Authentic Cambodia Holiday

Since Cambodia reopened its borders to tourists in the early 1990s, visitors from around the world have flocked to this intriguing Southeast Asian country to experience its fascinating cultural heritage, to engage with the wonderfully welcoming locals, and to marvel at the numerous spectacular natural wonders Cambodia has to offer.

Phnom Penh, the nation’s bustling capital, is home to a slew of excellent restaurants, lively outdoor markets and a boisterous nightlife. However, most of Cambodia’s most popular attractions are located beyond the capital.

Tourist favourites include: the sleepy French-influenced town of Kampot with its lovely promenade dotted with gorgeous French villas and charming riverside cafes; the breathtaking waterfalls of the lush jungle-clad Cardamon Mountains; and, of course, the awe-inspiring ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat - the world’s largest and arguably most impressive religious structure.

Cambodia serves travellers of all sensitivities, whether they're seeking adventurous jungle excursions, exquisite golden-sand beaches, luxury resorts or sumptuous exotic cuisine, Cambodia truly does have it all.

New Zealand passport holders require a visa to enter Cambodia for any purpose. There are two practical options.

The e-Visa, applied for online before departure at evisa.gov.kh — the official Cambodian government site. Be careful of look-alike commercial sites that charge a markup. The tourist e-Visa costs US$30 plus a small processing fee, is valid for 30 days from arrival, and is single entry. Processing usually takes three working days; apply at least a week before travel. You will need a passport-style photograph, a scan of your passport bio-data page, and a card to pay with. The e-Visa is valid for arrival at the main international airports (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville) and several land borders.

The Visa on Arrival is available at all international airports and the busier land border crossings. The fee is US$30, paid in cash in clean USD notes. You will need one passport-size photograph; some borders charge a small fee if you do not have one. Land border processing can be slow during peak periods and is more vulnerable to small “facilitation” charges from local officials — most travellers find the e-Visa easier.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your intended date of arrival, with at least one blank page for the visa.

On arrival you will complete an arrival card handed out on the flight or available at immigration. Customs has the standard green and red channels. Restricted and prohibited items include drones (require a permit), large quantities of currency (over US$10,000 must be declared), and antiquities — do not buy or attempt to take any items that look ancient, including stone fragments from temple sites. The penalties are severe and the items often turn out to be looted.

If you plan to stay longer than 30 days or to enter for work, study or volunteering, you need a different visa class — apply at the Cambodian consulate or arrange the appropriate paperwork before travel.

Confirm current rules at evisa.gov.kh and at safetravel.govt.nz close to your departure date.

Cambodia is a dual-currency country. The official currency is the Cambodian Riel (KHR), but the US Dollar (USD) is used alongside it and is the de facto currency for most tourist transactions. Hotels, tour operators, restaurants, larger shops, entry tickets and most ATMs all quote in USD. Riel turns up as small change — anything less than US$1.

The exchange rate is pegged at roughly 4,000 riel to US$1. You will often pay a USD note and receive change as a mix of small USD notes and riel. Carry small USD denominations (US$1, US$5, US$10) for everyday spending; large notes are sometimes refused for small purchases.

Bring USD with you from New Zealand. Cambodian ATMs dispense USD as standard, but withdrawing in country attracts a flat fee from the Cambodian bank (typically US$4-5) plus your home bank’s international fee, so each transaction adds up. The cleaner approach is to bring a stack of clean, new-condition USD notes from NZ and use ATMs only for top-ups. Note that USD notes that are torn, marked or pre-2006 are often refused — banks and money changers in NZ will give you new notes if you ask.

Cards are accepted at hotels, mid- and upper-range restaurants and supermarkets in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Outside cities and at street level, you will need cash. Visa and Mastercard work; American Express is patchy.

For cash withdrawals, stick to bank-branded ATMs (ABA, ACLEDA, Canadia, Maybank) attached to branches. Skimming has been an issue at standalone machines in tourist areas. Notify your NZ bank of your travel dates so cards are not blocked at first use.

