CAMBODIA GENERAL INFORMATION
Cambodia, a country with a heartbreaking history, is beginning to step into the light.  It is home to the amazing Angkor Wat, is blessed with stunning scenery, has architectural remnants of its French colonial past but also a country that wears scars of a war that will be forever etched in its memory, Cambodia is a fascinating place to visit.  
It is bordered by Thailand to the north and west, Laos to the north and Vietnam to the east, with the Gulf of Thailand forming to the southern border. The two dominant topographical features of the country are the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap river. As the water of the Mekong River falls during the dry season, the Tonle Sap River reverses its flow, draining the waters of the lake back into the Mekong River. This extraordinary process makes the Tonle Sap Lake one of the world’s richest sources of freshwater fish and it is estimated that the lake provides a livelihood for about 40% of the Cambodian population and its fish provide almost 60% of the country’s fish intake.
From 1975 to 1978 the Khmer Rouge regime, under its infamous leader Pol Pot, systematically killed about one and a half million educated Cambodians (about one fifth of the country’s population at the time) in an effort to create an agrarian society. Many more were tortured and fled the country. The Khmer Rouge were finally ousted by the Vietnamese in 1978. From 1978 until the mid 1990s Cambodia was gripped in Civil War but has enjoyed vastly improved stability since then.  
Angkor Wat, of which Cambodians are fiercely proud, is the highlight of any trip to Cambodia. It is the site of the Khmer empire which ruled most of the Indochinese peninsula during the 11th and 14th centuries.  

WEATHER
The two monsoons in the country greatly affect the rural calendar of Cambodians. From November to February the cool, dry north-eastern monsoon carries relatively little rain whereas the south-western monsoon carries up to 80% of the country’s rainfall between the months of May and October. Maximum daily temperatures range from 20^OC – 28^OC.

VISA
Entry visas are obtainable at Cambodian diplomatic missions and required for all visitors with valid passports irrespective of nationality. Cambodia, however, would be very liberal visa regulations. All the visitors have to bring are:  A passport photocopy ; 1 photos (3 x 4 cm) and  US$ 20 cash for one-month tourist visa fee (paid directly to the Immigration). In case of business visa it costs US$ 25. The visa validity is 30 days from the date of issue (NOT from the date of entry). Diplomatic, Official, Courtesy, and Special (Cambodian) visas are issued free of charge.
Recently, visa on arrival are widely applied in the airports and land-ports of Cambodia. Visitors no longer need to get the visa stamp at the Cambodian Embassy before your visit.

Visa Extension
Travelers who would like to prolong their stay in Cambodia may extend their visa at the Department of Immigration situated just opposite the Pochentong Airport. The visa may be extended for 30 days at the cost of US$ 25. If you expect to stay more than a month, better get a Business visa at one shot for US$ 25 with three months validity. Business visas can be renewed. 

TRAVEL INSURANCE
Hola Vietnam will do everything possible to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip. However, certain risks are involved and should be recognised by participants. Thus, we require all participants to purchase travel insurance for their trip. Travel insurance is a cost effective way of protecting yourself and your equipment in the event of problems due to cancelled trips, delays, medical emergencies, baggage loss or damage. It also gives you peace of mind.

Arrival
We will arrange your transfer to and from either Pochentong International Airport, Pnomh Penh, or Siem Reap Airport unless otherwise specified. 

 Departure Tax 
There is an airport departure tax of $10 for international flights which is not included in the airfare. 

Cash
The official Cambodian currency is known as the Riel.  American dollars are widely accepted in Cambodia and even preferred in larger stores and supermarkets. However, the Riel is more practical and economical to use for smaller, day–to day items such as buying fruits and vegetables and paying motor drivers,etc.

Credit Card, ATM
We strongly advise that you do not rely on the ATM.  Bring travellers cheques or US dollars with you when you visit Cambodia.  
Banks change all major currencies with relatively little hassle. Tourists with traveller cheques are advised to cash them at the bank as few shops and other outlets have facilities to change them and those that do may charge a high commission. Several banks offer cash advances on major credit cards. 

