30 days were what lasted our trip to cambodia. And we get a big surprise ... this country is much more than Angkor: it has history, beautiful landscapes, tasty food, beaches and dream islands and best of all: its people, a smiling, friendly and fun town.

In our Cambodian month we visited the capital Phnom Penh, went to Siem Reap and went down south: to Sihanoukville, to the island of Koh Rong and to Kampot and Kep.

Here we bring our travel guide to Cambodia for backpackers. A complete guide to our trip through Cambodia. Visa, currency, when to go, travel, how much it costs, what is the best and the worst, reference prices, transport and more!

VISA

To enter Cambodia both by land border and by an airport it is necessary that you process the visa upon arrival. The price is 30$ And you will need a photo. The time of stay is of 30 days.

Be careful because in the land borders They may try to scam you some extra dollars, it is your decision to refuse or pay them. They also usually try to deceive you when you hire transport packages from other countries such as Laos or Cambodia, which tell you that it is not possible to process the visa yourself at the border. Lie, if possible, but in this way they charge you a supplement.

CURRENCY

The official currency of Cambodia is the rail (KHR), although the US dollar (USD). In fact, paying for long transport, travel agencies and hotels is usually done with USD, while restaurants and small purchases are made on rails. You can calculate the exchange rate updated in the following table.

WHEN TO TRAVEL

In Cambodia there are two seasons: rains (from June to early November) and the dry (from November to May). It cannot be said that it is best to visit it in this last era.

VACCINES

In Cambodia there is a risk of dengue and malaria, but in the latter case you don't have to worry too much because it is mostly concentrated in rural areas. The most tourist and urban areas are free of Malaria. In any case, take all possible precautions: wear a good mosquito repellent always, sleep every night with mosquito net, avoid the hours of greatest concentration of mosquitoes (sunrise and sunset) and the areas of greatest concentration (rivers, lakes and wetlands) and wear appropriate clothes.

The recommended vaccines They are: Hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever, Japanese encephalitis and tetanus and rabies (which you probably already have).

• More recommendations from the Foreign Ministry for Cambodia
• More recommendations from the Ministry of Health

BUDGET

Cambodia is a cheap country: transport is not expensive, a hotel room costs between $ 5-8, and if you eat in the street you save a lot of pasta (in restaurant the dishes cost between 2-4 $ regardless of whether you eat fried rice or a hamburger ... here there is not as much difference in prices of western / Asian food as in the other countries we have visited).

The funny thing is that here the local currency is used so much: rails, Like the American dollars. Sometimes it is a bit confusing, but luckily, the Rober is used to making calculations because come on, it was my turn and I lost all the money in two days.

In total we spend an average of € 11.50 per day each, this being the breakdown:

• The highest expense of the food of some 5€ approx
• The accommodation € 3 approx
• The transport € 1.50 approx
• Yseveral + activities about € 2 approx per day.

Some reference prices

• Double room in cheap hostel: 6-8 $
• Double room in hotel: $ 20-30
• Snack: 1-3 $
• Plate of rice-noodles: 2-3 $ (restaurants)
• Western food: $ 2-4
• Big beer: 1.5-2 $
• Beer mug: $ 0.5-0.75
• Water: $ 0.3-0.75
• Drinks: $ 0.5-1.5
• Gasoline: $ 1
• Bike rental: 1-2 $
• Motorcycle rental: $ 5-8 / day
• T-shirt in local market: 2-5 $
• Withdrawal of money: Canadia Bank does not apply commission, so grab pasta here or get a Bnext card.

PLUG

The plugs that can be found in Cambodia are of three types: the A with two flat pins; Type C, the European with two round pegs, and the less frequent G with three square pegs, like the ones in the image. You can buy a universal adapter or get a specific one as soon as you reach your destination.

ITINERARY

Our trip to Cambodia for free lasted 30 days. We enter the land border from the 4,000 islands in Laos and travel to the following destinations, to finish off the land border to the island of Phu Quoc in Vietnam.

