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CAMBODIA TRAVEL TIPS
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Passport & Visa
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For USD 25 - most Citizen
travelers can obtain a tourist visa valid for 30 days upon arrival at Phnom Penh and Siem
Reap airports (passport valid for six months beyond your visit and one
ID-sized photos for visa application).
For travelers joining an
Asian Trails Cambodia tour departing from Bangkok,
visas can be arranged there within two working days in Bangkok.
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Visas for Cambodia
are available upon arrival at Phnom Penh
International Airport, Siem
Reap International
Airport, Poi Pet (border to Aranyaprathet, Thailand),
Koh Kong (border to Hat Lek, Thailand,
Kham Samnor (border to Chau Doc, Vietnam) and Bavet (border to Moc Bai, Vietnam).
Visas are required prior to arrival at
Voeun Kam (border to Laos).
Visas can also be issued at Cambodian Embassies or Consulates abroad.
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Social custom
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Cambodians greet each with a bow and a
prayer-like gesture called a Sompeah, the younger or lower ranked person normally
initiating the gesture. Handshakes are also becoming more acceptable for
greeting Cambodians. Acting calmly and quietly - especially when under
duress - is recommended, while displays of bad temper, especially in
public, will make a bad situation worse.
The head is considered the highest part of the
body, while the feet are considered the lowest, both literally and
figuratively. Touching someone's head or pointing at people or things with
the feet - especially the soles - are, therefore, considered extremely
rude. Permission should be sought before taking photographs of people,
especially monks and hill tribe villagers.
Though it is acceptable to wear smart casual dress
to most temples and pagodas - including those at Angkor - visitors to the
Royal Palace's Silver Pagoda are expected to dress a little more formally,
with men wearing long trousers and women in long skirts (not long trousers,
however). Shoes are generally removed before entering pagodas.
Photography in airports, inside the National
Museum, some part of the Royal Palace and near any military
installations is forbidden, and discretion should be used when
photographing people, particularly monks.
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Local transport
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The most convenient way to travel around the capital
is by cycle (tricycle) which costs roughly US$3 per hour or motodops
(motorcycles). Cruising taxis are not the norm. Domestic flights (note:
weight limit of 10 kg on luggage) connect major cities. Public bus, boat
and train travel are available.
Journey time to town 10-15 minutes. A taxi cost
around US$7. Motorcycle taxis can also be hired outside the airport for US$
1
Car for rent : Self-drive generally not recommended. To hire a
car or a van with a driver is approximately US$20-50 per day. US$6-7 per
day for motorcycle (self-drive), US$1-2 per day for bicycle. Traffic drives
on the right
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Tap water safety
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Not potable. Drink sealed bottled water only
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Medical
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No vaccinations required for entry, but protection against
malaria, typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and B is strongly recommended. A
full supply of any personal medications should be carried with you.
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Postal service
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Airmail to Europe takes 4-5 days, and to the USA
7-10 days
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Telephone
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Telephone and Fax are available. Country code: 855.
Phnom Penh
code: 23. Most big hotels have IDD lines, but calls are expensive. Public
phones utilising prepaid phone cards are now common in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, with the cards
on sale at the post office, most hotels, and supermarkets.
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Newspapers
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English dailies: The Phnom
Penh Post and The Cambodia Daily. Check out the Cambodia news section on this
website
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Email/Internet
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A few Internet-service and e-mail providers are currently
operating in Phnom Penh
and Siem Reap.
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Security , Safety , Emergency services
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The security situation is steadily improving, but
travel outside major urban areas and tourist sites is not advisable,
visitors are advised to contact local authority or tourist offices when
traveling outside major urban areas and tourist sites. Cambodia
remains one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.
There are emergency services in Phnom Penh, call 119. Medical facilities
and services in Cambodia
are significantly improving. Medical
facilities and services in Cambodia
are not up to international standards. Doctors and hospitals often expect
immediate cash payment for health services.
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R# 307 – 309
Cotec building , 7 Nam Quoc Cang
Disttrict 1 , Ho Chi Minh City
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R# 304 North
Star building , 4 Da Tuong St.
Hoan Kiem Dist.
Hanoi
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