A Wise debit card topped up in NZD works well for both card payments and ATM withdrawals; the fee structure is more transparent than most NZ bank cards.

Tipping is increasingly expected in the tourism sector — see the General section for amounts.

Cambodia is a small country, and most visitors move around on a combination of short domestic flights, private cars with drivers, and tuk-tuks within towns.

Domestic flights connect Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Cambodia Angkor Air, Sky Angkor and AirAsia run the main routes. The Phnom Penh–Siem Reap hop is roughly 45 minutes and is the standard alternative to a long road journey.

Long-distance buses and minivans are the main overland option. Routes like Phnom Penh–Siem Reap (six to eight hours), Phnom Penh–Sihanoukville (four to five hours) and Siem Reap–Battambang (three hours) are well served. Giant Ibis is the most reputable operator and the one most visitors use; book online or through your hotel. Avoid the cheapest minivan operators — they overload, drive fast, and have a poor safety record.

Private cars with drivers are the most flexible option for inter-city travel and the standard way to reach more remote areas. Expect to pay roughly US$80-120 per day for an air-conditioned mid-size car with driver, more for longer journeys or 4WDs. Booking through your tour operator or hotel is usually the easiest route.

Cambodia has no real long-distance passenger rail network. A single overnight service runs Phnom Penh–Sihanoukville on weekends — a slow but unusual option for those with time.

Boats still run on the Tonle Sap and the Mekong but are slower than the road. The Siem Reap–Battambang river boat (six to eight hours when the water is high enough) is more about the journey than the speed; the Siem Reap–Phnom Penh boat is largely no longer recommended.

Within towns, the easiest options for visitors are:

• PassApp and Grab — the two ride-hail apps that work in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. They cover both tuk-tuks and cars, the meter does the negotiating, and you pay by card or cash. PassApp is the local one and usually cheaper for tuk-tuks

• Tuk-tuks (remorques) — the standard short-distance ride. Agree the fare before you set off if you are not using an app, or use PassApp

• Motorbike taxis (motodops) — cheap and fast, and not advisable unless you are comfortable on a bike. Insist on a helmet

• Walking — Siem Reap’s tourist area is small and walkable; Phnom Penh’s distances and traffic make walking less pleasant outside specific neighbourhoods like the riverfront and BKK1

Driving yourself is not recommended. Traffic is heavy, lane discipline is loose, and an accident as a foreign driver can be a serious problem. If you want flexibility, hire a car with driver.

If you do drive, you need an International Driving Permit (1949 Geneva Convention), issued by the AA in New Zealand before you go. Driving is on the right. Roads outside the main highways are often rough, and night driving is best avoided.

Cambodia’s healthcare system is limited. Phnom Penh has acceptable private clinics and one or two international-standard hospitals (Royal Phnom Penh Hospital, Khema International Polyclinic), and Siem Reap has Royal Angkor International Hospital. Anything serious is typically evacuated to Bangkok or Singapore. Comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is essential, not optional.

Routine New Zealand vaccinations should be up to date. For Cambodia, NZ travel medicine clinics commonly recommend hepatitis A, typhoid and tetanus boosters as a baseline. Hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis (for rural travel during the wet season or for longer stays), and rabies pre-exposure (for trekkers, cyclists, longer rural stays, or anyone planning close contact with animals) are commonly added. Yellow fever proof is required only if arriving from a yellow fever country.

Malaria risk in Cambodia is low for most tourist itineraries (Angkor, Phnom Penh, the coast) but real in some forested border areas, particularly near Thailand and Laos. Speak to your GP or a travel medicine clinic about whether prophylaxis is appropriate for your route.

Dengue is present year-round and rises sharply in the wet season. There is no vaccine, so the protection is good repellent (DEET or picaridin), long sleeves at dawn and dusk, and air-conditioned rooms.