• Phnom Penh
• Siem Reap and Angkor
• Sihanoukville
• Koh Rong
• Kampot
• Kep

HOW TO MOVE

Transportation in Cambodia is much better than in neighboring Laos. The main roads which unite the most important destinations like Siem Reap in the north or Sihanoukville in the south are in good condition. In addition there are quite a few companies of tourist buses and local buses, which are quite comfortable. You also have the option to move in minivan For a somewhat more expensive price. We never take night buses, although from what we see on the network, they are somewhat dangerous. Prices are usually low (Phnom Penh to Siem Reap for about 6-8 USD). You can book directly at the stations or at the offices of the companies themselves in the cities or through local agencies for a little more money. There are also agencies that offer online booking. We use mostly the company Sorya, that although it is not the best, if it is the one that offered cheaper prices.

WHAT TO EAT

Two are the star dishes of Cambodia: the amok (a chicken or fish curry cooked in banana leaves and using very tasty coconut milk and lemongrass) and the lok lak(usually beef cooked with wok and sweet soy sauce, which is accompanied by rice and a fried egg to suck your fingers). The draft beer is extremely cheap: the jugs cost from 0.50USD!

THE BEST AND THE WORST

This is one of our favorite sections, here we tell you anecdotes of the trip, personal sensations of the place, things that we have loved but also that we have not liked at all ... in short summary of our passage through Cambodia.

The best

• We have already said it, Cambodians: very smiling, kind, nice ... very nice people
• Koh Rong: this island is paradise on land: white sand, crystal clear waters, few tourists and 100% authenticity ... we don't know yet for how long but ...
• Angkor, what else to say about the eighth wonder of the world? Awesome ... each person should have the opportunity to visit at least once in their life
• Amok, the national dish of Cambodia: chicken or fish cooked in coconut milk, curry and lemoncillo ... delicious!
• The improvised pajamas party: we would say that half of the women go down the street in pajamas! Super funny! Even on the beach and bathing in the sea ... take everything from me but not my pajamas!
• Kep pepper crabs, yum!
• The chaos of Phnom Penh: in some alley we seemed to be in Myanmar, a country that as you will have understood we loved it
• Jars of beer at $ 0.5 on the beach chairs two meters from the sea

Worst

• Cambodia's visitor's ticket: the border where there are many corrupt policemen who take out $ tourists ... if you don't pay you don't pass. Outrageous the truth ...
• Kampot We did not get to take advantage of this city: the thing that has impacted us most has been a monument of a giant durian ... mmm no! You have not entered the top ten of our favorite cities!
• There is a lot of garbage everywhere.
• The exaggerated price hike during New Year's Eve at Shianoukville: they asked us $ 30 for a room that normally cost $ 7!
• The prostitution of Phnom Penh and Shianoukville ... a constant in Asia, but the truth is that you don't get used to it.

OUR ITEMS

These are the posts we have written:

• TIPS TO VISIT ANGKOR (AND DON'T FALL IT)
• THE BEST 15 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN CAMBODIA
• VISAS FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA (FOR SPANISH CITIZENS)
• BACK TO OUR “COUNTRY NEVER EVER”
• WHERE TO SLEEP IN KOH RONG: PURA VITA
• KOH RONG: OUR COUNTRY NEVER EVER
• CAMBODIA TRAVEL GUIDE FOR BACKPACKERS
• KAMPOT AND KEP: ONE OF CRAB TO THE PEPPER!
• KOH RONG: A FEW DAYS OF "IN-DREAM"
• ANGKOR: RIDING FOR THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD
• PHNOM PENH: DISCOVERING CAMBODIA

OUR PICTURES

Here we leave you our photo album of Cambodia (by the way in the backpack we forgot my camera was also ... so they are the last photos that my Nikon could give me ... I will miss you!)

And remember that at the end of each post there is useful information about each place!

We hope ourTravel guide to Cambodia for backpackers is useful.For any doubt, question or curiosity do not hesitate to write to us and we will be happy to help you.

Video: TRAVELING CAMBODIA - Route Budget Accommodation Food (April 2024).