The Kingdom of Cambodia is a popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia, attracts visitors from all over the world by the ancient ruins as relics of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, majestic natural beauty such as the Tonle Sap and Mekong river, along with the beaches, beautiful islands like Sihanoukville, Koh Rong, Koh Thmei. Travelling Cambodia is a wonderful experience for Buddhists who are interested in exploring the ruins of the past as well as the tourists fascinated by the wild beauty of the creation.
Move: Vehicles travelling to Cambodia
Planes: Direct flights from Vietnam to Cambodia tour are operated by Vietnam Airlines in collaboration with Cambodia Angkor Air, the roundtrip ticket prices are as follows:
- Route Hanoi – Phnom Penh: from 140 $US to 350$US/ ticket
- Route Hanoi – Siem Reap: from 140 $US to 350$US/ ticket
- Route Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh: from 120 $US to 300$US/ ticket
- Route Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City – Siem Reap: from 120 $US to 300$US/ ticket
Coach / open bus:
- Ho Chi Minh City- Phnom Penh: from 10$US to 15$US/ one-way ticket, and from 20$US to 30$US/ roundtrip ticket, the travel time is about 6 hours (travelling at night is10 hours)
- Ho Chi Minh City- Siem Reap: from 20$US to 30$US/ one-way ticket, from 35$US to 45$US/ roundtrip ticket, the travel time is about 11 hours (travelling at night is 15 hours).
Riding elephants to explore Cambodia
Moving within Cambodia: passenger car and bus are the affordable options to travel between big cities while traveling in Cambodia. For example, travelling from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap costs only 6$US to 10$US. You can ask at the bus station of Vietnam car brands in Phnom Penh. To move in the city, you have several choices: walking, renting, motorbike (about 6$US/ vehicle/ day), taxi or tuk tuk. Although hiring a vehicle can help you explore more in the trip to Cambodia, taxi or tuk tuk is still a safer option because the traffic in big cities like Phnom Penh is quite crowded and dangerous.
Renting bikes help visitors to explore Cambodia more in their own way
Cambodia Accommodation
Hotel system in Cambodia is quite diverse and rich so you can freely choose to meet your demand without having to hesitate to much. Among such properties, we must mention Hotel Cambodiana located at 313 Sisowath Quay – Phnom Penh, Raffles Hotel Le Royal located at 92 Rukhak Vithei Daun Penh – Phnom Penh, Diamond Palace Hotel II located at 29EO Street 178- Phnom Penh, Borei Angkor Resort & Spa located on Highway 6 – Siem Reap, Neak Pean Hotel at 105 Tapuk street – Siem Reap, Sokha Beach Resort located on Street 2 Thnou – Sihanouk Ville, Don Bosco Hotel School located on Ou Pram Street. These hotels has mostly pretty good location, which is convenient for travellers.
The luxurious facility of Sokha Beach Resort, Sihanoukville Cambodia
Cambodia is a country with the steady tourism development in Southeast Asia; therefore, it is not difficult to find out the prestige brand of world about accommodation services presenting in this country. Visitors who prefer such famous brands will not be disappointed when the Royal Crown Hotel & Spa and Park Hyatt Hotel are available in Siem Reap. Apart from the luxury of their own brand, the hotel still have the harmonious combination with the characteristic elements of local area, making travelers both feel the international quality service and experience the local elements of a very harmonious way when choosing to stay in such hotels.
Cambodia Climate
Cambodia climate can be divided into four seasons as follows:
- From November to February of the following year: dry and cold season.
- From March to May: dry and hot season
- From June to August: hot and wet season.
- From September to October: cold and wet season
In the hot season, temperature can reach 35oC-37oC , but people do not feel that the sun is burning hot. In winter, the temperature drops to under 20 degrees Celsius during the day and at night, the temperature maintain at 18 degrees Celsius. The period from June to October has the regular Southwest monsoons, it is hot and dry in the morning and rains in 1-2 hours in the afternoon.
Average High and Low Temperature Graph for Sihanoukville
However, the rainy season lasting from late May to October each year is an opportunity for travelers to explore the temples of Angkor and other Cambodian countryside. The rainy season can cause a bit difficult for the tour, but it offers a rare and colorful beauty of the temples when they are reflected from surrounding full lakes, as well as tropical forests and rice fields become lush and vibrant.
Cambodian History and Culture
History of Cambodia started from the first century BC with the birth of the Kingdom of Funan which was said to be the first country affected by the Indian culture in the Southeast Asian region. Today, the culture, the traditions and the language of the Khmer mostly is originated from this period. Sanskrit, a branch of the Mon Khmer language, is the language used to communicate and write in that period.
Apsara Dancers at Angkor Wat
Hinduism was the religion in the early stage dominating a very long time before Buddhism was popular here. The evidence of the cross-cultural and religious process remains very much in Cambodia today manifesting through the old architecture, the way people work in agriculture and through the traditional costume.
Cambodia Security and safety
Compared to other tourist destinations in the world today, Cambodia can be considered a safe place. The tourist cities such as Siem Reap and Angkor Wat population are the extremely safe places. If there are problems to be concerned, it is traffic safety, other sundry issues or occasionally a few skirmishes on the streets of Phnom Penh.
In Phnom Penh, travelling by tuk-tuk and pedicabs is usually safer than by motorbikes, while travelling by motorbike taxi, you must choose the skillful and careful drivers, when the driver has the sign of drunk sign, or runs too fast, you should get off, pay a little money for them and catch another drivers.
Tuk Tuks Tour in Siem Reap
If you ride motorbikes and ride by yourself, you should note that the traffic in Phnom Penh is very messy, city streets are not good, drivers and trucks are also very reckless. Only experienced riders should drive in Cambodia.
Safety when traveling by waterway to Siem Reap:
The safety of the waterway system of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap route on the Tonle Sap Lake is also an noteworthy issue: although the waterway vehicles do not meet the international safety standards, they are quite rapid and new, there are no or few safety items like buoys, emergency lifeboat. If you expect a standard safety, it is best not to select waterway transport.
Moving on Tonle Sap lake
If you used to travel by waterways in South Asia, you’ll see that the boats in Cambodia are a lot better. There are some companies such as Compagnie Fluviale du Mekong and Mekong Express Tours offering luxurious ships with international safety standards.