Exchange Rates
At time of print, the most common (though not fixed) rates of exchange are:
1 Euro: 4,800 riel     1 USD: 4,000 riel

COMMUNICATION
Post is now routed by air through Bangkok, which makes Cambodia a much more reliable place from which to send mails and parcels. Telephone connections with the outside world have also improved immensely, though they are not cheap.
Most hotels in Phnom Penh will allow you to make local calls free of charge. Numbers starting with 011, 012, 015, 017 or 018 are mobile phone numbers. There is no directory inquiries service in Cambodia. Some hotels have telephone directories for the capital if you need to track down a number.
International phone calls are easy to make if you have a phone card. Faxes are costly - about US$4-US$6 per page.   Internet access is available in all major tourist places at a cost of US$2 per hour, although it is not as fast as you would expect.

TRANSPORT
Planes: Cities with directs flight to Phnom Penh /Pochentong Airport are Bangkok, Utapao, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Vientiane, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Airline Companies currently serving in Phnom Penh are Lao Aviation, Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airway, Vietnam Airline, The Southern China Airline, and Malaysian Airline. 
Buses: Cambodia has its own public transport network, including conventional buses and 'sawngthaew' (trucks that have been converted at the back with benches running up the middle). We find this is not up to our safety standards and is not as versatile for all the stops we would like to make along the way. Therefore, we generally charter mini buses for our longer journeys. However, when we do take public buses you will find it an enriching experience and a great way of meeting the locals.

IMMUNIZATION
Although vaccination is not official required, it is recommended that traveller should check with their doctor or a travel immunization clinic to get advice or vaccination regarding protection against for cholera, typhoid, tetanus, and hepatitis A and B if you are going to the provinces. Any essential medications should be brought with you as there is no guarantee they will be available in Cambodia. Use an insect repellent against mosquitoes. It is the only way to be sure of protection against mosquito borne diseases.

LANGUAGE
The official language of Cambodia is Khmer.  A part of the Mon-Khmer family has its origins in Sanskrit and Pali from India and influenced by spoken and written Thai. Today, English is the most popular foreign language in Cambodia. French is spoken by some of the older members of society and Chinese by many of the business people. Thai and Vietnamese are also in common use among business sectors and young generations.

ATTIRE
The Khmer are a tolerant people and may choose not to point out improper behavior to their foreign guests, but you should dress and act with the utmost respect when visiting religious sites (including the temples of Angkor).

The Royal Palace 
The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh was constructed over a century ago to serve as the residence of the King of Cambodia, his family and foreign dignitaries, as a venue for the performance of court ceremony and ritual and as a symbol of the Kingdom. It serves to this day as the Cambodian home of King Norodom Sihamoni and former King Norodom Sihanouk. The Royal Palace complex and attached 'Silver Pagoda' compound consist of several buildings, structures and gardens all located within 500x800 meter walled grounds overlooking a riverfront park. Marking the approach to the Palace, the high sculpted wall and golden spired Chanchhaya Pavilion stand distinctively against the riverfront skyline. Inside the Palace grounds, street sounds are silenced by the high walls and the various Royal buildings sit like ornate islands rising from the tranquil, manicured tropical gardens.

Silver Pagoda
The 'Silver Pagoda' sits next to the Royal Palace, separated by a walled walkway, but within the same larger walled compound. The Silver Pagoda's proper name is Wat Preah Keo Morokat, which means 'The Temple of the Emerald Buddha,' but has received the common moniker 'Silver Pagoda' after the solid silver floor tiles that adorn the temple building. The pagoda compound as a whole contains several structures and gardens, the primary building being the temple Wat Preah Keo Morokat and other structures including a library, various stupas, shrines, monuments, minor buildings and the galleries of the Reamker.

