Tours to Cambodia are a travel option for those who love not crowded, spacious, beautiful beaches and acquaintance with exotic cultures… Luxurious nature and tropical forests, ancient temples and Buddhist monuments, the world-famous Angkor Wat temple complex and dozens of other attractions! And the prices for holidays in Cambodia are very pleasantly surprising, so it’s a great option for traveling!
Cambodia: location. According to thesciencetutor, the Kingdom of Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia. The country’s neighbors are Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Cambodia is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Thailand (part of the South China Sea).
Cambodia: capital. Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia and the most populous city (14% of the country’s inhabitants live here). It surprisingly combines the metropolis and historical highlights. Of the latter, we recommend that you definitely visit the gilded Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha, as well as the temple and park on Wat Phnom hill.
Cambodia: language. The official language of the country is Khmer. But most young educated people in the country also know English and French.
Cambodia: visa. A visa to Cambodia is required for Ukrainians. And it’s quite easy to get it. You can do this via the Internet by filling out an online form in English and attaching a scan of your passport. In this way, a visa to Cambodia will cost $ 37 and will be valid for 30 days + 3 months of the “corridor” (for arrival). The second option is to issue upon arrival, for example, at the capital’s airport. This method will be slightly cheaper – $ 30 and is also valid for 30 days. You must have 3 color passport photos, a completed application form, a copy of your international passport, and air tickets with you. For both cases, the passport must be valid for at least 6 months.
Cambodia: features of customs control. It is allowed to import into the country without declaring no more than $ 10,000. Customs regulations of Cambodia prohibit the import of drugs, weapons, explosives. There are no exact restrictions on alcohol and cigarettes, for this group of goods there are restrictions “within the framework of personal use”.
Cambodia: climate and seasonality. The country can be called quite hot, in almost any month of the year the daily temperature is around +30 – +33 degrees, and on the hottest days it reaches +38. The most comfortable climate for travel in Cambodia is from the beginning of November to the end of April. During these months of the year, the temperature usually does not rise above +32, and besides, there is almost no precipitation, unlike May-September, when the rainy season passes.
Cambodia: time. The time difference between Kiev and Phnom Penh is +4 hours.
Cambodia: currency. The national currency in Cambodia is the riel. For $1 you can buy about 4,000 local currency. But you can also pay in dollars, the main thing is to exchange smaller dollars.
Cambodia: tips. It is not customary to leave a tip in Cambodia, although if you like the service and you round up the bill, leave the change “for a tip” or leave a dollar tip to the maid when you check out of the hotel, you will be very grateful, because in Cambodia this is good money.
Cambodia: telephone. It is important to remember the emergency numbers: 117 for the police (or 012-999-999, operators speak English and French), 118 for the fire department, 119 for the ambulance. There is also a telephone number for the tourist police – 012-942-484. You can call Ukraine from the hotel reception or Internet cafes via Skype (in the capital, such cafes can be found quite often, but in other cities there are few of them), hotels also have Internet. You can also buy a local MobiTel SIM card, but given the quality of communication, there is no great need for this, since the mobile phone will normally catch only in the capital and several large cities.
Cambodia: electrical network. The mains voltage is 230 V. As for sockets, in Cambodia the most common are European sockets (2 round plugs), American sockets without grounding (2 flat plugs) and a little less English sockets (2 rectangular horizontal plugs and one rectangular vertical). Therefore, it will be possible to buy an adapter cheaply on the spot if it is needed.
Cambodia: dress etiquette. Try to wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. Short skirts, shorts and T-shirts are not suitable for traveling in Cambodia. And to alleviate the heat, try to choose clothes made of light and natural fabrics. For example, long skirts or pants, light cotton shirts. When entering the temple, you must take off your shoes and headgear.
Cambodia: official holidays. The system of holidays in Cambodia is not simple, as most of them are celebrated on different dates every year. If you orient by months, then such holidays of Cambodia will be of interest:
- New Year in Cambodia is celebrated on January 1, in late January or early February (by the Chinese and Vietnamese), and also in mid-April (by the Khmers).
- At the end of April, there is the Chnam-Tmai Sand Hills Festival, interesting processions and traditional ceremonies take place.
- In late April-early May, Buddha’s birthday is one of the largest and most important holidays in the country.
- November 9 – Independence Day.
- Mid-November is the water festival, celebrations are held in the capital in the form of boat races, spectacular fireworks, lanterns and other festive trifles.