Holiday in Cambodia Tips(no dead Kennedy puns)

Irish Gunner

Hi

Travelling to Cambodia late this year after raining season landing in Bangkok and travelling overland to Cambodia

Few questions

What is the best currency is it USD or Cambodian Riel? I take it that you can only get the Riel in Cambodia. Also we have to get our visa at the border or is it better to have this prior to leaving to save the hassle.

Taking in Battambang, Siem Reap,Kampong Cham,Kratie,Phnom Penh,Kampot & Sihanoukville & heading back to Bangkok via Phnom Penh. Travelled Thailand and Vietnam before so know about the injections etc. Just looking for tips or advice on Cambodia in general

Cheers

Gatica

We were there over a year ago. The ATMs dispensed dollars. We paid everywhere in dollars and they gave change back in Riel. The Riel was kinda treated as a more inferior currency in our experience.
Everything cost in dollars and half dollars. Not much really in smaller denominations.

sarkozy

Yep, dollars. Cheapest thing will be 50c unless you pay riels.

It's a great country, though I found the touristy parts of Phnom Penh a bit annoying. And while some of our tuk-tuk drivers were great craic, they sure know how to grift a few more dollars out of people.

So the two scams we got caught out on were: "oh, you're going to need to change money at the border 'cos there are no ATMS in Siem Reap". WRONG. They'll give you a crap exchange rate that might cost you a day's accommodation budget. The second scam is: "Oh no, my tuk-tuk has run out of gas and I need to refill it but I don't have any change, can you help a brother out?" WRONG. It's a total scam to get tourists to pay for tuk-tuk drivers for their petrol while they get fares while 'waiting' for you to come back from the Grand Palace/Killing Fields/S21 Torture Prison, or whatever.

No such rubbish at Angkor Wat, though. Our official tourist for the day was 100% honest. So much that we tipped him generously.

I got a strong sense that there's a whole lotta beautiful country and people out there, but we didn't have time to see much of Cambodia, really.

eagerv

Was there for two weeks before Christmas. Really enjoyed, hope to get back later this year to explore further.

Your itinerary looks good. Presume you will be traveling by bus. If so add about 50% to the advertised times. The roads at best are pretty bad, but after the rainy season are often non existent!
A more interesting way to travel is by boat. Particularly between Battambang and Siem Reap, and between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. There are a few Youtube movies if you search.

Outside the main tourist areas thing are very cheap. Even in Siem Reap local good beer was only $0.50 / half litre. Dollars are available from ATMs and small change is given in local Riel. (4000=$1). At first I found this confusing but after a few days had no problem. I used to keep the local money in a separate pocket which made life easier.

Found a great Hotel in Siem Reap, The Golden Butterfly Villa. Includes free snacks, picnics, massage and bicycle hire. All for about $25 including pickup from airport or ferry. Big comfortable room with balcony and efficient quiet aircon. Also near the main strip. Worth mentioning also that you will usually do much better deals in hotels than the internet prices. What I normally do in SE Asia is book just one night on the internet and then barter after that.

If you want any more info, just ask. Its a great country, with great people.

duffman21

Cambodia is a lovely place. I was there a couple of years ago, got the Visa at the border.

One piece of advice I got before going there was to bring small US currency with you. One of the best bits of advice I got. All the locals much preferred US dollars, Cambodian currency not worth squat elsewhere. What we did was brought a lot of small US dollars (i.e. 1,5 and 10 dollar bills) as everything was always a dollar or two, we seen it with other people that it can be quite a challenge to change a 20 or 50 (most of the time they couldn’t change large notes).

Siem Reap was good, Stayed in a lovely hotel that cost buttons in comparison to other Asian countries. We had a tuk tuk driver who took us everywhere i.e. trips to Angkor Wat, the floating village etc. He looked after us for 5 days and cost us feck all. He even invited us to his daughter’s wedding but we couldn’t make it.

Angkor Wat was amazing. Local beer cost about 50 cent and food wasn’t that expensive at all.
Wasn’t too keen on Phnom Penh, it’s not that I didn’t feel safe there I just felt an uncomfortable vibe there at times.
In my experience the people are so friendly and helpful, as the previous post says if you don’t know something just ask.
Overall it’s a great country with great people.

eagerv

If you are bringing Dollars with you, probably best place to get is An Post.
They are commission free, but they take a few percent on the exchange rate.

They can give you all $20 notes, any larger can be a nuisance as mentioned above.

mrcheez

Irish Gunner wrote: »

Hi

Travelling to Cambodia late this year after raining season landing in Bangkok and travelling overland to Cambodia

Why overland to Cambodia? If I were going to do that trip again I'd avoid the horrible pot-holed road (and the wonderous sh1t-hole that is Poipet) and fly into Siem Reap.

Sheela

mrcheez wrote: »

Why overland to Cambodia? If I were going to do that trip again I'd avoid the horrible pot-holed road (and the wonderous sh1t-hole that is Poipet) and fly into Siem Reap.

Completely agree. I traveled by bus from Siem Reap to Bangkok and Pheom Penh to Seam Reap and each journey took an entire day. If I was doing the trip again, I'd definitely fly.

With regards to money, I got dollars from my bank and when ordering them asked for them in small denominations and they were more than happy to help once I'd given them notice.

sarkozy

There's a new road between the border and PP and SR. Maybe it's degraded since. The thing that slowed us down was traffic and rain.

Chancer3001

Most random question - anybody know if there is a place in siem reap to watch the gaa matches!!?

Asked in Molly malones irish bar, girl I asked hadn't for a clue what I was talking about!!

mrcheez

http://www.rte.ie/player/ on a mobile device?

Chancer3001

You have to be in Ireland to watch it on rte player.

It's a good system they've got...

mrcheez

Hmm i thought they made that available from abroad a few years ago, musta heard incorrectly.

You could set up a VPN i guess.. Or https://www.overplay.net/

Also this: http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2014/0401/606033-gaa-rights-deal-2/

Not sure if that's available tho...

Was thinking u could ask the embassy but closest embassy is in Vietnam afaik

Muahahaha

mrcheez wrote: »

Why overland to Cambodia? If I were going to do that trip again I'd avoid the horrible pot-holed road (and the wonderous sh1t-hole that is Poipet) and fly into Siem Reap.

Agree with this, I did that trip by road years back and it is not much fun. I'm sure the roads a better at this stage but the border crossing at Poipet is an absolute hellhole full of beggars and pickpockets.

mrcheez wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/player/ on a mobile device?

I think the GAA have a new app for foreign viewers now called GAA Go. You have to sign up to a subscription, think it's about 15 a month, season passes available too for €120 or thereabouts. VPN and RTE. Player would probably work out cheaper though.

eagerv

Chancer3001 wrote: »

Most random question - anybody know if there is a place in siem reap to watch the gaa matches!!?

Asked in Molly malones irish bar, girl I asked hadn't for a clue what I was talking about!!

Ask Thierry, the owner of The Molly Malone. He sits in the corner of the bar most evenings; he is French but his wife is Irish and will know if can be watched in the town.

Innervision

I couldn't find the GAA matches anywhere in Siem Reap last month, used GAA Go but the hotel wifi couldn't really handle it!

Chancer3001

Didn't find it. How bad