The Cambodian riel, denoted by the symbol “៛” (ISO code: KHR), and the US dollar (USD) are both official currencies. The riel generally used only for small transactions (i.e. below US$1). US coins are not used. Most ATMs only dispense US dollars, although some are loaded with both currencies.

The Cambodian Central Bank maintains the riel at 4100 riel to the dollar. In day-to-day commerce, 4,000 riel per dollar is ubiquitous. So US$1.50 is one dollar and 2,000 riel, or 6,000 riel. Riel notes go as high as 100,000 riel (US$25) but 10,000 riel (US$2.50) is the highest denomination that is commonly encountered. Riel only have value outside Cambodia as souvenirs. No one will exchange them.

Near the Thai border (for example Battambang, Koh Kong, and Poipet) Thai baht is commonly accepted but the locals use an unfavourable 30 baht to the dollar as a rule of thumb. Try to change any baht rather than spend them as banks and money changers will give you a much better rate.

Banks sometimes operate as Western Union money transfer agents.

Changing money:

Baht and other major currencies (euros, pounds sterling) an easily be exchanged in any city. Shop around if you are keen on saving money; there is no hard-and-fast rule as to whether banks or money changers will offer the best rates.

Torn or old foreign currency notes may be difficult to exchange, except US$1 bills which change hands often. Cambodian banks will refuse US$2 bills and notes without the security strip. Refusing imperfect notes is normal, traders may try to take advantage of tourists’ naïveté and try to get rid of them. Just smile and hand them back.

Cards and ATMs:

ATMs are spreading far beyond the main cities. They are generally compatible with Maestro, Cirrus, MasterCard​ and Visa cards.

Cash advances on credit cards are also possible at most banks.

VISA and MasterCard and JCB are the most widely accepted credit cards; American Express cards are slowly becoming more widely accepted.

ATMs dispense US dollars in varying denominations from 10-100. If you receive bills in poor condition (especially US$50 or US$100) from an ATM attached directly to a bank try to change them there immediately as they may be difficult to change later.

Cambodian ATMs only accept 4-digit PINs. If your PIN is more than 4 digits, best to take care of that at home before you need cash and find yourself out of luck.

There is a US$5 ATM fee to get money from any ATM in Cambodia. The only ATMs without a fee are at Maybank, but Maybank ATMs only take Visa cards.

BY PLANE:

The domestic aviation scene in Cambodia has improved. Three airports operate scheduled passenger flights: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville.

The main operator is Cambodia Angkor Air, a joint venture between the government and Vietnam Airlines, which flies between Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, and airports in China, Thailand, and Vietnam. In 2013, the creation of a second airline, Cambodia Airlines, was announced. Scheduled to begin travel some time in 2013, the airline is a joint venture between Philippines Airlines and local stakeholders. It is not yet flying (Dec 2013).

A charter service, Aero Cambodia, operates from Phnom Penh to Cambodia’s other 16 airports using twin engine 10-70 seat aircraft.

BY HELICOPTER:

Helistar Cambodia, a VIP helicopter charter and scenic flights company, operate to virtually anywhere in Cambodia. Helicopters can be chartered to fly from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap for one-way or return journeys. The basic hourly charter rate is US$1,700 per flight hour plus 10% VAT and 10% SPT. They operate modern, air conditioned Eurocopter Ecureuils with seating for up to 6 passengers. They also have licensed foreign pilots. A pick-up and set-down transfer service is also available at both international airports.

BY ROAD:

The Cambodian government has been frantically upgrading roads throughout the country since about 2008. While great for the country, it does make travel advice quickly obsolete! Finding an unsealed road is actually quite a challenge and most travellers will not have any horror stories of car-swallowing ruts or wet-season quagmires. For the time being, notable unpaved roads that would be of use to travellers are: Battambang-Koh Kong (a great dirt bike adventure across the mountains or a long detour by bus via Phnom Penh), access to the Banteay Chhmar temples (a high-quality unsealed road, as good as a sealed road during the dry season) and the road between Sen Monorom and Banlung (if there’s any remote jungle left in Cambodia, it’ll be here). The borders, coast and major cities are all well-connected with good roads.

