opportunities for language and cultural studies.

Work

There are opportunities for volunteer work, mostly in Phnom Penh in the areas of English Language as well as health education, working with homeless youth and other development projects.

Stay safe

Cambodia is a safe and friendly country, with the usual exception for large cities late at night (particularly Phnom Penh) and unobserved luggage or wallets.

Cambodia suffers from a legacy of millions of land mines left during the war years. For the average tourist, however, mines are not really an issue: areas like Siem Reap and Angkor Wat have long since been thoroughly demined. But exercise caution in border areas like Preah Vihear, and heed any warning signs you see: do not venture outside paved roads and paths recently cleared of vegetation.

Stay healthy

Tap water is generally not drinkable anywhere in Cambodia and the same goes for ice; many travellers and even residents play it safe and stick to bottled water.

Respect

Contact

Country Code: +855

Internet cafes are cheap and popular in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh but may be scarce elsewhere in the country.

Get Out

Airport tax are levied on all international and domestic departures. The international departure airport tax is US$20/pp at Phnom Penh and US$25/pp at Siem Reap. For domestic departures, the tax is US$5/pp at both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

You have to pay this fees after checking in at the airlines counter, before going through customs clearance. Do keep the receipt with you since it will be checked later.

External links

Overland Travel Between Bangkok and Siem Reap (http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-overland-bkksr.htm)

Six months overland from Istanbul to Indonesia