Cambodia What to Expect

Be careful of the kids when you're going through this checkpoint!! DO NOT GIVE OUT FOOD OR MONEY of any kind!!! They will mob you. The kids in this area are trained to look as cute as possible, but if you watch them, they run and give the money to someone else (usually an adult) who is sitting off to the side and out of site. And a lot of times, the smaller kids get mugged by the bigger ones. Just don't fall for it. I know they're all so cute and you'll want to keep one or two (or all), but just don't do it.

I took the local bus from Bangkok to Siem Riep and it was great. If you like dust and being cramped and doing things the local way with no aircon then you'll enjoy your sweaty bum being stuck to these seats. You can exchange money at the border and this is fine. Just make sure you do so on the Cambodian side as the rate is better. When u get off the bus in Siem Riep you will be approched by locals trying to get you to go to their hostels. This is fine, but I found it best to have a place in mind so check the travel guides. Someone on a motorcycle can take you and your backpack there without a problem. I am a woman and travelled alone without any problems. I ran out of money infact and a kind american helped me out. Thank-you! There are many VERY poor families in Siem Riep and they will ask you for money and the usual stuff. My suggestion: take milk when you walk the streets. There are always small thin children carrying even smaller thin children and they will be grateful for the calcium. This can be bought at many shops in the city. I was strapped for cash so spent my time at the local markets. There are some fancy restaurants that have popped up for the tourists but nothing beats a meal prepared right in front of you for next to nothing. It helps the man on the street and gives us tourists more of a human face. With regards to the awsome Angkor City, the best tip I have for you is go as early in the moring as possible! This way you will avoid the crowds and see the sunrise. Two days spent here is enough. The best transport for me to the city was on the back of a motorcycle, the best way to see the area.

Close to the vietnamese border, under the hottest summer sun, one main red dusty street, used at the same time as national road to legal and less licit traffic with Vietnam. Old people in rags looking at me dangerously, kids screaming and runnings between the trucks and clouds of dust, chickens in the middle of all that. A very nice pagoda built in a mountain circus is one of the main atraction of the city, warm monsk and many small monkeys.

bring some chocolates for the beggers(kids) rather then giving them money. .. T-shirts as cheap as USD2 ..

Choose your guesthouse wisely if you are not keen on an army of ants running up your wall and under your bed and/or take 50+ proof deet bug spray and spray along their trail - they will drop dead in minutes and never return. Guesthouse employees are pushy to sell you all your essentials and more. My fiancée and I felt like we had to sneak by them to go out and eat elsewhere or to find our own tuk tuk. One time they caught us and nearly forced us to sit and eat a pizza that they went and got take out for us because they assumed that we would want western food??. They wanted 15 US dollars for a small 10 inch pizza - be prepared to be ripped off and don't be afraid to say no. We told them to give us back our money for that particular pizza and they did! When you go out to the killing fields bring some pastries or something for the kids that hang out there, but watch your bags and/or wear your money belt regardless of the heat and humidity. Tuol Seng prison and the killing fields are eye openers and a half and worth your time and attention. At Tuol Seng I would recommend hiring a guide between you and some other random tourists that you meet at the gates.

Be careful of the kids when you're going through this checkpoint!! DO NOT GIVE OUT FOOD OR MONEY of any kind!!! They will mob you. The kids in this area are trained to look as cute as possible, but if you watch them, they run and give the money to someone else (usually an adult) who is sitting off to the side and out of site. And a lot of times, the smaller kids get mugged by the bigger ones. Just don't fall for it. I know they're all so cute and you'll want to keep one or two (or all), but just don't do it.

Get a 3 day pass to the Temples of Angkor and explore history! Take a break in between.

If you choose to travel between Siem Reap and Battambang by boat it1s important to buy many litres of water  :o) because it's very hot, and just in the middle of the day you can buy anything in a shop on the river. 

One of the 8 world wonders, Ankor Wat, built for King Suryavarman II in the12th century as his capital city.

Get a foot massage after walking around Angkor Wat. It is cheap and so nice after a full day on your feet!

Be careful of the kids when you're going through this checkpoint!! DO NOT GIVE OUT FOOD OR MONEY of any kind!!! They will mob you. The kids in this area are trained to look as cute as possible, but if you watch them, they run and give the money to someone else (usually an adult) who is sitting off to the side and out of site. And a lot of times, the smaller kids get mugged by the bigger ones. Just don't fall for it. I know they're all so cute and you'll want to keep one or two (or all), but just don't do it.

Get a 3 day pass to the Temples of Angkor and explore history! Take a break in between.

If you choose to travel between Siem Reap and Battambang by boat it1s important to buy many litres of water  :o) because it's very hot, and just in the middle of the day you can buy anything in a shop on the river. 

One of the 8 world wonders, Ankor Wat, built for King Suryavarman II in the12th century as his capital city.

Get a foot massage after walking around Angkor Wat. It is cheap and so nice after a full day on your feet!

Drink only bottled water!

Beware of food hygiene.

Beautiful, incredible Pnom Penh!
Be prepared...and you will enjoy it.
What you should do: sleep in the hostels on the riverside. Don't go out alone at night. Don't be tempted by "Happy Pizza" if you don't want to experience at Cambodian hospital or shorten your trip.

Take a bike during daytime and cycle!!!!!!!! Worth a trip (and within cycling distance): the Killing Fields of Pnom Penh. And the primary school where Brother Number One started "his career" - it is a shocking place. Worth reading while you there and to find out more about Cambodian history: "First they killed my father"

Best way to go to PP if you come from Battambang: take the train! An unforgettable experience and definitively no tourist travelling so please be careful...

(Oh, and moneywise: there are no ATMs in Cambodia)

Choose your guesthouse wisely if you are not keen on an army of ants running up your wall and under your bed and/or take 50+ proof deet bug spray and spray along their trail - they will drop dead in minutes and never return. Guesthouse employees are pushy to sell you all your essentials and more. My fiancée and I felt like we had to sneak by them to go out and eat elsewhere or to find our own tuk tuk. One time they caught us and nearly forced us to sit and eat a pizza that they went and got take out for us because they assumed that we would want western food??. They wanted 15 US dollars for a small 10 inch pizza - be prepared to be ripped off and don't be afraid to say no. We told them to give us back our money for that particular pizza and they did! When you go out to the killing fields bring some pastries or something for the kids that hang out there, but watch your bags and/or wear your money belt regardless of the heat and humidity. Tuol Seng prison and the killing fields are eye openers and a half and worth your time and attention. At Tuol Seng I would recommend hiring a guide between you and some other random tourists that you meet at the gates.

If you take the high speed boat al the way down to Pnom Penh and you're the last one on, wear earplugs! Sitting next to the engine is really deafening! No joke!