Longer journeys in Cambodia can be taken by bus, pickup truck or shared taxi. In many towns, whichever of these are available will be found at the local market square. Larger towns and cities will have bus stations. Buses may also serve their companies’ offices, which may be more convenient than the bus station: this is particularly true in Siem Reap. Mekong Express has the best reputation for comfort and speed and consequently charges a premium. Sorya (formerly Ho Wah Genting) and GST offer a slightly cheaper no-frills service. Capitol runs between its central offices, making for city centre-to-city centre travel. Ramshackled peasant mover Paramount Angkor Transport is great for accessing more remote places but low on comfort and safety.

Avoid VR Express and Phnom Penh Sorya Transport Co. They have a history of threatening customers, manipulating, lying, and being unhelpful and rude. They prioritize cheating passengers of their money.

Indeed bus safety is a big problem in Cambodia. On Hwy 5, between Phnom Penh and Battambang, there are dozens of bus crashes annually, many of them horrendous, with multiple fatalities. There are even bus-on-bus crashes. Drivers are untrained, impatient, and (according to those working in roadside gas stations) sometimes drunk. Most of these accidents go unreported, but frequent travellers on Highway 5 can typically observe half a dozen bus crashes in a month.

Generally bus travel is cheap, with journeys from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap or Sihanoukville costing around US$5. Bring along something warm if you don’t like freezing air conditioning and earplugs if you don’t like Khmer karaoke. There are a few night-time services but most buses leave in the morning and the last ones leave in the afternoon.

Some believe taxis are safer for inter-city travel, but taxis also often go way too fast, and so are involved in numerous fatal accidents. The front seat in a taxi from Phnom Penh to Battambang should cost you about US$25.

In cities, motorcycle taxis are ubiquitous. For quick trips across town, just stand on a corner for a moment and someone will offer you a lift – for a small, usually standard, fee of US$1 or less.

Motorcycle rentals are available in many towns, with the notable exception of Siem Reap, which has outlawed the practice. Be careful if driving yourself: driving practices are vastly different from developed countries. Local road ‘rules’ will also differ from city to city. If you consider traveling alone, it’s worth remembering that English is rarely spoken outside of main towns and cities, and hazards are numerous, including the possibility of land mines. For this reason, guided tours are worth considering.

BY BOAT:

Ferries operate seasonally along many of the major rivers. Major routes include Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Siem Reap to Battambang. The Sihanoukville to Koh Kong ferry no longer runs. Boats are slower than road transport, charge higher prices for foreigners, and are sometimes overcrowded and unsafe. Then again, Cambodia’s highways are also dangerous, and boats are probably the safer of the two options. The high speed boat from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap costs US$33 and takes about 6 hours, departing at 07:30, and offers a spectacular view of rural life along the Tonle Sap River.

There are also a few luxury boats operating between Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Saigon. For something around US$150/day including accommodation, food and excursions, it’s a good alternative to regular boat service.

The boat trip between Siem Reap and Battambang takes longer (especially in the dry season), and is less comfortable and more expensive than taking a seat in a share taxi, but is favoured by some travellers for its up-close view of subsistence farming (and hundreds of waving children) along the river. Taking the boat late in the dry season (Apr-May) is not advisable as low water levels mean that you must transfer to smaller vessels in mid-river.

BY TRAIN:

There are passenger trains from Phnom Penh going to Sihanoukville via Kampot from Monday to Friday at 7:00 and from Friday to Monday at 16:00. The journey lasts roughly seven hours and is thus slower than by bus. The carriages are air conditioned and have free wi-fi. There are power outlets at every seat. Toilets are also available. A one way ticket from Phnom Penh to Kampot is USD 6. A one way ticket from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville costs USD 7. There are plans to link the network with the Thai and Vietnamese railway networks. 2017 information points towards a 2018 opening date for the line. The train doesn’t leave when you think it will. Be sure you get your tickets from the station itself, and ask for the boarding time. Getting seats outbound from Phnom Penh is more crowded. The first stretch west passes through ramshackle camps built along the rail line, and sprawling suburban construction, then a non-descript countryside. The train stops briefly, there a good food vendors if you act quickly, then the second leg is through beautiful hills and paddies to Kampot, again with good food vendors at the station as train time nears. Seven hours doesn’t seem like a long time, but it starts to drag. The return trip to Phnom Penh gets in very late, and it’s difficult to find a tuktuk or taxi. Also, unless your hotel is near the station, you’ll be disoriented from your normal route routine, so it’s good to have your hotel or hospice card and phone number to give to the driver. Even then, it helps to have sketched out your return route from the train station. You’ll be exhausted from seven hours riding on the train, and worse with a tuktuk driver going in circles at night trying to find your hotel. Don’t assume they can read a map or know how to find your hotel. You should know the Khmer words for Left, Right and Stop to direct them to it.

