Cambodia Travel Guide

Thailand Surpasses China as Cambodias Largest Source of Tourists

Thailand has overtaken China as the largest source of tourists to Cambodia in 2024, with 955,000 Thai visitors in the first half of the year. Cambodia welcomed 3.16 million international tourists during this period.

ABOUT CAMBODIA

Cambodia For decades off limits to all but the most intrepid travellers, today Southeast Asia's Cambodia is a popular destination for all kinds of folks: from independent backpackers who roam far into the hinterland to luxury tourists who stay in style and experience Angkor Wat between massages and

Killing Field

The Killing Fields are a number of sites in Cambodia where collectively more than one million people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime (the Communist Party of Kampuchea) during its rule of the country from 1975 to 1979, immediately after the end of the Cambodian Civil War (1970-1975).

kampong phluk floating village

Kampong Phluk which is a cluster of three villages of stilted houses built within the floodplain about 16 km southeast of Siem Reap. The villages are primarily Khmer and have about 3000 inhabitants between them.

Banteay Srei

The temple of Banteay Srei or the Citadel of the Women, boasts superbly well-preserved and highly intricate stone carvings that adorn the pink-hued sandstone of the delightfully small and intimate site.

Phnom Kulen

The low-lying sandstone plateau of Phnom Kulen is 40 kilometres away from Siem Reap and the main Angkor Archaeological Park, taking around two hours by car or van. If offers both popular and less-popular ruins, some waterfalls and some terrific viewpoints.

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm , of Tomb Raider fame and often referred to as the "one with the trees", is a phenomenal example of the interplay between man and nature and should not be missed.

Bayon

The Bayon was the state temple of Jayavarman VII and some of his successors, located at the centre of Angkor Thom and when it was first visited by Western explorers the site was totally overgrown, slowly but steadily being reclaimed by the jungle.

Angkor Wat

THE HIGHLIGHT OF CAMBODIA Cambodia's Angkor is, quite simply, one of the most splendid attractions in all of Southeast Asia. Long considered "lost", the ruins of Angkor were never really lost to the Khmers, who have used the monuments as religious sites throughout their history.

SIEM REAP

Set in northwest Cambodia, Siem Reap is best known for being the gateway to the Angkor ruins , a sprawling World Heritage-listed complex of more than 400 ancient temples with the magnificent Angkor Wat as its focal point. Described by Henri Mouhot, the Frenchman who awakened western awareness of the

The best islands in Cambodia

Sihanoukville is Cambodia's premier beach destination , popular with locals, backpackers and expats alike. But despite considerable amounts of recent development, the town can still be disappointing for those who come expecting a Thailand-like beach experience. Sadly, when many people think "Cambodi

Tonle Sap Lake

At the physical heart of Cambodia, an immense body of water is the soul of the nation. The great Tonle Sap lake not only sustains Cambodian stomachs, with its harvest accounting for more than 50% of Cambodia's protein intake, it is also a source of immense national pride.

Beng Mealea

With a similar overgrown feel to Ta Phrom, the atmosphere at Beng Mealea (which means Lotus Pond) is like no other--don't be surprised to see Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones on site.

Phnom Penh

A FASCINATING CAPITAL A heaving crossroads of cultures, times, peoples and worlds, Phnom Penh is a city on the edge of everything. With one foot still rooted in the past, which you can find in the temples, markets and buzzing back streets, and another striding boldly into the future, which is pretty

Travel Planning

Travel planning So you're leaving on a holiday to Southeast Asia for the first time and you're sitting in front of your computer thinking: Now what do I have to get done before I leave?

DOS & DONTS

Cambodia is becoming a fascinating destination for tourists. It is a beautiful country with many unique cultural traditions. Knowing the "code of communication" will make your Cambodia tour packages more interesting and avoid culture shock or communication mistakes. This means you respect the local

Travel Insurance

Why you need travel insurance While it's true that basic healthcare can be cheap, the emphasis should be on the word basic--not cheap. Thailand, Singapore and to a lesser extent Malaysia have a higher standard of care, than say Cambodia or Burma, but this is often in private hospitals, not public. A

Money & Costs

What is your trip going to cost? By international standards, Southeast Asia offers amazing value--that $200 cubby hole in Kyoto, Japan will get you a private pool villa in Bali--but you need not be spending the earth to be comfortable.

Weather in Cambodia

Wet season in Cambodia Cambodia's wet season comes courtesy of the southwest monsoon, which blows from May to October, bringing with it some three-quarters of Cambodia's annual rainfall. Not surprisingly, wet season is characterised by rain, and during the peak of wet season from July to September i

What To Pack

What to pack While you can find exhaustive information online about what you should and should not pack, we take a simple approach.

CAMBODIA VISA & BORDER CROSSING

Popular visa types: Tourist and Business Cambodia has two principal types of visa: (1) the tourist 'T' class visa, which is valid for 30 days on a singly-entry basis and can only be extended once, and, (2) the business 'E' visa, which is initially also valid for 30 days on a multiple-entry basis and