Cambodia Travel Tips

Social Conventions
Sensitivity to politically-related subjects in conversation is advisable. Avoid pointing your foot at a person or touching someone on the head. Women should keep their shoulders covered and not wear shorts when visiting pagodas. Photography: Permitted, with certain restrictions, such as the photographing of military installations, airports and railway stations. It is polite to ask permission before photographing Cambodian people, especially monks.

International Travel:

Getting There by Air
Bangkok Airways (website: www.bangkokair.com) and Thai Airways International (website: www.thaiair.com) fly between Cambodia and Thailand. Malaysia Airlines (website: www.malaysiaairlines.com) flies from Kuala Lumpur, Vietnam Airlines (website: www.vietnamairlines.com) from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and Lao Airlines (website: www.laos-airlines.com) from Vientiane.

Departure Tax
US$25 levied on international departures at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap; US$13 for children under 12. Children less than 2 years of age are exempt.

Main Airports
Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) (website: www.cambodia-airports.com/phnompenh/en) is 10km (6 miles) from Phnom Penh. To/from the airport: Taxis and motorbike taxis to the city are available (journey time - 10 minutes). For pre-arranged tours a pick-up service is available. Facilities: Left luggage, bureaux de change, shops, duty-free, post office and light refreshments. 

Siem Reap International Airport (REP) (website: www.cambodia-airports.com/siemreap/en) is 8km (5 miles) from Siem Reap. To/from the airport: Taxis and motorbike taxis to Siem Reap are available (journey time - 7 to 10 minutes). For pre-arranged tours a pick-up service is available. Facilities: Left luggage, bureau de change, shops and light refreshments.

Getting There by Water
Main ports: Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. Phnom Penh can be reached via the Mekong Delta through Vietnam. This route is served by regular passenger ferry services from Chau Doc in Vietnam and can be booked through travel agencies or at the dock. Sihanoukville is reached from Thailand through the border crossing at Hat Lek and the boat from Koh Kong. Tickets can be purchased at the dock in Sihanoukville.

Getting There by Road
The Thai and Vietnamese borders are open for overland access. The main highway links the capital with the Vietnam border. Border checkpoints include Poipet, Cham Yeam, O’Smach, Anlong Veng and Psar Prom (Thailand), Bavet, Kaam Samnor and Phnom Den (Vietnam). The border with Laos at Stung Treng is currently closed so travelers should check the situation as it changes regularly. Cross-border bus services are from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam operated by Phnom Penh Sorya Transport Company (tel: (23) 210 359). 

Note: It is possible to drive from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City in a day but there are formalities involved regarding the use of the same vehicle all the way. Right-hand drive vehicles (quite common in Cambodia) are not allowed entry to Vietnam. Vietnamese visas must be obtained in advance but Cambodian visas can be obtained at the border.

Overview
The following goods may be imported into Cambodia without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or equivalent in tobacco; reasonable amount of perfume for personal use.

Note: Currency must be declared.

Internal Travel:

Getting Around By Air
Internal flights operate between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap for Angkor (journey time - 45 minutes). The main domestic carriers are Siem Reap Airways International (website: www.siemreapairways.com) and PMT Air (website: www.pmtair.com). Battambang, Sihanoukville, Banlung, Sen Monorom and Stung Treng all have airports, but at the time of writing there are only flights to Banlung from Phnom Penh. 

Domestic airports: The upgraded Siem Reap Airport, the main gateway for visitors going to see the ancient temples at Angkor, is a 7- to 10-minute taxi ride from the city.

Departure tax: US$60 for foreign nationals.

Getting Around by Water
Government-run ferries depart from the Psar Cha Ministry of Transport Ferry Landing between 102 and 104 Streets and go to Siem Reap, a route popular with travelers. Tickets can be bought in person at the dock or through a travel agent. Travel can be difficult in the dry season when the water level is very low and often boat services are suspended.

Getting Around by Rail
There are only two lines in Cambodia from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and Battambang. Visitors are not encouraged to use the trains and as they take much longer than the buses, and only hard class is available, it is not recommended. Currently there is only a weekly train from Phnom Penh to Battambang on Saturdays (journey time - 12 hours) and none to Sihanoukville. Tickets can only be bought in person on the day of travel.

Getting Around by Road
Traffic drives on the right. Roads vary from excellent to very poor and there are numbered routes from Phnom Penh with Route 1 leading to the Vietnamese border. Care should be taken while driving as accidents are relatively frequent. Other vehicles cannot always be relied on to use headlights at night. Given the predominant use of motorcycles for urban public transportation, travelers should ensure that any insurance policies provide coverage for riding as a driver or passenger. Cattle often stray onto the roads. In Siem Reap, the local police have banned rental outlets from hiring motorcycles to tourists because of the high number of accidents. Coach/bus: Long-distance buses operated by Phnom Penh Sorya Transport Company (tel: (23) 210 359) travel to destinations such as Kampot, Sihanoukville, Battambang and Siem Reap. Car hire: It is really only possible to hire a car with a driver. Car hire can be arranged by private negotiation with a taxi waiting outside the hotels or through tour operators. Taxi: Taxis can be hired in main cities, although they are not metered so the price has to be fixed in advance. Tips are appreciated. Regulations: The wearing of seat belts is not compulsory. Documentation: An International Driving Permit is not recognized in Cambodia, and as car hire does not exist, visitors are advised to hire a car with a driver.

Getting Around Towns and Cities
There are no public buses in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. Taxis wait outside hotels and restaurants but, as they are unmetered, the fare should be fixed before leaving. Cyclos (tricycles) or motodops (motorcycle taxis) are an efficient and inexpensive way to get around and some of the drivers, especially those found outside main hotels, speak a little French or English. Siem Reap also has motorized tuk tuks.

Note: In terms of the greatest risks (particularly in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville), the greatest danger faced by visitors is from road traffic accidents, armed robbery after dark, bag snatching and landmines.

Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate journey times from Phnom Penh (in hours and minutes) to other major cities/towns in Cambodia.

	Air	Road	Water
Siem Reap	0.45	6.00	5.00
Sihanoukville	-	3.00	-
Kompong Cham	-	2.30	-

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