Cambodia

A valid passport is required upon entry to Cambodia, meaning that a passport must expire a minimum of 6 months past the date of entry into the country. Tourist and business visas are required and are most commonly valid for one month from the date of arrival. Tourists and business travelers can apply for a visa prior to their trip or obtain a Cambodian visa at airports in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and at all major border crossings. Please keep in mind that any method of obtaining a Cambodian visa will require a valid passport and a passport-sized photograph.

Every traveler planning to visit Cambodia should be fully up to date on his or her routine vaccines prior to entering Cambodia. Additionally, the CDC recommends that people visiting Cambodia get vaccinated for Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Japanese Encephalitis, and Cholera. Any travel clinic will be able to provide the needed vaccinations.

Cambodia is a fairly small country, and while there are highlands that have slightly lower temperatures, generally the climate is relatively uniform. Cambodia is tropical and hot all year round. There is a rainy season from May to November and a dry season from November to April. Generally, the temperature range in Phnom Penh for the entire year is between 72°F (22°C) as a low and 95°F (25°C) as the high.

The country code for Cambodia is +855. The access to Internet is known to be pretty good in Cambodia, especially in urban areas. There are many locations where free Internet access is available (restaurants, hotels, some cafes…etc.). The phone service is rather patchy in rural areas, but in urban areas the coverage is fine.

Cambodia’s voltage is 220AC, 50HZ. There are many different variations of plugs in Cambodia due to imports from Vietnam and Thailand, so the plugs are not standardized. The most common types of plug are two pin plugs. It is important to bring an adapter/ converter with you on your trip to Cambodia.

Reported cases of the Zika virus have been found in Cambodia, so it is imperative to take proper health precautions while traveling to this affected country. It is recommended that travelers exercise a high degree of caution due to an increase in robberies, thefts and opportunistic crimes. Make two photocopies of your passport, tickets, and visas. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.

The official currency in Cambodia is the riel (KHR). However, the US dollar is Cambodia’s unofficial second currency, so it is a good idea to bring some US cash with you (in small denominations). It is not common for credit cards to be accepted in Cambodia. ATMs can be found all over Cambodia, especially in the main tourist centers. Although, if you plan to spend significant time in the countryside or on the islands, it is best to bring cash with you, as they are less prevalent in those areas.

Cambodia is set up as a multi-party democracy under a constitutional monarchy. In 2004, Norodom Sihamoni was crowned the King of Cambodia and serves as the head of state. Hun Sen became the Prime Minister of Cambodia in 1985 and serves as the head of the Royal Government of Cambodia. This form of government came into effect in 1993 following the Paris Peace Accords.

The official religion in Cambodia is Buddhism. Close to 97% of the population follows Theravada Buddhism. The remaining 3% is made up of individuals practicing Islam, Christianity, and tribal animism.

Approximately 91% identify as Khmer, 3% as Vietnamese, 1% as Chinese and the remaining 5% as Thai, Cham, Lao and Other Peoples.

Khmer is the official language of Cambodia and is spoken by nearly 90% of the country’s population. Other languages spoken in Cambodia include Chinese, French, Vietnamese, Cham, and other tribal languages.

The economy is dominated by garment making. Tourism, however, is making a rise and expanding. As one of the world’s poorest countries, corruption runs deep in Cambodia. Much of the workforce in Cambodia is made up of subsistence farming.