14 essential tips you need to know to travel to Cambodia

We really wanted to know one of the most attractive countries in all of Southeast Asia,  Cambodia .

We just returned from the trip to see its impressive temples of Angkor , one of the great wonders of the world that no one should miss.

But before traveling there are some tips that are essential to take into account to fully enjoy your trip.

1 What vaccines and medicines are needed to travel to Cambodia?

If you travel from Spain, you do not need vaccines , it is only necessary if you do it from a yellow fever risk zone.

If you are going to visit some areas that are not very touristy, they may recommend a typhoid vaccine.

In any case you have to consult the tropical medicine unit that corresponds to you to make sure.

Important, mosquito repellent strong, and as for any trip it is advisable to bring aspirin , ibuprofen , paracetamol , etc …

In the Tropical Medicine Unit of your hospital you are also usually prescribed some antibiotic for infections and diarrhea.

2 Hire insurance to travel to Cambodia

This point may be the most important advice for anyone who wants to  travel to Southeast Asia .

!! Do not even think about traveling without medical insurance !!

We never think that anything could happen to us, but in the event that it happens and we do not have insurance, we can have a serious problem.

The medicine in these countries is private and not too good .

But we do not insist on contracting insurance only because of the high costs of medicine in these countries.

To give you an idea, the guide who taught us the temples of Angkor Wat told us that rich people in the country when something happens to them, they went to the doctor to another nearby country like Thailand.

So it is essential to have insurance that guarantees good coverage in case you need repatriation or a transfer to another country to be treated.

3 How to go to the airport in Cambodia?

For the transfer, the best thing is not to get complicated and take a transfer that is very cheap and you can have it hired before going to Cambodia.

You can also do it at the airport when you arrive, or at the hotels if you want to go back

Another option if you do not carry too much luggage is one of the numerous tuk tuks that travel the city.

The hotels are usually very close to the airport since Siem Reap , which is where you arrive by plane, is a city of small dimensions and distances are short.

4 What currency do they use in Cambodia?

The coin is the Rail but in practice it is hardly used because to pay everything the dollar is used ; You will only see your currency when you pay something and give you less than a dollar change.

In hotels, restaurants, tuk tuks and all kinds of tourist centers, the main currency is the dollar.

You can change money if you need it in the hotels or withdraw money from ATMs around the city. You will recognize them by a large sign that says ATM (there is no loss) where they charge a commission of around 2 euros.

5 What is the climate in Cambodia?

If anything , Cambodia’s climate is strong humidity . It is a country with a tropical climate  and two distinct seasons.

From November to February there is not too much rainfall and it is less humid, with a temperature of about 30 degrees.

In the rainy season there may be floods that cut some roads.

In our case we went to the end of June and the beginning of July, and every afternoon it was pouring; They told us at the hotel that it was normal at that time.

But the rest of the day is very hot because of the humidity that is triggered, it does not stop sweating!

With average temperatures of 35 degrees, it is advisable to drink a lot of water and it is worth taking a towel to dry the sweat.

The high season is between December and February, in addition to the month of August.

The sun rises at 6 o’clock in summer and at 7 o’clock in winter, and it is set at 7 and 6 o’clock respectively.

6 How to move Transport through Cambodia?

To move around Cambodia the best thing is the tuk tuk.

For short trips between the hotel zone and the streets of bars, the price you should pay is around one dollar per person. At night the price goes up a little; we pay 3 dollars between 2 people.

If you want to visit the temples in tuk tuk , you will have to negotiate the price, but to give you an idea, here are some guide prices as they will depend on bargaining.

To see the short route of the most important temples in Siem Reap, it would be normal to pay about 15 dollars, which in practice can take you several hours. They wait for you at the door of the temples until you leave.

And if you want to make a complete route, a fair price should be between 20 or 25 dollars.

7 What to eat in Cambodia?

The basis of the food is rice as in most of Southeast Asia.

The cuisine of Cambodia is very similar to Chinese and Vietnamese .

Soups are very common, even for breakfast, there are noodles or without them.