Wat Preah Keo Morokat
Wat Preah Keo Morokat is unique in several ways. It is the pagoda where the King meets with monks to listen to their sermons and where some Royal ceremonies are performed. It houses a collection of priceless Buddhist and historical objects including the 'Emerald Buddha.' And, unlike most pagodas, no monks live at the pagoda. The temple building, library and Reamker galleries were first constructed between 1892 and 1902 under King Norodom. The equestrian statue of King Norodom was set in place in 1892. Other structures such as the stupas of King Ang Doung Stupa King Norodom (1908), the Kantha Bopha memorial sanctuary (1960) and others were added later. The temple received major reconstruction in 1962 and further renovations 1985-1987, particularly to the Reamker fresco murals. Many of the temple treasures were looted during by the Khmer Rouge 1975-1979, but fortunately the Khmer Rouge chose to keep much of the collection intact for propaganda purposes.

Angkor Archaeological Park
The Angkor Archaeological Park is home to the magnificent Khmer temple ruins of Angkor, including the legendary Angkor Wat, Bayon and dozens of other ancient ruins of the Angkorian-era (9th-13th centuries) Khmer Empire. The Park encompasses more than 400 square kilometres just outside Siem Reap City in north-western Cambodia and is a World Heritage Site.
The temple ruins of Angkor contained within the Angkor Archaeological Park represent the remnants of the millennium-old Angkorian-era capitals of the ancient Khmer Empire. The Khmer people were and are the dominant ethnic group in Cambodia. The name ‘Angkor’ refers to the Angkorian-era Khmer Empire that stretched across much of mainland Southeast Asia between the 9th and 15th centuries A.D., and also refers to the capital city of the Empire that was centered north of Siem Reap Cambodia. The Angkor Archaeological Park encompasses the main temple ruins of the Angkorian capitals located in the Siem Reap area. Most of these temples were constructed between the 9th and 12th century A.D. and represent the pinnacle of ancient Khmer architecture, art and civilization. At its height, the Age of Angkor was a time wealth and power for the Khmer Empire. The capital city at Angkor was populated by more than a million people, Khmer kings constructed vast waterworks and grand temples and the Empire's military, economic and cultural dominance held sway over the area of modern Cambodia, as well as much of Thailand, southern Vietnam and Laos. 

Tonle Sap Lake and the Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary
Cambodia's Great Lake, the Boeung Tonle Sap (Tonle Sap Lake,) is the most prominent feature on the map of Cambodia - a huge dumbbell-shaped body of water stretching across the northwest section of the country. In the wet season, the Tonle Sap Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, swelling to an expansive 12,000 km2. During the dry half of the year the Lake shrinks to as small as 2500 km2, draining into the Tonle Sap River, which meanders southeast, eventually merging with the Mekong River at the 'chaktomuk' confluence of rivers opposite Phnom Penh. But during the wet season a unique hydrologic phenomenon causes the river to reverse direction, filling the lake instead of draining it. The engine of this phenomenon is the Mekong River, which becomes bloated with snow melt and runoff from the monsoon rains in the wet season. The swollen Mekong backs up into the Tonle Sap River at the point where the rivers meet at the 'chaktomuk' confluence, forcing the waters of the Tonle Sap River back upriver into the lake. The inflow expands the surface area of lake more than five-fold; inundating the surrounding forested floodplain and supporting an extraordinarily rich and diverse eco-system. More than 100 varieties of water birds including several threatened and endangered species, over 200 species of fish, as well as crocodiles, turtles, macaques, otter and other wildlife inhabit the inundated mangrove forests. The Lake is also an important commercial resource, providing more than half of the fish consumed in Cambodia. In harmony with the specialized ecosystems, the human occupations at the edges of the lake is similarly distinctive - floating villages, towering stilted houses, huge fish traps, and an economy and way of life deeply intertwined with the lake, the fish, the wildlife and the cycles of rising and falling waters.
The lake sits only about 15 km south of Siem Reap town. If you take the ferry between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap you will cross the lake and dock at the village of Chong Khneas. There are several ways to see the culture and wildlife of the lake area depending on the amount of time you have and your interest.

Thank you very much!

Cambodia Tours Indochina Tours Laos Destinations Vietnam Destinations Myanmar Destinations