Food and water hygiene is the single most common health issue for visitors. Drink only sealed bottled or filtered water, including for brushing teeth. Be cautious with ice in cheap venues, with salads, and with cut fruit from street stalls. Eat at busy places with high turnover. Carry rehydration sachets and loperamide; traveller’s diarrhoea is common and usually short-lived.

Rabies is endemic — give stray dogs, cats and monkeys a wide berth. If you are bitten or scratched, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek post-exposure treatment at a major clinic the same day, regardless of whether you have had pre-exposure vaccination.

If your itinerary includes the Mekong, Tonle Sap or rural rivers, avoid swimming or wading. Schistosomiasis and leptospirosis are present in some waterways.

For minor issues, ask your hotel for a referral. For anything more serious, head to Royal Phnom Penh Hospital or Royal Angkor International Hospital. Pharmacies are common in cities; counterfeit medicines are a known issue, so stick to the larger chains (Pharmacie de la Gare, U-Care). The general emergency number is 119 for ambulance, though response times are slow — a private taxi to a hospital is often faster.

Cambodia is a generally safe country for visitors. Violent crime against tourists is rare. The realistic risks are scams, road traffic, bag-snatching in Phnom Penh, and old landmines in remote rural areas.

Petty theft and bag-snatching is the most common issue, particularly in Phnom Penh, where motorbike riders snatch bags from pedestrians and from passengers in tuk-tuks. Use a cross-body bag with the strap on the side away from the road, keep phones out of view in the street, and avoid wearing visible jewellery.

Common scams include tuk-tuk drivers refusing the agreed fare on arrival, “your hotel is closed” detours to commission-paying alternatives, dodgy ATMs in tourist areas, fake monks asking for donations, and the occasional fake police shakedown. Use the PassApp or Grab apps for tuk-tuks (the meter does the negotiating for you), withdraw cash inside bank branches during opening hours, and politely ignore approaches from anyone claiming official status who is not in a marked vehicle or building.

Solo female travellers generally find Cambodia comfortable. The same precautions as elsewhere in the region apply — modest dress at temples, avoid being out alone late at night, prefer reputable hotels, and use ride-hail apps rather than hailing on the street.

Road safety is the underrated risk. Phnom Penh traffic is heavy, lane discipline is loose, and pedestrian infrastructure is limited. Cross roads at a steady pace and watch in all directions, including for vehicles travelling against the flow. Avoid riding motorbikes or scooters yourself unless you are experienced and properly licensed; injuries from scooter accidents fill the local clinics.

Landmines and unexploded ordnance remain a real risk in some remote rural areas, particularly near the Thai border and in former conflict zones. The advice is simple: stick to paved roads and well-trodden paths, never pick anything up off the ground in rural areas, and follow your guide’s instructions.

The far northeast (Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri) and the Cardamom Mountains have rough roads and occasional flooding in the wet season. The Thai-Cambodian border around Preah Vihear has had occasional flare-ups; check current conditions before travel.

Check the current advisory at safetravel.govt.nz before you go and register your trip there. New Zealand does not have an embassy in Cambodia. Consular assistance for New Zealanders is provided by the Australian Embassy in Phnom Penh (16B National Assembly Street, Sangkat Tonle Bassac, +855 23 213 470). The general emergency numbers are 117 for police, 119 for ambulance and 118 for fire, though the tourist police line and your hotel are often the more useful first call.

Khmer cuisine sits between its Thai and Vietnamese neighbours but has its own distinct character — generally less chilli-heavy than Thai food, less herb-forward than Vietnamese, with more emphasis on subtle souring (tamarind, lime, kaffir lime) and the deep umami of prahok, a fermented fish paste used as a base in many dishes.

Rice is the staple. The country grows some of South-East Asia’s best fragrant jasmine rice, and most meals are built around it. Freshwater fish from the Mekong and Tonle Sap drives the protein side of the cuisine; pork, chicken and beef appear too, and seafood dominates on the coast.