BY BAMBOO TRAIN:

Despite the lack of normal train services there are bamboo trains or noris running around Battambang, and you can also travel on a bamboo train from the outskirts of Phnom Penh to Battambang on demand. These trains are home made railcars which carry just about anything, pigs, motorcycles, crops, you name it, as long as it fits on the train. They are also great fun to ride on and they are actually reasonably safe, and the drivers are friendly. They cost around US$2 per person for a short journey and around US$6 to hire one with a driver. Ask locally where you can find a norry, or you can find one at Battambang station.

While not the strongest link in Southeast Asia’s chain of delightful cuisines, Khmer food is tasty and cheap. Rice and occasionally noodles are the staples. Unlike in Thailand or Lao, spicy hot food is not the mainstay; black pepper is preferred over chilli peppers, though chillis are usually served on the side. Thai and Vietnamese influences can be noted in Khmer food, although Cambodians love strong sour tastes in their dishes. Prahok, a local fish paste, is common in Khmer cooking and may not please Western palates. Indian and Chinese restaurants have a healthy representation in Phnom Penh and the larger towns. Western food can be readily found in most restaurants in any of the tourist areas of Cambodia and Cambodia offers some of the best budget western meals in SE Asia. However, while still inexpensive, a western meal will often be double the price of a Khmer meal.

Typical Khmer dishes include:

• Amok – Arguably the most well known Cambodian dish. A coconut milk curried dish less spicy than those found in Thailand. Amok is usually made with chicken, fish, or shrimp, plus some vegetables. It is sometimes served in a hollowed-out coconut with rice on the side. Quite delicious.
  
• K’tieu (Kuytheav) – A noodle soup generally served for breakfast. Can be made with pork, beef or seafood. Flavourings are added to the customers taste in the form of lime juice, chili powder, sugar and fish sauce.
  
• Somlah Machou Khmae – A sweet and sour soup made with pineapple, tomatoes and fish.
  
• Bai Sarch Ch’rouk – Another breakfast staple. Rice (bai) with pork meat (sarch chrouk) often barbequed. Very tasty and served with some pickled vegetables.
  
• Saik Ch’rouk Cha Kn’yei – Pork fried with ginger. Ginger is commonly used as a vegetable. This tasty dish is available just about everywhere.
  
• Lok lak – Chopped up beef cooked quickly. Probably a holdover from the days of French colonization. Served with a simple dipping sauce made from lime juice and black pepper, lettuce, onion, and often with chips.
  
• Mi/Bai Chaa – Fried noodles or rice. Never particularly inspiring, but a good traveller’s staple.
  
• Trey Ch’ien Chou ‘Ayme – Trey (fish) fried with a sweet chili sauce and vegetables. Very tasty. Chou ‘ayme is the phrase for “sweet and sour”.
  
• K’dam – Crab. Kampot in the south is famous for its crab cooked in locally sourced black pepper. A very tasty meal.

Don’t forget Khmer desserts – Pong Aime (sweets). These are available from stalls in most Khmer towns and can be excellent. Choose from a variety of sweetmeats and have them served with ice, condensed milk and sugar water. A must try is the Tuk-a-loc, a blended drink of fruits, raw egg, sweetened condensed milk and ice. Also keep an eye out for waffle street vendors. The farther you are from hotel row, the better the coconut waffle batter. On the south edge of town the coconut waffles are so good they make your feet dance.

