Cambodia is a land of rich cultural heritage. It flourished during the Khmer Empire, whose rulers reigned over the country from 9th to 15th century. The Khmer kings established their capital at Angkor and built hundreds of temples and monuments with an awe-inspiring art and architecture. The most famous of these are the Angkor Wat Temple, Bayon Temple, Banteay Srei etc.
Every year, millions of tourists travel to Cambodia to visit the Angkor Archaeological Park, located outside the city of Siem Reap, encompassing the remains of these priceless wonders. Ever since I read about Angkor Wat in my history books, I also yearned to visit these historic monuments. Ultimately we planned our trip to Cambodia in the autumn of 2023.
Through this post, I would guide you, so that you can plan the tour on your own.
I have already written individual travelogues on each of the destinations that we had visited, so please click on the corresponding links for the information in detail:
- Angkor Wat and Angkor Archaeological Park: https://www.vibrantfootsteps.com/angkor-wat-thom-bayon-ta-prohm-cambodia-trip/
- Phnom Penh: https://www.vibrantfootsteps.com/phnom-penh-cambodia-trip-places-to-visit/
- Siem Reap city: https://www.vibrantfootsteps.com/siem-reap-angkor-wat-places-to-visit/
- Kulen mountain: https://www.vibrantfootsteps.com/kulen-mountain-waterfall-1000-linga-banteay-srei-tour-siem-reap/
At the end of the post, I will also tell you the itinerary that we followed.
Reaching Cambodia and travelling within the country:
Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville have their own international airports, which have direct fight connectivity to all major South East Asian cities. Tourists visiting neighbouring countries like Vietnam and Thailand can also cross land borders by bus or car.
Within the country, the road connectivity is good. Quite a few bus companies operate AC buses and vans that connect the cities of Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Battambang, Kampot etc.
For our trip, we boarded an Air Asia flight from Kolkata to Bangkok and then to Siem Reap. We then travelled to Phnom Penh by an AC ‘Air Bus’ operated by Virak Buntham Company. Our flight from Phnom Penh to Kolkata was via Kuala Lumpur.
Cambodia Visa:
Cambodia offers Visa on Arrival, and we opted for the same when we landed at the Siem Reap Angkor Airport. The process was fairly quick, and it just took around 10 minutes. For a normal Tourist Visa, the charges are $ 30 per person.
You can also apply for an eVisa in advance at the official site: https://www.evisa.gov.kh/. But there is an extra $ 6 processing charge if you apply online.
Important Tourist Places in Cambodia:
- Siem Reap – Located at the north-western part of the country, you need to stay at Siem Reap in order to visit the Angkor Archaeological Park.
- Phnom Penh – The capital city of Cambodia, famous for beautiful monasteries and a serene riverfront of Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers.
- Sihanoukville – Popular for its sun kissed sandy beaches.
During our trip to Cambodia, we spent 3 nights in Siem Reap and 2 nights in Phnom Penh.
Exploring the Angkor Archaeological Park:
How many days for Angkor?
This was the first question that came to my mind when I started planning for our trip to Cambodia. On an average, a traveller spends 2-3 days in Siem Reap to explore the important places of Angkor Archaeological Park. If you are on a whirlwind schedule, you can limit your visit to 1 day only, but then you can visit only Angkor Wat and a couple of nearby temples. On the other hand, if ardent lover of art and history, even 1 week might seem less to you.
Places to visit in the Angkor Archaeological Park:
There are remnants of hundreds temples and other structures scattered around the Angkor Archaeological Park, spreading across an area of around 400 sq. KM. So, you need to pick and choose the ones that you want to visit based on their importance and the time that you have.
When we started researching on the places to visit and spoke to car or tuktuk drivers, we come across terms like:
- Small circuit
- Grand or Big circuit
- Outer circuit.
These circuits correspond to the places of interest based on their distance from the Angkor Wat Temple or Siem Reap. If you have ample time, I would suggest that you explore each circuit on a separate day.