The dishes most visitors will see most often:

• Amok — the most famous Khmer dish. Fish (or chicken) steamed with coconut milk, kroeung (a yellow lemongrass-and-galangal paste), kaffir lime and noni leaves, traditionally served in a banana-leaf cup

• Lok lak — diced beef stir-fried with black pepper and lime, served over rice with a fried egg and a peppery dipping sauce

• Kuy teav — a clear pork-bone noodle soup, eaten for breakfast

• Bai sach chrouk — grilled pork over broken rice, the Cambodian morning standard

• Nom banh chok — fresh rice noodles with a green fish curry, often eaten for lunch

Cambodian food is less spicy than Thai food by default, though chillies are usually on the table for those who want them.

Kampot pepper, grown on the southern coast, is one of the world’s best peppers and shows up in lok lak, on grilled crab in Kep, and in everything from chocolate to ice cream. It is worth seeking out and worth taking home.

Dining settings range from street markets (where the cheapest, often best food is found), to noodle stalls open through the morning, to mid-range restaurants in tourist areas, to a small but genuine fine-dining scene in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap that draws on Khmer ingredients with a French influence.

Vegetarian travellers will eat well in cities, where modern Khmer restaurants are familiar with plant-based menus, but it is harder outside them — prahok turns up in many “vegetable” dishes by default. Halal options exist around the Cham Muslim communities and in Phnom Penh’s larger restaurants.

Drinks: Angkor Beer is the standard local lager. Cambodia Beer and the Czech-recipe Klang are the alternatives. Iced coffee with condensed milk (ka-fei tek doh kork) is excellent. Fresh sugarcane juice and palm wine are worth trying. Tap water is not safe to drink — stick to sealed bottled water and ice from reputable venues.

Tipping at restaurants is covered in the General section.

Cambodia has a tropical monsoon climate with two seasons: a dry season from November to April and a wet season from May to October. Temperatures stay warm to hot year-round; what changes is the humidity, the rainfall and the colour of the countryside.

The best months to visit are November to February. Days are warm (high 20s to low 30s°C), nights are cooler, humidity drops and skies are generally clear. December and January are peak season at Angkor, with crowded sunrise queues at Angkor Wat and full hotels in Siem Reap — book ahead.

March to May is the hot season. Daytime temperatures regularly hit 35-38°C, with high humidity and hazy skies from agricultural burn-off. Touring Angkor in this window is hard work; start before dawn and break for the middle of the day.

The wet season (May to October) brings afternoon thunderstorms rather than all-day rain. Mornings are usually clear; rain arrives late afternoon and clears overnight. The countryside greens up, the Tonle Sap fills out, and the temples are at their most photogenic with fewer crowds. The trade-off is humidity, the occasional washed-out road in the highlands, and limited access to some remote sites. Many travellers consider June to September the most rewarding window for Angkor for the conditions and the lower visitor numbers.

Regional notes: Phnom Penh and Siem Reap follow the same general pattern. The southern coast (Kampot, Kep, Sihanoukville, the islands) catches more rain and stronger swells during the southwest monsoon; island boat schedules become unreliable in July-September. The highland northeast (Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri) is cooler year-round and often misty, and some roads are impassable at the height of the wet season.

The Tonle Sap is fed by a reversing river that doubles the lake’s size between dry and wet seasons. The floating villages look very different at the two ends of the year — a December trip and a September trip are not the same experience.

Cambodia is a modest-dressing country by South-East Asian standards, particularly at religious and historic sites. Visitors who dress respectfully will be more comfortable and better received.

For everyday sightseeing — light, breathable clothing that covers the shoulders and knees works in most settings. Loose cotton trousers, long skirts, midi dresses and shirts or t-shirts are all fine. Linen and cotton beat synthetics in the heat. Short shorts and singlets are out of place in town centres.

