Understand

Cambodia is one of the jewels of travel to South East Asia and definitely a firm favourite of YPT.

Cambodia might be considered very much on the beaten track, after all Angkor Wat alone gets close to 3 million visitors per year. But Cambodia has much more to offer to the intrepid traveler, such as the dark tourism sites related to the Khmer Rouge.

Here is our guide to getting off the beaten track in Cambodia:

Visa to Cambodia

All nationalities, excluding nationals of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam need a visa to enter Cambodia.

Visas can either be gotten from Cambodian embassies, consulates, or obtained on arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport, Siem Reap international airport or most border crossings between Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

It is also now possible to get an e-visa online prior to your arrival in Cambodia.

How much does a Cambodian visa cost? A regular tourist visa should cost between $30-35, although if you do not have a passport photo with you they ask for a few extra dollars.

What kind of visa should you get?

Tourist visas: all are valid for one stay of up to 30 days and can be extended twice. If you are not planning on staying for the long haul these will more than suffice.

E-Visa, Ordinary or Business visa: Costs anywhere up to $300, but with extensions can allow stays of up to twelve months. Foreigners on business visas in Cambodia can also work as well as qualify for a number of in-country discounts such as for medical care.

Get in

Flying into Cambodia

The three main international airports are Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Phnom Penh is well served from around the globe, Siem Reap is perfect to come to visit Angkor Wat and Sihanoukville is for Chinese people that really love casinos.

Land crossings into Cambodia

Cambodia is extremely accessible by land, which makes it a great place to traverse on any South East Asian travel adventure.

There are lots of border crossings between Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. One of the most popular is Bangkok to Siem Reap via Poipet (4 hours), Phnom Penh to Saigon (5 hours) and Phnom Penh to Vientiane. For Laos, Strung Teng is connected to Pakse and 4 Thousand Islands. There are numerous buses that cover these popular routes.

See & do in Cambodia

Cambodia literally has something to offer everyone, from the ancient temples of Angkor Wat to partying the night away in Phnom Penh, you won’t get bored in Cambodia .

• Angkor Wat – The most famous tourist attraction in Cambodia and absolute hell! Get ready for the busloads of Chinese tourists.
• Koh Ker – Out on the road towards Anlong Veng, this offers a similar if slightly less busy version of Angkor Wat
• Phnom Penh – The capital and cultural centre of Cambodia. For those interested in the Khmer Rouge there are numerous museums here, such as the S-21 Genocide Museum.
• Battambang – Home to sites related to the Killing Fields and the famous Bamboo Train. Very much part of any YPT itinerary to Cambodia. You can read more about Battambang here.
• Anlong Veng – It does not get much more off the beaten path than Anlong Veng. This was the last holdout of the Khmer Rouge. All of ours tours to Cambodia go here. You can read more about Anlong Veng here.
• Pailin – Another holdout of the Khmer Rouge. Much less to see here than in Anlong Veng but worth visiting to see the gems, or on a stop off to Thailand (it is on the border). To read our Pailin Guide click here.