We had 2 full days with us, and so we customized our plan based on our homework. Here is what we explored in these 2 days:
- Day 1 of Temple hopping: Visit Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom complex (consisting of Bayon Temple, Baphuon Temple, Phimeanakas Temple, Terrace of Elephants, Terrace of Leper King and Tep Pranam Temple), Suor Proat, Preah Khan, Neak Poan, Ta Som and East Mebon. Sunset at Srah Srang.
- Day 2 of Temple hopping: Visit Kulen Mountains (not a part of Angkor Park) and Banteay Srei, Banteay Samre, Pre Rup and Ta Prohm Temple.
Here are the important ones that we missed: Phnom Bakheng, Ta Nei Temple, Prasat Ta Keo, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda Temple, Banteay Kdei, Prasat Kravan and Phnom Bok.
Angkor Park Pass Ticket Office:
The first step to visit the Angkor Wat temples is to buy the Angkor Pass from the Angkor Park Pass Ticket Office, located around 4 KM away from the city centre. Apart from the counter outside Banteay Srei Temple, this is the only place where you can buy an offline pass.
As the Ticket office was in a different direction from that of the Angkor Wat Temple, and we had a very tight schedule for the next 2 days, we had decided to buy the pass in advance. Otherwise, you can buy it on the same day when you go for the temple hopping.
About the Angkor Pass:
There are 3 types of passes that you can opt for – 1 day pass for $ 37, 3 day pass for $ 62 and 7 day pass for $ 72. These passes are valid for a period of 3 days, 7 days and 30 days respectively. For example, we purchased a 3 day pass and we could have entered the park for any 3 days (not consecutive days) over the next 7 days.
The ticket counters are open from 5 AM to 5.30 PM, and they are normally more crowded in the early morning hours. Please note that, you need to be physically present at the counter, as the authorities will click your picture and print on the ticket. You can get more information on the Angkor Pass in the Official website: https://www.angkorenterprise.gov.kh/
Mode of transport:
The most popular mode of transport within the city is by hiring a Tuktuk or a Remorque. A Tuktuk is a three wheeled vehicle, what we call an Auto Rickshaw in India. Remorque is more spacious than tuktuk, and consists of a carriage or trailer that is pulled by a motorbike.
We visited Siem Reap in the month of October, and it was very hot and was intermittently raining. So, we decided to hire a car (with AC) instead.
Exploring Kulen Mountain:
Located at a distance of around 56 KM from Siem Reap, Kulen Mountain or Phnom Kulen is a very popular destination for tourists visiting the city. It takes less than 2 hours to reach by car. You need to plan your travel in the morning, as the authorities do not allow entry after 12 noon. But there doesn’t seem to be any restriction on the number of hours you can spend up the hill.
Phnom Kulen is of historical importance, as it is the place where the then prince Jayavarman II declared himself as the emperor, which marked the beginning of the glorious Khmer Empire in 802 AD.
Kulen Mountain is actually a chain of plateaux, and is a must visit place if you have half a day of spare time with you. You are sure to lose track of your time in the middle of nature, exploring forest trails, sitting on the river bank and taking a dip in the waterfall.
The entry fee of the Kulen Mountain is separate from that of the Angkor Pass, and we bought the tickets for $20 at the entry gate at the base of the mountain.
Places to visit in the Kulen Mountain:
- Kulen Waterfall
- 1000 Lingas River
- Preah Ang Thom Pagoda
- Poeng Ta Kho – An amazing cliff
Apart from these, you can also club your visit to the nearby Banteay Srei Temple, which is accessible by the Angkor Pass.
Mode of transport:
You can hire a Tuktuk/ Remorque or a Bike to travel to the Kulen Mountain. But, given the condition of the road, it is not at all recommended. You should hire a car from Siem Reap to explore the mountain.
Exploring Siem Reap:
The nice little city of Siem Reap is picturesque, with the Siem Reap River bifurcating it into 2 halves. We found the city clean and well organized and people in no hurry and having a laid back attitude.