There is also a wide variety of fresh fruit available from markets. The prices vary according to which fruit is in season but mangoes (around Khmer New Year, with up to 9 varieties on sale) and mangosteen (May/June) are both superb. Dragonfruit has a pink and green tinged skin. Inside is either white with tiny black seeds, or if you can find it, florescent juicy-red inside. A prized treat in August is durian, a large spiky green fruit like a rounded football. Stop at a few vendors to watch and learn what is fresh and what is older. It comes and goes quickly so don’t overthink it. And definitely haggle, the price is very high. Durian is considered almost a ceremonial dish if you have a Cambodian friend you would like to treat. The trick is to not open the fruit until right when you eat it. Just opened, it’s fragrant and ambrosial if truly ripe. After some time it gets the famous ‘stink’ you won’t forget. Restaurants will not let you eat it on their premises for this reason. Jackfruit is similar but without the ‘stink’, and can be found sliced, rather like pineapple in appearance. And although not a fruit sugar cane is sold throughout Phnom Penh from street carts that crush it while you watch, a very inexpensive and safe way to replenish fluids and an energy boost.

Other popular Khmer foods which may be less palatable to foreigners include pregnant eggs (duck eggs with the embryo still inside), and almost every variety of creepy or crawly animal (spiders, crickets, water beetles) as well as barbecued rats, frogs, snakes, bats and small birds.

DRINK:

The tap water supply in Phnom Penh has undergone some serious changes at the hands of a “water revolutionary” in the government, Ek Sonn Chan. So, in Phnom Penh you can drink the tap water without problem, although it’s highly chlorinated and you may not like the taste. Also, there is some concern about the bottle water vendors. The US Embassy website says that “In 2008, Cambodia’s Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy reported that more than 100 bottled water companies in Cambodia were being considered for closure for failing to meet minimum production quality standards. Only 24 of the 130 bottled water companies are compliant with the ministry’s Department of Industrial Standards.” That page seems to be down on bottled water generally, so take it with a grain of salt.

Outside of Phnom Penh (and perhaps Siem Reap) you should assume that tap water is not potable. Khmer brand water in blue plastic bottles sell for 1,000 riel or less (although prices are often marked up for tourists, to 50 cents or a US dollar).

Soft drinks:

Iced coffee is ubiquitous in Cambodia. It’s made Vietnamese-style, freshly brewed and mixed with sweetened condensed milk. Walk past a local eatery any time of the day and you are bound to see at least a table of locals drinking them. One glass costs 1,500-2,000 riel. Iced tea made with lemon and sugar is also refreshing and ubiquitous.

Fresh coconut can be found everywhere, you could say it is ubiquitous, and is healthy and sanitary if drunk straight from the fruit.

Alcohol:

In general, Khmers are not what could be described as casual drinkers: their main objective is to get hammered as quickly as possible. Know your limits if invited to join in!

The two most popular domestic Cambodian beers are Anchor — pronounced “an-CHOR” with a ch sound! — and Angkor, both of which can be found in bottles, cans, and on draft, and generally for no more than US$1 each. New beers include the cheap Klang and Cambodia, while Beerlao and Tiger are popular beers with foreigners. A plethora of other beers include ABC Stout, which is dark and not so bad, in addition to the standard Heineken and Carlsberg. Cheaper beers include Crown and Leo, whilst Kingdom Beer aims for the premium market with a pilsener and a dark lager.

Palm wine and rice wine are available in villages and can be OK at 500-1,000 riel for a 1 L bottle. However, some safety concerns have been raised with regard to sanitation, so the local wines may be best avoided.

For a truly Khmer experience, hunt down a bottle of Golden Muscle Wine. Advertised on tuk-tuks everywhere, this pitch-black concoction made from deer antlers and assorted herbs packs a 35% punch and tastes vile when drunk straight, but can be made reasonably palatable, if not exactly tasty, by the addition of tonic water or cola. At US$2 for a 350 ml flask of the original and US$3 for the “X.O.” version, it’s the cheapest legitimate tipple around.

Western-style accommodation is available in most major towns the country over; even less-visited places such as Kampong Chhnang have a number of affordable guesthouses or hotels. Basic guesthouses can go as low as US$5 a night in the countryside but prices in the cities are usually around the US$5-10. At the budget end, expect to provide your own towels etc. If you want air-con and hot water and cable TV the price creeps up to close to US$10-20, you can have a dorm bed in a backpacker’s hotel in most places from USD 2 up to USD 5.

TBC.