Best Cambodia Tours & Holiday Packages

Cambodia's weather is greatly affected by the tropical monsoon climate which is usually hot and humid. In particular, the average temperature falls between 27 and 30°C and weather is separated into 2 seasons:

Best time to visit Cambodia

Dry season (Dec-Apr) with less rain and good weather almost every day is the best time to visit Cambodia and enjoy all interesting activities here from sightseeing to adventure.

With a rich culture and history, there are so many places to explore in Cambodia. Below are the top 3 tourist hotspots of this : 

Phnom Penh - the royal capital lying by Four-face River

It is said that the legendary Four-face River created this city and this land was blessed by the Gods. Therefore, this city was chosen to be the home of the Cambodian Royal Family and become the most powerful political center of this country.

• The best area to stay: Riverside & Daun Penh (price from 30 USD/night)
• Must-visit places: Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and National Museum (entrance fees from 10 USD/person)
• Must try food: Bai Sach Chrouk, Num Banh Chok, Kuyteav  (Price from 1 USD/meal)
• Travel duration: 2 days

Siem Reap - the smile of Angkor land

No doubt that this land is always at the No.1 of must-visit destinations in Cambodia and it is exactly the reason why people are attracted to come to this country. The huge Angkor Complex - a symbol of the lost Angkor era, has been impressively famous for decades and is the top favorite of all tourists coming to this place to admire and to learn about a mysterious legend of this land.

• The best area to stay: Old French Quarter (price from 20 USD/night)

• Must-visit places: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple (Angkor Complex - entrance fee from 10 USD/person)
• Must try food: Lok Lak, Prahok, Fish Amok (Price from 2 USD/meal)
• Travel duration: 3-4 days

Sihanoukville - A place for “wild” beach holidays

Not the fancy resorts, Sihanoukville attracts people by the natural wild beaches with un-touched magnificent scenery. Also, this small coastal city is where you can keep chasing your luck day by day inside the crowded unsleepy casinos available everywhere - simply a Las Vegas of Southeast Asia.

• The best area to stay: Serendipity and Occheuteal beaches (price from $50)
• Must-visit places: Kbal Chhay, Koh Rong Island
• Must try food: Seafood (Price from $5/meal)
• Travel duration: 2-3 days

Check-in at Angkor Temples

• Location: Angkor Archeological Park, Siem Reap
• Price: from $37/person

Cambodia owns thousands of Angkor Temples, most have hundreds to thousands years of history but still are well preserved. The Angkor Archeological Park owns the most magnificent temples including the famous Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Bayon, is the top-pick for typical Insta check-in time in Cambodia.

Explore the Royal Palace

• Location: Samdach Sothearos Blvd, Phnom Penh
• Price: from $10/person

Built in the 1800s, the Royal Palace has been the home of Cambodia Royal Family for many generations. At present, this is a huge complex including the Palace, Museum, and Pagodas. As the royal family is still using this place, if you are lucky enough, you can visit the palace right on the day that the king is working there.    

Visit Toul Sleng Genocide Museum

• Location: St.113, Boeung Keng Kang III, Boeung Keng Kang, Phnom Penh
• Price: $5/adult, $3/child

For any tourist who is curious about Cambodian history, Tuol Sleng is a must-visit. This place is where you can see, hear, and look back to a dark and sorrow time of all Cambodian when all the country had to suffer through the genocide crime.

Please note that as the museum might be quite scary, it is suggested that you shouldn’t bring your kids along. 

Enjoy Beach Vacation at Koh Rong Samloem

• Location: Sihanoukville
• Price: from $30/round-trip boat transfer from Sihanoukville

Anyone who is interested in a simple quiet beach holiday with wild scenery and is not so expensive - Koh Rong Samloem is the right place. Located only 24 km from Sihanoukville, this small island still keeps its natural beauty with stunning mostly untouched beaches and some lovely resorts & hostels.

Go shopping at local markets

Markets are where you can observe the origin local lifestyle and buy stuff at impressively reasonable prices. For anyone who fond of shopping and curious about daily life of locals, don’t miss your chance to visit at least one of below markets:

Due to each person demand for traveling and length of holiday, the travel duration can be divided into 4 below options:

3 days: a good timeline for visiting 1 highlight city only; most of the time, people choose Siem Reap for this short travel duration.