Siem Reap is home to few magnificent monasteries that we visited, namely Wat Bo, Wat Damnak and Wat Preah Prom Rath. There is also a nice garden called the Royal Independence Garden, which houses a shrine – Preah Ang Chek Preah Ang Chorm at one end and the Royal Residence at the other.
Our visit to the Angor Wat remained incomplete till we visited the Angkor National Museum. It is a great place to visit if you are curious to dive into the history the Khmer civilization.
Every evening, it became a ritual for us to head to the Pub Street. A small walk-only street lined with pubs, nightclubs, restaurants and street food carts, it comes alive after it gets dark, with loud music, party and a lively decoration and illumination. Here we enjoyed doing nothing but to walk aimlessly and soak in the dynamic environ.
All these points of interest can easily be covered within a day.
Mode of transport:
The most popular mode of transport within Siem Reap is by hiring a Tuktuk or a Remorque.
You will find tuktuks and remorques all over the city, whose drivers will approach you at every step. But to avoid bargaining and overpricing, you should install either Grab or PassApp app in your phone to book rides on the go. We used Grab, and it was very convenient and price was also reasonable.
Exploring Phnom Penh:
Contrary to Siem Reap, we found Phnom Penh more happening, busy and always on the move. The centre of all activity here is the Sisowath Quay or the riverside of the Tonle Sap River.
If you stay within a 500 meter radius of the riverside, then most of the points of attraction will be at a walkable distance.
In fact, we covered the following by walking from one place to the other:
- Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda
- Wat Botum Park & Cambodia Vietnam Friendship Monument
- Statue of Norodom Sihanouk
- The Independence Monument
- The National Museum
- Wat Ounalom Monastery
- Wat Phnom Temple
- Night Market
Only the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (or the Killing Fields) are a little away, for which we hired a tuktuk or remorque.
And after a tiring day of sightseeing, the ideal way to relax is to take a Sunset or Evening Cruise in the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers. There are several tour companies along the riverfront, and each trip lasts between 1 and 1.5 hours. We had read good reviews about the Crocodile Cruise, and opted for their Sunset cruise. The ticket had cost us $ 5 (without any food or drinks).
Mode of transport:
Like Siem Reap, here also the most popular mode of transport is Tuktuk or Remorque. And the Grab app served us well the couple of times we used it.
Currency in Cambodia:
The official currency of Cambodia is the Cambodian Riel (KHR). But you can use the American Dollar (USD) anywhere and everywhere. Before travelling from India, we exchanged the INR with USD notes, and used them for all transactions.
Please remember a few points before using the USD notes for transactions:
- Although you make the payment with USD, you are most likely to get the balance back in KHR.
- Make sure that the USD notes are in good shape, otherwise there is a chance of them getting refused.
- As of October 2023, the exchange rate stood at 1 USD = 4150 KHR. But the locals consider the unofficial exchange rate as 1 USD = 4000 KHR, that is, you lose 150 KHR for every dollar. Only at supermarkets, we got the balance back at the actual exchange rate.
Getting a local SIM card:
After our hotel check-in, the first thing that we did was to enquire about a local SIM card. Mostly 2 Telecom companies prevail in Cambodia – Smart and Cellcard. We had read good reviews about Smart, and luckily our hotel had Smart cards. We got one for $ 6, with unlimited data and validity for 7 days.
Best Time to Visit Cambodia:
Cambodia has a tropical climate, and it is mostly warm or hot and humid throughout the year. The best time to visit the country is between November and February, when the temperature is down by a few notches.
Although the country receives intermittent rain throughout the year, it is better to avoid the peak rainy season from May till October.
Review of hotels where we stayed:
Amber Angkor Villa Hotel in Siem Reap:
We stayed for 3 nights at the Amber Angkor Villa, and it was amazing. It is located conveniently near the Wat Bo monastery, and just a KM away from the Pub Street.
