Cambodia has a tropical monsoon climate. The winter monsoon which lasts from November to March is cool and dry. The summer monsoon is from May to early October. There are strong winds and heavy rain (mainly in the afternoons).
April is the hottest month with maximum daily temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius. The temperature drops to about 25 degrees in the coolest month of January. The Angkor region receives a great deal of rain in the wet season.
HEALTH:
Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world, and this means virtually no reliable medical facilities, doctors, clinics, hospitals or medication are available except in the capital, Phnom Penh. Even here, hospitals can be in very poor condition and badly equipped and medicines are often past their sell-by date or made up of local mixtures of flour and sugar.
If you become seriously ill in Cambodia and require urgent medical treatment, or even minor surgery, it is essential to get to Bangkok, or at least to Saigon. Make sure that you have good travel insurance which covers flying you to a city where you can be treated safely. On no account should you ever receive an infusion to treat dehydration, as people often die of septicemia which is caused by bacteria entering their blood during infusions. The same goes for blood transfusions. If you have to go to hospital in Cambodia, the best one is the Khmer-Soviet Hospital in Phnom Penh.
Having said that, it is possible with a certain amount of care and common sense to avoid getting ill by proper preparation before you travel and good health care while you are there. Although no health certificates or vaccinations are required by visitors to Cambodia, it is recommended that you get vaccinations against tetanus, diphtheria, meningitis, a polio booster and especially gamma globulin shots (against hepatitis A). In addition to this, you should take a course of malaria tablets, as well as a mosquito net. Take a medical kit including panadol, antihistamines, antibiotics, kaolin, rehydration mixture, calamine lotion, bandages and band-aids, scissors, insect repellent, etc.
The most common ailment for travelers is diarrhea, which can deteriorate into severe dysentery, resulting in dehydration. It is absolutely essential that you do not drink unboiled water (or ice made from unboiled water), or eat fruit that has not been either peeled or washed in purified water.
Take water purification tablets with you or iodine crystals to sterilize water. Only drink boiled or bottled water. If you do get severe diarrhea and become badly dehydrated, use a rehydration mixture to overcome it. A further warning about the sun: in the hottest months, March and April, the temperature can rise to 35 degrees Celsius, so use sunscreen and always wear a hat to avoid sunstroke.
For further information on health care for travelers in Cambodia, get a good health guide for traveling in tropical countries. It is also important to consult your doctor a few weeks before you leave to get the most up to date advice on which inoculations you need and what to take with you.
PERSONAL SAFETY:
Cambodia is a country just emerging from a long period of civil war. The current situation is very uncertain and there may be more violence ahead. Added to this uncertainty, large areas of the country are still mined. It is therefore essential that you stay on clearly marked paths, preferably with a guide. Never wander off a path as you may stumble into a mined area. Never touch any mines, bombs, rockets or artillery shells. They may very likely be live.
CURRENCY
Cambodia's currency is the riel (written `r' after the sum). With the recent soaring inflation, the exchange rate has shot up from 150r to US$1 in 1989, to 559r to US$1 today.
The most useful foreign currency to travel with is the US dollar, although pounds sterling, Australian and Canadian dollars, French and Swiss francs and Deutschmarks can all be changed at the Foreign Trade Bank of Cambodia. This bank can not change Thai baht, Singapore dollars, Japanese yen or Hong Kong dollars. Travelers' cheques issued by American Express, Barclays, Citicorp, Thomas Cook and VISA, and US dollar- denominated international money orders can all be changed with a two percent commission.
Money transfers from abroad to the Foreign Trade Bank in Phnom Penh are possible, but you can only receive the money in riels and the transfers are via the Banque Nationale de Paris and may take up to two months to complete.
VISAS:
All visitors to Cambodia will need a visa. These are currently issued in Saigon, Hanoi, Bangkok, Moscow, Vientiane and Moscow and are rarely given to people who are not on an organized tour. Three photos must accompany the application form and a photocopy of your passport, a curriculum vitae and an itinerary may also be asked for.
The application process usually takes about a week, but it can take significantly longer, particularly if you do not want to travel in an organized tour. Applicants should specify whether they plan to travel to Cambodia by air or road. Visas cost about US$10.
CUSTOMS:
All visitors to Cambodia have to declare valuables when they enter the country, including foreign currency, gold, jewelry and electronic equipment.
ELECTRICITY:
The electricity in most of Cambodia including Phnom Penh is 220 volts, 50 cycles. Outside the capital, electricity is only available in the evenings from about 6:30pm to 9:30pm. It is advisable to have a flashlight and candles as black-outs are frequent. Most Cambodians light their houses with kerosene lamps.
COMMUNICATIONS:
It is relatively easy to make an international telephone call from Phnom Penh. Calls are charged in US dollars and cost $4.75 per minute.
