Practical info

Which Guidebook ?

This time we travelled without a guidebook!

We simply printed out some information found from the Internet (more up-to-date than all the guidebooks available on the market) and for the rest, we just made it out on the spot.

When to go ?

Just like the Thais, the Cambodians distinguish three major seasons: the cold season from November to January, the hot season from February until April or May, and the rainy season from May or June to October, when you can expect lots of water.

In spite of these differences the seasonal variations in temperature are small, ranging between 21 to 35 degrees Celcius (70 to 95 F).

We were there in November, just after the rainy season.The weather was superb and we didn't have much dust: which is quite common (and very unpleasant) in the dry season.

How to get there ?

By Plane

Best way actually. Lots of flights from Bangkok on Thai Airways or Royal Air Cambodge.The latter also flies from Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Guang Zhou and Hong Kong (China).

From Singapore, SilkAir has a daily direct flight, along with that of the Royal Air Cambodge.

The country's main international airport is that of Phnom Penh.

Though Siem Reap has a direct air link with Hanoi, Vietnam, there are rumours that this flight may be discontinued as the Cambodian Government doesn't want to see foreign visitors bypass Phnom Penh, the Capital city which lacks major tourist attractions.

Once you arrive at the airport in Phnom Penh, you will immediately realise that the city has nothing to do with Bangkok, not to mention KL or Singapore.

By Road

From Vietnam, there is a direct route between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh. New roads are opening from Surin province in Thailand via Battamarang to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. This has led to a direct road route going from Poipet at the Thai border to Siem Reap and on to Phnom Penh. Many of the tour agencies in Bangkok can arrange this.

By Boat

A bit less conventional. It is possible to go from Hat Lek in Eastern Thailand by boat to Sihanoukville at the far south of Cambodia. You can also theoretically enter by boat from Laos but this is a bit harder to arrange.

Visa

At this point, you get 30 days upon arrival by air at Phnom Penh. The same goes via the Vietnam/Cambodia border. However, things are less obvious via Thailand and Laos.

At the airport, 10 cambodians in military uniform work in chain behind the visa counter, each in charge of a specific task.

The cost of the visa is US$20 and you should be sure to bring some passport photos with you for the forms. Visas can also be prearranged in Bangkok for about the equivalent of US$5 more (about Bt900).

Extensions to a visa can be done at the Department of Foreigners (Bureau des Etrangers) at House 32, Street 200. Opening hours are Mo-Fr 8:00-12:00. The form comes with attached stamps and costs KHR 2000. Two passport photos are required. The processing time is 10 days!

Another place to extend visas is the Immigration Office at No. 5, Street 200. Opening hours are Mo-Fr, 7:30-10:00 and 14:00-16:00. Costs are: 1 week USD 20, 1 month USD 30, 6 months USD 100 (multiple entry) and 1 year USD 150 (multiple entry). If you fail to extend your visa, you will be charged USD 3 for each day you overstay.

Change

The currency is the Cambodian Riel (KHR). 1 new Riel equals 100 sen.

The going exchange rate is around KHR 3800 to USD 1 (Jan 2000)

Forget ATMs. Fortunately, most things can be paid for in US Dollars. It is always good to carry around a lot of smaller denominations like 1's, 2's, 10's and 20's.

Travelers checks can be exchanged in many of the banks for the local currency, the Riel.

Phnom Penh offers the best rates, although you might find as a foreigner, it's a lot easier getting around the country just using your USD. There is usually no need to change money into KHR, since you will inevitably pay a lot of things in USD and receive change in KHR.

You can get cash advances on your credit card at several banks. The Siam Commercial Bank allows USD 1000 per day, and the Thai Farmers Bank half of that, USD 500. In every case, commissions are very high; they will have to phone Bangkok for confirmation. Shop around for the cheapest rate.