Ours was a Family room with a Double and a Single bed. The room was nice, although the Wifi was not always working properly inside the room. It cost us around $ 36 per night (including all taxes). We had breakfast included in our room rent, and the spread of buffet breakfast was really great. It included a live kitchen also. All the staff was very cordial and we felt the place our home.
Okay Palace Hotel in Phnom Penh:
We stayed for 2 nights at the Okay Palace Hotel. It is very conveniently located in an alley off the main road, and at a stone’s throw distance from the National Museum on one side and Royal Palace on the other. We had booked a Family room. The room was large, with 2 Queen sized beds, a sofa and an attached balcony. The bathroom was also big.
The ambience of the hotel and reception was great, with nice decorations, paintings and statues.
For breakfast and swimming pool, we had to go to the adjacent Okay Boutique Hotel. The buffet breakfast was included in our room rent, and the spread was nice. It cost us around $33 per night (including all taxes). But, the “hospitality” of the hotel staff was clearly missing; and they were very much stereotype.
Our Expenditure during the trip:
We are a family of 4, with 2 children. The good thing about Cambodia is that, entry for children below 12 years is free in most of the places.
Here, I will jot down the expenses that we incurred during the trip, so that you can also plan your budget:
- Visa on Arrival (for 4): $ 120
- Airport to hotel in Siem Reap: $ 27
- Family room in Siem Reap hotel for 3 nights: $ 108
- SIM card: $ 6
- Angkor Pass for 3 days (for 2): $ 124
- Bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (for 4): $ 70
- Car for Angkor Archaeological Park and Kulen Mountain (2 days): $ 105
- Kulen Mountain Ticket (for 2): $ 40
- Family room in Phnom Penh hotel for 2 nights: $ 66
- Royal Palace (half ticket for the kids): $ 30
- Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (for 2): $ 15
- Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (for 2): $ 12
- River cruise (half ticket for the kids): $ 15
- Wat Phnom (for 2): $ 2
- National Museum (for 2): $ 20
- Tuktuk to Phnom Penh Airport: $ 5
- Tuktuk for local travel within the city (Siem Reap & Phnom Penh) in 5 days: $ 30
Total expense (excluding food and shopping): $795
Our Itinerary for the Cambodia Trip:
- Day 1: Start from Kolkata International Airport around midnight, and after a layover in Bangkok, land at the Siem Reap Angkor Airport around 11 AM. Visit the Buddhist monasteries of Wat Bo, Wat Damnak and Wat Preah Prom Rath, and also visit the Pub Street. Also, buy the 3-day Angkor Pass from the Angkor Park Pass Ticket Office.
- Day 2: Visit Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom complex (consisting of Bayon Temple, Baphuon Temple, Phimeanakas Temple, Terrace of Elephants, Terrace of Leper King and Tep Pranam Temple), Suor Proat, Preah Khan, Neak Poan, Ta Som and East Mebon. Sunset at Srah Srang.
- Day 3: Visit Kulen Mountains and Banteay Srei, Banteay Samre, Pre Rup and Ta Prohm Temple.
- Day 4:
- Visit the Royal Independence Garden, Royal Residence and Angkor National Museum.
- Travel from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh by Bus.
- Visit the Sisowath Quay or Riverside Park in Phnom Penh.
- Day 5: Phnom Penh local sightseeing –
- Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda
- Wat Botum Park & Cambodia Vietnam Friendship Monument
- Statue of Norodom Sihanouk
- The Independence Monument
- Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
- Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (or the Killing Fields)
- Wat Phnom Temple
- Sunset Cruise in the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers
- Night Market
- Day 6: Visit the National Museum and the Wat Ounalom Monastery in the morning. Check-out from hotel to catch the 2.25 PM flight to Kuala Lumpur and then to Kolkata.
I hope I was able to give you an idea of how to plan your Cambodia trip. If you have any question, please feel free to contact me, and I will be happy to help.
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