Jump to whichever post you like from our Cambodia travel blog section. All of our content on travelling in Cambodia is here, our personal experiences and travel information. We cover getting to Cambodia from surrounding countries in South East Asia, places, towns, cities and attractions to visit in Cambodia and the practicalities of food, lodging, handling money and getting around.
Is Cambodia Worth Visiting?
We love Cambodia. Cambodia is obviously a must-visit destination in Southeast Asia because of Angkor Wat, many people fly into Siem Reap just for this UNESCO listed wonder of the world. However, there is much more to Cambodia to explore, take a look at some of our favourite Cambodia destinations further down the page.
Travel To and From Cambodia
You can travel by land into Cambodia from Thailand easily, we’ve done it by bus and taxi, although it can be a long trip. The journey from Vietnam into Cambodia is somewhat complicated by water crossings although, we must admit, we haven’t travelled this route since 2001. We’re looking forward to getting back to Cambodia once travel returns, to see how much this epic route has changed.
Obviously, you can fly. If you’re short of time, this is probably your best option. Have a little think about your carbon footprint, not just costs, when you’re deciding how best to travel.
Is Cambodia an Easy Country to Visit?
No, I really don;t think it’s an easy country, it’s pretty tough. I’d say it was the ghardest country in this corner of Asia. The country was knocked for six by the Pol Pot years and you can see the scars, both in terms of infrastructure and human sufferring. Transport practicalities are challenging and you may find some of the realities of Cambodia today hard to take. My younger son, particularly, was upset at times.
We opted not to take the kids to some of the more harrowing destinations in Cambodia. We adults had been before and knew what was there. We didn’t want to upset the kids so we skipped a few places when visiting Cambodia with them. Instead we opted for the more fun destinations, like Angkor Wat, Kep, Battambang, Kampot, and the nicer parts of Phnom Penh. There are also beach opportunities in Cambodia if that what you’re looking for. Our Cambodia travel blog section tends to reflect our interests, and they are more cultural and historical.
Voluntourism in Cambodia
Cambodia has big problems with well-meaning tourists wishing to volunteer, particularly with cute orphans. We have been contacted by a charity and asked to pass on this information. Many of these children are not orphans at all, the orphanages are businesses and they need a steady supply of children to keep the tourists coming. They are taken from their families to extract tourist dollars and donations. In all of our travels we’ve rarely seen any form of voluntourism business that was actually doing good for the people involved. This form of tourism is particularly damaging for these children. You’ll sea leaflets explaining this all over Cambodia. Please do not get involved. But thank you for wanting to help. These communities would be much better saving themselves without interference from westerners. If you’d like to help, find legitimate ways to do so, probably best in your own country. White saviourism is a well known term.
Cambodia FAQs
Can you book buses, taxi transfers and onward flights before arriving in Cambodia?
Yes, you can. There is a site called 12 Go Asia which allows you to do this from your home country. That way you have reservations and everything is paid for in advance. They’re a huge company. You can even book a taxi from Bangkok to Siem Reap.
Can you book tours in and around Cambodia in advance?
Again, yes. We are big fans of this site for booking all sorts of tours and transfers. This allows you to pay online with your card, have the backup of a big company with guarantees, and avoid all local scams, rip offs and haggling.
Can you pay for many things using your credit card in Cambodia?
Yes in the bigger cities and tourist areas. Availability of credit card transactions is growing. For markets, local shops, tuk tuks and street food you will need cash.
Is card skimming a problem in Cambodia?
Nothing like this has ever happened to us in Cambodia, but yes, it’s a possibility, be careful
Are pick pockets a problem in Cambodia?
We have never had any problems of this kind in Cambodia either. However, it pays to be sensible. Take a look at a few anti theft travel accessories here.
Can we recommend any hotels and hostels in Cambodia?
In Siem Reap we can warmly recommend Garden Village Guesthouse, a budget but rather nice guest house, with pool and on-site food. We and many other family travellers have used this place as a base in Siem Reap.
Pin the image below to Pinterest, thanks!
Cambodia Travel
Cambodia Travel: Blog posts on Cambodia and Travel in Cambodia.
Everyone knows about the Bamboo Railway in Battambang, but there are many more things to do and see in this cool Cambodian town. It’s the second largest town in the country and lies in the heart of rice growing country. Despite it’s size, Battambang retains its quiet riverside charm and remnants of French colonial architecture, […]
We loved Battambang, this is the sort of town that’s great to just hang out for a few days, or weeks. It has a good vibe, quieter streets and a lovely riverside walk with a playground for the kids ( and grown ups!). The area around Battambang is also wonderful to explore, you’ll find […]
I’ve never experienced internet as bad and as unpredictable as here in Kampot Cambodia, anywhere ( this was before our last trip to India!). OK, it was really bad in our guest house in Phnom Penh, but we left after 1 night so it didn’t really have time to get to me, but Kampot, on […]
One of the many wonderful things about travelling the world is discovering new dishes and cooking methods. The ultimate way to get to know a country’s culinary specialities is to take a cooking class, you will find these in almost every city or town you visit and they’re well worth spending a few dollars and […]
I posted today about our cookery course in Battambang, Cambodia. It was a fabulous experience. As part of the tour we visited the local market, something we do often, but on this occasion we stayed longer than usual and took more photos. I’m publishing these photos separately because sensitive viewers may find them a little […]
It’s a lot easier to get from Bangkok to Siem Reap Cambodia now than it was back in 2000. The last time we travelled overland in South East Asia we had to cross the border on the back of a pick-up truck. These days you can do it in relative comfort by direct bus, train, […]
Our week in Siem Reap, Cambodia had it’s ups and downs. A family travel rollercoaster, dazzling highs and anxious, dark (literally) lows, so let’s keep it real and share it as it really was. This is one of those “what we’ve been doing on the road” posts, so lots of chatty stuff about us and […]
Our Cambodia travel blog section is short right now despite spending months in the country. Cambodia is one of the first countries we re-visited when I first started this travel blog. My blogging game wasn’t as strong as it is now. We will most certainly be back to add more content just as soon as we can.
