On arrival at Phnom Penh or Siem Reap airport

If you didn’t get your visa in your home country, you can pick it up without any problem on arrival at these airports. You’ll be given 2 forms to fill in on the plane, your passport, 2 passport photos and $20 in cash for the visa. It takes about 20 minutes on arrival to obtain the visa.

After passing through immigration control with your visa, you’ll collect your luggage (depending on the airport, you’ll be asked for your baggage numbers, which are attached to your flight ticket from Paris or Bangkok). Going through customs is straightforward, and there’s usually no need to search your luggage, although this can sometimes happen.

PASSPORT: Valid passport, still valid 6 months after return date + 2 passport photos for visa and 2 passport photos for Angkor site entry permit.

HEALTH: No vaccinations are required. Keep up to date with tetanus and polio. Consult your doctor about the risk of hepatitis. There is a risk of malaria, and we recommend you take a course of Nivakine or Lariam 250, or another treatment to be discussed with your doctor. In addition, take a lotion, cream or mosquito repellent for certain evenings.

WATER: Tap water in Cambodia is not recommended for drinking. Drink bottled mineral water, Sprite, Fanta, Pepsi, Coke or the very light tea (Tia) offered in some restaurants, which has been boiled several times.

VEGETABLES: No problem.

ACCOMMODATION: Whether you’re staying in a guest house or a 5-star hotel, rooms are equipped with air conditioning, and private toilets, with WC, shower or bath depending on the hotel category. If you’re going to the National Parks, there’s no air-conditioning in the guest houses, but fans are available. For travel in 3, 4 or 5-star hotels, there are no hotels of this quality outside Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Accommodation, especially in Ta Keo, Kratie, Rattanakiri and Kompong Thom, is always in standard guest houses-hotels, but of good quality, clean and air-conditioned.

FOOD: Cambodia’s food is excellent and varied. Prices per meal range from $2 in small restaurants, $5 to $7 in medium-sized restaurants, to $15 and more in superior hotels. Drinks are not included in the price. Beer (from 1 to 2 dollars) is of good quality, and French wine is available in many restaurants and stores. The same applies to spirits. Meat-based food (pork, beef) with stir-fried vegetables, or pasta or rice, and fish in all its forms and many varied soups, all fragrant and not very spicy (not like in Thailand).

DRUGS : We advise you to take Intétrix and Immodium against possible “Touristas”. A broad-spectrum antibiotic such as Clamoxyl or other. Aspirin, Efferalgan or Doliprane. Eye drops (especially if you wear contact lenses). Lysopain or Locabiotal for sore throats. Strong sun protection cream. Muscle pain cream. Vitamin C. Elastoplast 6 cm, plaster for blisters, a tube of Betadine 10% cream for wounds, and small bandages (but Betadine is available in pharmacies). Take your usual medication with you. Preventive anti-malaria treatment.

CLOTHING: This is a warm country, even in winter (20 to 25 degrees Celsius). Light daytime clothing, preferably cotton. Hats, bobslees, caps or scarves are recommended, as the sun is strong and dehydration can occur. Light jacket for the evening. KWay in case of rain. Shorts or Bermuda shorts (not too short for ladies, so as not to offend the locals).

You cannot enter the Royal Palace or some monasteries in shorts).Weather conditions make it necessary to dress lightly.
Dress appropriately for pagoda visits; wear easy-to-remove shoes for temple and Angkor site visits. Don’t forget a bathing suit for hotel swimming pools. Protect yourself from the sun (hats, sunscreen).

LINGERIE : In almost all hotels, you can give your laundry to be washed, which will be returned to you in the evening. But ask whether it is to be returned the same evening or the following day.

SHOES: Take light shoes with non-slip soles, as temple visits involve a lot of walking and the stones can be slippery. Above all, take shoes you’ve walked in before. Heels are not recommended for temple visits.

CURRENCY: Cambodia’s currency (Riel) is pegged to the dollar. The dollar is used in the same way as the Riel for all purchases, however small. Carry plenty of small denominations for personal expenses. The euro is not used at all and ignored in daily life. Banks exchange it at a lower rate than the dollar. Credit cards are accepted only in certain banks and very rarely in stores, except in the boutiques of major hotels, where a commission is charged.

TELEPHONE / INTERNET: Low-cost telephone calls abroad are possible almost everywhere, using the telephone-internet system. In the larger towns, there are a number of cybercafés and Internet stores.

COMMUNICATION: It’s not very easy to communicate with the locals, cabs or motorcycle cabs, except with those working in tourism. Very few people outside the cities speak any other language (or Thai or Chinese). French has almost completely disappeared, except for a few elderly people who escaped Pol Pot’s regime, or for tourist guides. In Siem Reap, there are 800 English-speaking guides and 75 French-speaking guides.

MISCELLANEOUS: flashlight and spare batteries, sunglasses.

PROSTITUTION: there is prostitution in most of the big cities, including Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. The level of AIDS is lower than 10 years ago, but you’ll have to be careful every time.

SAFETY: No problems in cities, monuments or the countryside. But don’t venture out alone into the thick jungle of certain regions – it’s best to be accompanied by locals. Don’t wander far from home at night – there may be bad encounters outside the big cities.

The information contained in the pages of this site is subject to change and is given for guidance only. Only the description sent on your request contains the definitive indications and prices. (30/8/2024)