Passport and Visas

Cambodia has very liberal visa regulations. All travelers can obtain a tourist visa valid for 30 days stay upon arrival at Phnom Penh or Siem Reap airport for US$20.-. A valid passport and one passport photo is needed.

Currency and Exchange

The local currency is the Riel, however, in Phnom Penh and in Angkor almost all goods and services are calculated and paid for in the US currency. The rate of exchange (at time of printing) is approximately 2,500.- Riel to one U.S. Dollar. Credit cards are accepted only at very few places (Diethelm Travel is the Local Representative of American Express). Traveller cheques and currencies other than U.S. Dollars are accepted only by major banks. It is best to carry U.S. Dollar bills in small denominations.

Climate

Cambodia can be visited throughout the year. The climate is tropical and distinguishes three major seasons. The most pleasant season is the dry season from November to March during which temperatures are cooler (average temperatures 20 - 28 C). Note also that Siem Reap in general is cooler than Phnom Penh. The hot season lasts from March to June (average temperatures 28 - 35 C) and the rainy season from May to early October.

Health Requirements

No actual vaccinations are officially required. However, malaria prophylaxis is recommended and visitors are advised to check with their doctor or a travel immunisation clinic regarding the advisability of inoculalation against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and B.

Food

All tours are based on full board arrangements. For full-day excursions, picnic lunch can be provided where no adequate restaurants are available. Western food is provided only in the major cities and local food can be served on request. All reputable hotels and restaurants serve bottled drinking water. Similarly, salad and fruit served in these establishments are also safe.

Shopping

Visitors can find silver items, Jewelery, gems, colorful cloth for sarong and hols (variegated silk shirts), wood carving, papier mache masks, stone copies of ancient Khmer art, brass and bronze figurines and oil paintings in the different markets and shops on main avenues. Jewellery is generally not up to international standards for design and workmanship and buyers should check that "gold" is not, in fact, gilded silver. Caution is also advisable when purchasing genuine gem stones. The export of antiques is subject to approval of the Ministry of Culture. Bargaining is essential for all souvenir shopping, if travelers are to obtain reasonable prices. The range of price reductions possible is up to 50 percent.

Tipping

Is admittedly not obligatory, but widely practiced, in addition to hotel and restaurant service charges shown on bills. Porters, 500 Riel per bag.

Local Time

GMT+ 7 hours.

International Flights

Direct flights to Phnom Penh are available from Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Vientiane. Airlines currently serving Phnom Penh are Dragonair, Lao Aviation, Malaysia Airlines, Royal Air Cambodge, Silk Air, Thai Airways International and Vietnam Airlines.

Now there are direct flight Between Bangkok Siem Reap ( visit Angkor Watt )from Bangkok airport- service by Bangkok Airways and Royal Air Cambodge

AIRPORT TAX -
taxes are subject to change

US$15.- per outgoing international passenger.
US$5.- per outgoing domestic passenger for all flights to Siem Reap.
US$4.- per outgoing domestic passenger to all other domestic destinations

General Advice on Traveling in Cambodia

Never drink tap water - purified, bottled water is available everywhere.

Use an insect repellent against mosquitoes. A hat and high-factor block cream is advisable as protection against the hot tropical sun when sightseeing.

Casual and light clothing is required, preferably natural fibres, year-round, but a sweater or jacket may be useful during the winter months when evenings can be quite cool. Also the air-conditioning in hotels as well as restaurants can be chilly.

Standard films such as Kodak or Konika 100ASA are readily available, however, we recommend visitors to bring along their own films should they require specialised material. Photography in airports, railway stations and near any military installation is forbidden. Please use discretion when photographing people. For close-up shots always ask first.

To visit the Silver Pagoda located within the precincts of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh visitors are asked to dress decently, gentlemen are required to wear long trousers and ladies should wear long trousers or long skirts. For visits to other temples or pagodas shorts are acceptable. Shoes must always be removed at the entrance. Shorts and T-shirts are acceptable for visits to any temple in Angkor.

Tours Information

Depending on the actual flights used the schedules of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap sightseeing tours may sometimes have to be adjusted.

Although we offers a selection of accommodations at various hotels, it may not always be possible to confirm accommodations as requested, due to limited room capacity in Siem Reap. Alternative accommodations can in some cases be at substandard hotels which lack essential facilities. No refunds can be made for any shortcomings related to accommodations in Siem Reap.

Our Siem Reap tour-program is usually with the first available flight to Siem Reap and with the last flight to Phnom Penh. The tour-program is subject to change according to the flight schedule.

General Information Concerning Flight Reservations to/ from SIEM REAP

Whereas Royal Air Cambodge accepts reservations for domestic flights up to one year in advance, these are not confirmed on actual flight numbers or flight times. Only upon purchase of air tickets will Royal Air Cambodge definitely confirm seats and advise exact flight times for the Phnom Penh / Siem Reap / Phnom Penh flights. Flights to and from Siem Reap are operated by ATR 72 and Boeing 737 aircrafts. In the past, surprisingly few passengers were not able to travel on dates requested. However, it occurs that seats to Siem Reap are only available at lunch time or in the afternoon.

Cancellations

For cancellation of confirmed arrangements, a cancellation fee according to the case incurred will be charged. The hotels have a 21 (twenty one) days notice of cancellation policy for groups and 7 (seven) days for individual travellers.