Telegrams can be sent to Australia, North America and Western Europe and cost US$0.57 - US$0.89 per word. Fax is not yet available.
The postal service is extremely slow. Letters sent outside Cambodia take about two or three months to arrive and go through Moscow, which is only served by three or four flights a week. Letters going to eastern Asia and Australia are quicker as they go through Saigon.
Foreign newspapers and magazines are not available in Cambodia, even in Phnom Penh. It is, however, possible to pick up the BBC World Service and Voice of America.
ETIQUETTE:
Cambodian people are generally gentle, modest and polite and they appreciate similar behavior from foreigners. Visitors should be patient and polite at all times and try to appreciate that Cambodia is an extremely poor country with the minimum of equipment and training. Expect delays, red tape and mistakes. Showing visible anger is not acceptable behavior. You will be seen to lose face and will not accomplish anything.
Traditionally, when Cambodians greet each other they press their hands together in front of their bodies and bow slightly. Women continue to use this practice, whereas men often use the western greeting of shaking hands. It is polite to sit with your feet to the side and not pointing out or in the lotus position. It is extremely rude to point the soles of your feet or finger toward anyone. If you want to gesture to someone, use your whole hand with the palm pointing down. Never signal to someone using your index finger and your palm pointing up as this can be interpreted as sexually suggestive. It is also not appropriate to pat children on the head.
Sarongs are worn by both men and women in Cambodia at home. For formal occasions, women often change into garments called `phamuongs.' These are made of silk and decorated along the hem. Cambodian women are generally very modest in their dress. It would be advisable for both male and female visitors to adjust their own dress appropriately. Light garments which provide reasonable covering should be worn.
When visiting the Angkor ruins, visitors should remember that these are both historical monuments and religious buildings which are extremely sacred to Cambodians. Buddhism is central to Cambodian life, particularly in their search for peace and stability after the Khmer Rouge years of holocaust, and the religion and its temples should be respected accordingly by visitors.
When visiting a temple, wear a shirt which covers your arms and shoulders and do not wear shorts. Always take off your hat when you enter temple grounds. Take off your shoes when you enter the temple sanctuary (vihara). When sitting in front of the dais (the platform on which the Buddhas are placed), sit with your feet to one side and not in the lotus position, and never point your finger or the soles of your feet toward a statue of the Buddha.
TRANSPORT:
SHIPS:
Cambodia has only one sea port, Kompong Som. Tourists are not yet allowed to enter the country this way.
AIR:
To Phnom Penh:
Flights are available to Phnom Penh's Pochentong Airport from Bangkok, Hanoi, Saigon, Vientiane and Moscow (via Bombay). There is an airport tax of US$5 for international flights out of Phnom Penh. The staff at Pochentong Airport rarely speak English or French. Be prepared for problems and delays and make sure you arrive at the airport two or three hours before the flight.
Air Cambodia and Air Vietnam each operate a flight every week, one on Monday and the other on Thursday from Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam. Air Vietnam flies to Phnom Penh from Hanoi every Wednesday.
Lao Aviation has two flights from Vientiane to Phnom Penh on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Aeroflot flies twice a month from Moscow to Phnom Penh.
From the airport:
Private cars or small buses can be hired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Tourist Office. Generally, visitors are met by an official guide from one of these organizations on arrival at the airport.
To Angkor:
Flights are available to the town of Siem Reap, situated a few miles from the Angkor temples, twice a week. They cost US$43 each way. Cambodian Airlines is on Tuoth Samouth Street. For information about tours to Angkor, contact the General Directorate of Tourism on Achar Mean Street in Phnom Penh.
BUSES:
There is a bus service from Saigon to Phnom Penh via Moc Bai which takes between eight and 10 hours, with a wait of up to two hours for the ferry crossing of the Mekong at Neak Long. The bus leaves Saigon from Boi Xe 1A at 155, Nguyen Hue Blvd early each morning. Buses from Phnom Penh to Saigon depart daily at 6am from the corner of 211 St and Ok Nga Sou St (182 St). The border crossing is open from 6:30am to 6pm.
At the moment, visitors are not allowed to travel by bus around Cambodia because of the security problems. They are allowed to take the bus from Saigon to Phnom Penh, but it is not encouraged by the officials. Buses around Phnom Penh can be taken by tourists.
CAR:
To Cambodia:
You can drive to Cambodia from Laos along the National Route 7, from Vietnam via Moc Bai, and from Thailand. Phnom Penh is connected to Siem Reap by road, but be prepared for roads to be in extremely poor condition. A car and driver hired in Ho Chi Minh City or Phnom Penh costs about US$200 - 300 each way.
Around Phnom Penh:
Cars can be hired in Phnom Penh. They cost US$25 per day and around US$150 / $165 outside the capital.
To Angkor:
Visitors need a special permit to travel outside the capital and they are usually accompanied by a government guide.