At Angkor and other temple sites — the dress code is enforced. Shoulders and knees must be covered to enter Angkor Wat’s upper levels (Bakan) and many other temples; visitors in singlets, shorts or short skirts are turned back. Bring a lightweight long-sleeve shirt and lightweight trousers or a long skirt; a scarf works at a pinch but is fiddly in hot weather. Comfortable, broken-in walking shoes (not sandals) are essential — the temple complexes involve a lot of uneven stone steps.

At pagodas and Buddhist sites elsewhere — the same rules. Remove shoes and hats at the entrance to temple buildings.

By season:

• November to February (cool dry) — light layers. Days are warm; evenings on the coast and at higher elevations can be cool enough for a light jumper. A sun hat, sunglasses and reef-safe sunscreen are essentials

• March to May (hot dry) — minimum, breathable, light-coloured clothing. A scarf or light shawl protects from sun and dust. Hydrate harder than you think you need to

• May to October (wet) — quick-dry fabrics, sandals you can wear in the wet, and a lightweight rain jacket or compact umbrella. Avoid leather shoes

• Highlands (Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri) — cooler year-round; pack a fleece or light jacket for evenings even in the dry season

Footwear — comfortable, broken-in walking shoes for sightseeing, slip-ons for shoe-removal at temples and homes, and proper hiking shoes if you are heading into the northeast or the Cardamoms.

The southern beach areas — the islands off Sihanoukville, parts of Kampot and Kep — are more relaxed; swimwear is fine on the beach but cover up to walk back to your hotel or into a village.

Connectivity in Cambodia is better than visitors expect. The major mobile networks — Smart, Cellcard and Metfone — between them cover most of the country with 4G, and 5G is now live in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

For most NZ travellers, an eSIM bought before departure is the easiest option. Providers such as Airalo, Holafly and Saily sell Cambodia-specific or South-East Asia regional plans that activate on arrival; a one- to two-week plan typically costs NZ$15-30. You keep your NZ number active for calls and use the eSIM for data.

For longer stays, a physical local SIM is cheap and easy to buy at the airport on arrival. You will need your passport. Smart and Cellcard both offer tourist plans with generous data for around US$5-10 a week.

Wifi is standard in hotels, cafés and restaurants in cities and towns. Speeds and reliability vary; rely on mobile data as your default for navigation and translation.

Coverage gaps apply in the highlands (Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri), in the Cardamom Mountains, and on the more remote islands. Download offline maps before heading off-grid.

Cambodia does not block the major Western platforms — Google, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and most messaging apps work normally. Telegram is the most common local messaging app and the way many hotels, drivers and operators will communicate.

Cambodia’s mains power is 230V at 50Hz — the same voltage and frequency as New Zealand. The plugs are different.

Sockets are most commonly Type A (two flat parallel pins, US-style), Type C (two round pins, European-style) and Type G (three rectangular pins, UK-style). Many hotel rooms have multi-format sockets that take all three. New Zealand’s flat-pin plugs do not fit any of them, so an adapter is required.

A universal adapter that covers Types A, C and G is the simplest option and works across most of South-East Asia. Adapters are cheap at NZ airports and in any Cambodian electronics shop.

Modern dual-voltage devices — phones, laptops, cameras — only need an adapter. Check the small print on the charger; if it reads “100-240V” you are fine.

Power cuts are not unusual, particularly in smaller towns and during the wet season. Mid- and upper-range hotels run backup generators. Carry a power bank for phones and tablets if you are travelling outside the main centres.

A handful of things that don’t fit neatly elsewhere but matter day-to-day in Cambodia.