They use coriander or coriander ,  ginger and hot sauces in many dishes .

The duck, chicken and fish are the most used companions, along with the vegetables.

It is not advisable to drink water that is not bottled because of the risk of diarrhea.

Beware of ice, juices from fruit concentrates and natural fruit smoothies, if you are not sure that the water used to make them is bottled, we do not recommend consuming them.

To avoid food poisoning it is important to eat in the stalls or restaurants that more local people have eating.

That guarantees you that food rotates and that they are fresh, since the laws and sanitary controls shine by their absence.

One more thing, eye with the salads that are usually washed with water.

We only ate salads in the restaurants of the good hotels, which tend to be careful with those details to prevent their clients from falling ill.

Of course, in Cambodia you can eat “peculiar” foods, such as snakes, crocodiles and a multitude of insects, but unlike in Vietnam, you hardly eat a dog here.

And for the heat, the beer is quite cheap.

In some places like Street Pub in Siem Reap they have a low price fight, but a beer of about 33 cl usually costs $ 0.5.

8 Where to stay in Cambodia?

The accommodation in Siem Reap , the Cambodian tourist destination in general tend to be very cheap , so stay in amazing hotels 5 star is very affordable.

Staying in basic backpacker hotels usually costs from $ 5. It is a country where you can afford to stay in authentic hotelazos at good prices.

We stayed in Siem Reap in the Lotus Blanc (5 stars) and the double room can be found by booking with time for less than 50 euros, a bargain, a real luxury hotel at that price!

9 What clothes to wear in Cambodia?

When it is very hot, it is advisable to wear light clothing and do not squeeze so as not to be overwhelmed.

Important to bring sunscreen because the sun hits hard when it comes out, sunglasses and raincoat or umbrella in the rainy season.

When you go to enter the temples it is obligatory to have your shoulders covered and your trousers to cover your knees.

The head must be uncovered and to get inside the temples in the prayer areas it is mandatory to take off your shoes.

10 Norms inside the temples

In addition to the advice in the clothing that we have just commented, we must know some more things when visiting the temples.

It is forbidden to touch the reliefs and sculptures, besides not being able to sit on fragile monuments and structures.

Smoking is not allowed in the whole area of the Angkor complex , it is a smoke free space.

With respect to the monks, it is only allowed to take photos with their consent and the women can not touch them or sit nearby.

11 Is it safe to travel to Cambodia?

As in any country it is advisable to be attentive to your belongings, as pickpockets are available in all countries.

But Cambodia  is generally a very safe country, in which there is almost no crime, especially for tourists, because in a way the country lives a lot of money left by these travelers.

I went with the camera around my neck all day and we have not had any problems, like most of the Southeast Asian countries.

12 Should I tip in Cambodia?

In restaurants, salaries are usually quite low and depend to a certain extent on tips; It is good to leave a tip of 5 to 10% of the amount.

It is advisable for guides and porters to give them a tip as well.

You should give a dollar to suitcases and guides, depending on how happy you are; between 3 and 5 dollars per day and person is an indicative figure.

Although feel free to give them more if you want, they will thank you given their low salary.

Many of the temples depend on tips and donations, so it does not hurt to help them to keep it.

13 Bargaining in Cambodia

Whenever you go to buy clothes or souvenirs, especially in the street markets, you will have to bargain. Do not accept the first price and negotiate.

If you are not convinced by the price they give you and you can not reach an agreement, leave, they will probably come back for you to lower the price further. And if not, there are a thousand equal positions in which to try again.

Women are usually more sympathetic than men when it comes to bargaining, at least in our case.

Also in tuk tuk transports, you  have to bargain. Although you will see that the prices are very low since wages in the country are around 200 or 300 euros.

Food in restaurants and local stalls have a fixed price

14 Plugs and Wifi in Cambodia

Most hotels have Wi-Fi that goes very well, even in restaurants, although some of them use it as a claim to enter the bars and then it does not work well.

The plugs have a voltage of 220V, and although they have a different shape to the European, no need adapters