TRAIN:
There is no train service to Phnom Penh from outside Cambodia and no line which links Phnom Penh with Siem Reap. The existing railway line in Cambodia is extremely dangerous due to the tracks being mined regularly and is not used by foreign visitors.
HELICOPTER:
An expensive but very exciting way to see Angkor is from a helicopter. Helicopters can be chartered for around US$6,000 for a round trip from Phnom Penh to Angkor.
BICYCLE:
Bikes can be hired in Phnom Penh and Angkor and make for efficient easy transport.
TOURS:
At present, visas are only issued to tourists on official tours. You can pick up tours in Saigon, Hanoi, Vientiane and Bangkok. Tours to Angkor can be arranged in any of these cities, or in Phnom Penh where more extensive visits than the standard one- or three-day tour may be organized. Currently, all visitors to Angkor pay a standard fee of US$120, which is considered very high and may well be lowered soon.
HOTELS:
In Phnom Penh:
In Phnom Penh there are around 400 rooms available for tourists in hotels which are all run by the government.
Moderate:
HOTEL CAMBODIANA: Quai Karl Marx, near 240 St.
This luxury riverside hotel will open soon and double rooms will cost from US$75 a night.
Inexpensive:
THE CAMBODIANA BUNGALOWS: Quai Karl Marx, near 240 St. Riverside bungalows in the grounds of the Cambodiana Hotel.
The bungalows of the Cambodiana Hotel are already open and cost US$18 per night.
HOTEL MONOROM: corner Achar Mean Blvd and 118 St, Phnom Penh (2.4549, 2.4951).
A single room with air conditioning and a private bathroom costs US$16 per night, and there is also a good restaurant.
HOTEL SAMAKI: corner Achar Mean Blvd and 92 St, Phnom Penh (2.4151).
Air conditioned rooms with private bathrooms are available from US$16 a night, and there is a good restaurant serving French and Cambodian food, plus a swimming pool. There are bungalows behind the hotel costing US$30 a night.
HOTEL SUKHALY: Achar Mean St/126 St, Phnom Penh (2.2403).
Rooms are available from US$12 - 20. There is a restaurant on the ground floor.
THE WHITE HOTEL: 219 Achar Mean Blvd, Phnom Penh (2.2475).
Rooms are available from US$17 per night with air conditioning and hot water.
In Siem Reap:
There is presently only one tourist hotel, but there are plans to restore the Hotel de la Paix - now a government guest house - into a tourist hotel.
Inexpensive:
GRAND HOTEL D'ANGKOR: Siem Reap (15).
Rooms are available for US$26 a night.
RESTAURANTS:
An increasing number of restaurants are opening up in Phnom Penh, and although they are not by any means gourmet, they serve good cheap French, Chinese and Cambodian cuisine. Along the banks of the Mekong, there are restaurants on barges. These include the Chatamouk and the Tonle Sap 1 and Tonle Sap 2, and they all have live music and dancing. The White Hotel has an international restaurant, and there are several restaurants around the other major hotels.
In Phnom Penh:
THE DANCING RESTAURANT: opposite 9, 128 St, Phnom Penh. (upstairs) Good food and live bands.
FACULTY OF MEDICINE RESTAURANT: Phnom Penh University Faculty of Medicine, corner Achar Mean Blvd and 106 St, Phnom Penh.
Open air, serving Vietnamese and French food from 5am - 9pm.
RESTAURANT PHSATHU THMEI: opposite intersection off 126 St and 61 St, Phnom Penh.
RESTAURANT SAMAPHEAP: 39, 128 St (Kampuchea-Vietnam Blvd), Phnom Penh.
RESTAURANT SANTEPHEAP: corner Achar Mean Blvd/136 St, Phnom Penh. European, Vietnamese and Cambodian food.
In Siem Reap:
There very few restaurants in Siem Reap. Food stands near the main entrance to Angkor Wat and near the Hotel de la Paix sell snacks and drinks.
BAYON CHINESE RESTAURANT: National Route 6, Siem Reap.
GRAND HOTEL D'ANGKOR RESTAURANT: Siem Reap (tel: 15).
Good food for US$6 a meal.
MUSEUMS:
In Phnom Penh:
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM:178 - 184 St, Phnom Penh (2.4369).
Khmer art and sculpture from the fourth century AD through to the post-Angkor period (after 1450) are kept in this museum which is presently being renovated. The entrance fee is US$2, and it is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8am - 11am and from 2pm - 5pm.
In Siem Reap:
THE ANGKOR CONSERVATION: Situated between Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, about one mile north of the Grand Hotel. This is a large compound which is the headquarters for the study and preservation of the temples. Thousands of statues found at the temples are kept here to prevent them being stolen. It is possible to view these, but special permission must be obtained from the provincial authorities. Make inquiries at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor.