Cultural notes

• Greetings — the Cambodian greeting is the sampeah: palms together at chest height with a slight bow. The higher the hands, the more respect (chest height for peers, nose for elders, forehead for monks). Returning a sampeah from a child is unnecessary; a smile and nod is fine

• Buddhist etiquette — never touch a monk’s robes. Women in particular should not hand items directly to monks but pass them via a third person or place them down. Don’t sit higher than a monk, or with your feet pointed at a Buddha image

• Heads and feet — the head is considered the most sacred part of the body and the feet the lowest. Don’t touch anyone’s head, even a child’s. Don’t point with your feet, prop them on furniture, or step over someone seated on the floor

• Right-hand etiquette — pass objects, food and money with the right hand or with both hands, not the left

• Photography — always ask before photographing people, especially monks, the elderly, and those at religious sites. At Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields, follow the signage — these are memorial sites, not selfie backdrops

• The Khmer Rouge years — the genocide of 1975-79 is recent history that affected almost every Cambodian family. Visitors are welcome at the memorial sites and most people will speak openly about it; follow your hosts’ lead on tone and avoid framing it as “interesting” or “fascinating”

• Children and begging — begging at tourist sites, particularly by children, is common. The widely-shared advice from local NGOs is not to give cash directly to children (which encourages them to be kept out of school), and instead to support reputable local organisations or buy food rather than hand over money

• Souvenirs and wildlife products — do not buy ivory, animal products, antiquities or stone fragments. The penalties at the airport are significant and the items are often looted from temple sites or protected areas

Tipping and service

Tipping is not historically Cambodian but has become expected in the tourism sector, and forms a meaningful part of staff income. Most tipping is done in US Dollars rather than riel.

Restaurants and cafés:

• Simple eateries — round up the bill; small change is fine

• Mid-range restaurants — 5-10% if no service charge is on the bill

• Fine dining — 10% for good service

Hotels:

• Porter — US$1-2 per bag

• Housekeeping — US$1-2 per night, left in an envelope at check-out for an extended stay

• Room service — round up if no service charge is added

Drivers and guides:

• Tuk-tuk driver hired for the day — US$3-5 on top of the agreed fare

• Private driver, full day — US$5-10 per day depending on length and difficulty

• Licensed local guide — US$10-15 per half-day, US$15-25 per full day for strong service; specialists at Angkor command more

• Group tour — US$3-5 per guest for the guide; US$1-2 for the driver

Boat crews and small boat operators — US$1-2 per person for short trips, more for full-day or overnight trips.

Alcohol

Cambodia has no alcohol prohibition, and the legal drinking age is 18. Beer is cheap and ubiquitous. Strict drink-driving laws apply, including for scooter riders, and random breath testing happens.

Language

The official language is Khmer, spoken by almost the entire population. English is widely spoken in the tourism sector — hotels, drivers, guides, restaurants and shops in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap will manage well, though spoken English thins out fast in rural areas. French still turns up among older Cambodians. A few phrases in Khmer go a long way: suostei (hello), aw kun (thank you), som toh (sorry / excuse me) and thlay ponman? (how much is it?).

Time zone

Cambodia runs on Indochina Time (ICT), UTC+7. There is no daylight saving. Cambodia is 5 hours behind New Zealand in NZ winter and 6 hours behind in NZ summer.

Public holidays and festivals

The big dates that affect openings and transport:

• Khmer New Year (mid-April, three days) — the biggest holiday of the year. Phnom Penh empties as families return to home villages; Siem Reap fills with domestic visitors at Angkor. Many businesses close for several days

• Pchum Ben (late September or October, 15 days, with three public holidays) — the Festival of Ancestors. A more sombre occasion; pagodas are full

• Water Festival (Bon Om Touk) (November, three days) — boat racing on the Tonle Sap and the Mekong; Phnom Penh’s riverfront is the focal point and accommodation books out

• Royal birthdays and national days — several through the year; banks and government offices close

LGBTQ+ travellers

Same-sex relationships are legal in Cambodia, and the country is one of the more accepting in South-East Asia. There is no formal recognition of same-sex unions. Public displays of affection — for any couple — are uncommon outside the larger cities. Most travellers will encounter no difficulty in tourist settings.

Photography of sensitive sites

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek Killing Fields permit photography in most areas but request respect, and discourage selfies and social-media content. Some rooms at Tuol Sleng have a no-photography policy that is signposted and should be observed.