5 days: the most popular choice for a standard visit, which allows tourists to have a brief of 2 must-visit cities in Cambodia, usually Phnom Penh & Siem Reap.

7 - 10 days: a perfect duration to explore inside out this country through a trip including 3-4 most famous cities here.

14 days: the best option for anyone who seeks a multi-country trip in Indochina which is long enough to have a holiday through 2-3 nations

Suggested itinerary:

Visa Exemption

There are only 11 countries on the list of visa exemption for entering Cambodia:

Entry-prohibited country

Cambodia owns a long list of nearly 20 countries that citizens can’t immigrate:

E-Visa

Travelers can apply for E-visa to the country via the official website of Cambodia's government (Click HERE). Also, this visa can be used at 7 ports of entry:

• Bavet (Svay Rieng Province) (from Vietnam)
• Phnom Penh International Airport (PHP)
• Cham Yeam (Koh Kong Province) (from Thailand)
• Sihanoukville International Airport (KOS)
• Siem Reap International Airport (REP)
• Trapeang Kriel (Stung Treng Province) (from Laos)
• Poipet (Banteay Meanchey Province) (from Thailand)

The following documents are required for the Cambodia e-visa application:

• Photograph size 4x6 cm (taken no longer than 6 months ago).
• Passport bio page.
• Cost: From 36$/person
• Processing time: at least 3 business days

Let’s note some important DOs & DON’Ts for a fluent trip to Cambodia:

DOs

• Leave your shoes at the doors
• Greet with a slight bow
• Dress properly, especially at relics, temples, and Royal Palace (shirts with sleeves and knee-length pants/dresses/skirts)
• Bargain strongly but politely while shopping
• Ask before taking pictures

DON’Ts

• Touch other people’s head
• Hand things or touch Buddhist monks
• Joke about politics & history
• Use your left hand to give/receive things or eat
• Show affection too much at the public

Exchange rate 

For reference only, the rate changes every day, please check the daily exchange rate with your travel consultant or bank.

Denominations of money

Places to exchange money

Airports: the most easy-found option with booths in all international airports but taking high fees for money exchange.

Banks: best exchange rate but not a common option as offices/branches can’t be found easily, also the process is a bit complicated.

Local money changers: the most popular way for exchanging money as the changers are available everywhere (border gates, markets, local food/drink vendors, tourist attractions, etc.) and the rate is quite similar to the bank.

What should you pack?

• Clothes & Accessories: comfortable sweat-absorbing clothes, sports shoes (better if waterproof)/slipper, hat, small umbrella.
• Cosmetics & cosmeceuticals: sunscreen and insect repellent spray
• Medicines: bring along your ones, especially if there’s any requested prescription sale and digestive disorder medicines.
• Travel document: passport, visa, travel insurance, and any receipt/booking code of book-in-advance services with a photocopy of each above document.

Plugs & Voltages

The standard voltage in Cambodia is 230V at 50 Hz, and Type A, C, and G are the 3 most common plug types used in the country.

Travel Insurance

Not required to enter Cambodia but tourists should buy one for self-protection. The cost of travel insurance to Cambodia is varied according to travel duration, trip cost, and tourist age.

Internet Access

• Mobile Data: Quite cheap, tourist SIM cards are available at every border gate/ airport/ big city, only from US $3 for a 7-day package of 20GB - 30 GB data (Suggested brands: Metfone, Smart Traveller)
• WiFi: Not so popular in Cambodia, best in most hotels in Phnom Penh, quite weak in Siem Reap (except for 5-star hotels/resorts)

Money Tips

• No need to change money before your trip as money changers are available everywhere in Cambodia
• US Dollars (USD) and Riel (KHR) are both acceptable currencies, in Phnom Penh, VND is also acceptable. 
• Bring along as much cash as you can as ATMs are hard to find in Cambodia and not many places accept Visa/Master Cards.
• Separate your cash and put it in some hidden places on your clothes and a bag that never leaves you, don’t leave any in the hotel room.