PREPARING FOR CAMBODIA TRIP
Office Name: Kingdom of Cambodia
Area: 181,035 sq km (69,898 sq miles)
Population: 14,805,358 (2009/CIA records)
Capital City: Phnom Penh
People: Khmer (90 to 95%), with the remainder being Chinese, Vietnamese, Cham or about one dozen other smaller ethnic groups.
Languages: Khmer
Religion(s): The population is largely Buddhist, with a small Muslim minority (around 5%). There is a small but growing Christian community.
Currency: Riel (the economy remains highly dollarized and the US dollar is the working currency in Cambodia)
Major political parties: Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) (acronym from French initials), Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP), Human Rights Party (HRP)
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Head of State: King Norodom Sihamoni
Prime Minister: Hun Sen
Foreign Minister: Hor Namhong
Membership of international groupings/organisations: United Nations (UN), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G77), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), ASEF (Asia-Europe Foundation).
Some general information and advice for travel in Cambodia
Airport
Tax: There is an airport tax of US$ 20 upon departure. This tax is
usually not included in the price of your airticket, so ensure that you
have US$20 spare in cash and per person by the end of your trip which is
payable at the airport.
Airport
Taxi:
We advise you to arrange an airport pick up with the hotel where you
will be staying, if however you prefer to go local, then a taxi from
Phnom Penh International Airport (Phnom Penh) will take roughly 15
minutes and cost approximately US$ 7, and from Siem Reap Airport to Siem
Reap City roughly 10 minutes and approx. US$ 5.
Banking: Banks are generally open from 8am to 4pm weekdays and from 8am to 12pm on Saturdays.
ATM: There are ATMs in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and many other provinces.
Credit cards: Credit cards are now more widely
accepted in upmarket hotels, shops and restaurants catering to
visitors. There are ATMs in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. It
is always best to carry cash (US Dollars if necessary) in small
denominations. We strongly
advise you to check with the hotel where you will be
staying at to see if they accept your preferred credit card or not and call your local credit card company for more
information.
Business Hours: Generally speaking the official business hours are from 8am to 12 pm and 2pm to 5:30pm Monday to Friday, some businesses are open Saturdays for a half day from 8am to 12pm. Opening times of Government offices are different and they are open 7:30am to 11:30am and 2pm to 5pm Monday to Friday.
Country
Calling Code: 855
Currency: Local currency is Cambodia Riels. Denominations are 100,000; 50,000;
20,000; 10,000; 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500; 200; 100. The US$ are widely
used and accepted and it is advisable to bring some with you. Foreign
currencies (but we advise you to bring some US$ with you no matter where
you are travelling from) can be changed at hotels, airports or markets.
Commission is generally not charged at the market moneychangers so they
tend to be cheaper, than the alternatives.
Electricity: Voltage in Cambodia is 220 volts AC, 50HZ.
Language: Khmer is the first language, and English the second, French
seems to be fading fast as a language within Cambodia.
Photography: Photography in airports, railway stations and near any military
installations is forbidden and discretion should be used when photographing
people, especially monks.
Religion: The official religion is Theravada Buddhism, and roughly ninety
percent of Khmers follow this religion.
Social
Greetings: Cambodians greet each other with a slight bow and a prayer like
gesture called a Sompeah, with the younger or lower ranked person
normally initiating the gesture. For foreigners and business handshakes
are acceptable.
Visa: Applications for visas can be done on arrival (passport sized photos
will be required). Visas can also be obtained from
certain Royal Cambodian Embassies or Consulates around the world. Everyone except those from Laos,
Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines need a visa to enter
Cambodia. The official prices are:
Tourist visa is $20
When arranged in advance, are valid for 90 days (ie must be used within 3 months), and good for a 30 day stamp which can be extended once only for a further 30 days at a cost of $15.
Business visa $25
Probably the best option for stays over two months and/or multiple entries. They can be extended indefinitely ($140 for a 6 month extension).Visas can be arranged at any Cambodian embassy or consulate overseas and they’re also available “on arrival” at both international airports, all border crossings with Thailand, some border crossings with Vietnam and at the main border crossing with Laos. Citizens of most countries can apply for an e-Visa on-line. The cost for this is $25 ($20 + $5 processing fee), the visa takes by 3 working days and arrives via email.
Water: Do not drink tap water, only drink bottled water
Weather:
Cambodia has a warm / hot tropical climate that is relatively calm and
consistent throughout the year. The average temperature is 27 degrees
centigrade. There are two seasons, the humid and rainy monsoon season
which spans from June to October and the dry season which is from
November to May. The coolest period tends to be from December to
January.
