Travel to Cambodia & Information

General Information about Cambodia

Location and Area
Cambodia, which is physically located in Southeast Asia, occupies a total area of 181,035 square kilometers. It is commonly bordered to the north by Thailand and Laos, to the east by Vietnam, to the south by Vietnam and the Gulf of Thailand, and to the west by the Gulf of Thailand and Thailand.

Geographically speaking, Cambodia is divided into six major regions: the western and northwestern mountains rich in tropical forest, wildlife and fruit trees; the northeastern plateau abounding with tropical forest, wildlife, waterfalls, diamonds and magic; the central plain known as a large area of flat land for cultivating mainly rice, corns and beans; for favoring fish and mangrove, there's the western and southwestern coastal plain popular with tourists who sunbathe on the sandy beaches, and who consume seafood; the western and northeastern valleys suitable for the development of hydro-electric power; and the peninsula suitable for tin mining, rubber cultivation and fishing.

Population
Total population is 14 million. Ninety per cent of residents are Khmer, and the remnants of these are Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Thai, Phnorng, Kuoy, Stieng, Tamil, etc. Chinese influence is strong, particularly in the business sector.

Capital
The Phnom Penh capital, which has an area of 290 square kilometers, is seriously considered the major center of administration, commerce, communication, culture, economy, education, industry, policy, and tourism. It is also home to legal immigrants from Australia, Burma, China, France, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, USA, Vietnam, etc. The Phnom Penh Capital is a lifeline of Cambodian economy for sustaining residents and it is a tropical paradise for tourists and businessmen. The Phnom Penh's resident population is said to total over two million people.

Climate
The average temperature is 27-28C. It varies up to regions from 20-27C during the wet season and from 28-35C during the dry season. The climate is comprised of two main seasons affected by the tropical monsoon the wet season from May to October and dry season from November to April. The coolest period lasts from December to January.
The monsoon season may carry some heavy rains but these quite often occur during the late evening and overnight and are unlikely to spoil your enjoyment.

Religions
Theravada Buddhism is the official prevailing religion in Cambodia, and approximately ninety percent of the population is Buddhists. The country also has minority religions such as Islam, Hinduism and Christianity which Muslims, Hindus and Christians believe in. Since Buddha's statues and images represent the Buddha, visitors are asked to behave respectfully to all statues and images so as not to cause offence to local people. It is illegal to take any Buddha's statues out of Cambodia without the express permission of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.

Languages
Khmer is the official language in Cambodia. English is very popular with Khmer people for communicating with foreigners in administrative, commercial, diplomatic, economic, industrial, and tourist affairs. The older people educated at their local comprehensive school can speak French clearly. Khmer-English road and street signs are found nationwide.

Local Time
7 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).

Major Industries
Clothing, fishing, footwear, rice milling, rubber, shipping, textiles, timber, and tobacco. Currency
The Cambodian currency is Riel that can fluctuate a little if it is compared with a dollar. Riel denominations are 100,000; 50,000; 20,000; 10,000; 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500; 200; 100; and 50. Banknotes, which are printed in both Khmer and English, increase in size according to value and are in different colors. Foreign currencies can be easily changed at airports, hotels or markets, but American dollars are widely accepted in Cambodia. Credit cards are only accepted in banks and main hotels.

Telephones, Faxes, Internet
International phone calls can be made quite easily from lower - to upper - level hotels. Rates for calling out of the country are normally considerably higher than for calling in. In Phnom Penh, phone cards are widely available throughout the city, and cards can be purchased at many outlets. There are also several mobile phone systems.

Country code: 855

Phnom Penh code (IDD): 23

Mobile code: 081,085,089,093,097,098,099,010,011,012,013,015,016,018,090
All hotels and travel agencies will offer complete facsimile services. The Ministry of Post and Telecommunication can offer phone and fax services all day.
In response to globalization, Cambodia has been expanding information services for tourists through the Internet system. Services are now available at Cambodia's leading hotels.

Passports & Visa
All visitors entering Cambodia must possess valid passports. Your passport has to be valid for at least six months after expired date.

Visas
All nationalities need to apply for a travel visa, except from the following countries: Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Laos, Vietnam, Brunei. A visa on arrival, valid for a thirty-day stay, is specifically granted at Phnom Penh International Airport, Siem Reap International Airport, and International Border Checkpoints. Visas are also granted at Royal Cambodian Embassy or Consulate abroad. The visa fee for a tourist is US$20, and the one for a businessman is US$25. Visas can be extended at Immigration Department in Phnom Penh City. A free visa (K) is expressly granted to the Cambodian living overseas. The Royal Government of Cambodia has recently approved e-visas. All you have to do is complete the online application form available at the official website (evisa. mfaic.gov.kh), pay by credit card, and include a recent passport size photo in JPEG/PNG format. The visa will be approved within three business days, allowing you to breeze by that lengthy line and get a jump-start on your holiday. The e-visa, valid for a thirty-day stay, is available only for a typical tourist visa for a single entry. It is currently not available for nationalities from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Arab Saudi, Algeria, Sudan, and Sri Lanka. For a business visa, please apply at your nearest embassy or on arrival in all major check points. Tourists getting such a visa online can enter Cambodia through Phnom Penh International Airport and Siem Reap International Airport only, and they can exit through five main points including Phnom Penh International Airport, Siem Reap International Airport, Bavet (Svay Rieng), Cham Yeam (Koh Kong), and Poipet (Banteay Meanchey).

Domestic Transport
There are many kinds of transport in Phnom Penh; the favorite modes of transport are easily accessible by taxi, car, bus, motorbike and cyclo. The cyclo that can be rented at a maximum cost of US$ 3 per hour kindly provides visitors with the way of viewing major tourist attractions in the city.
Currently, brand new metered taxis with insurance for passengers are seen on the streets in Phnom Penh. The Global Taxi Company will charge passengers 2,000 Riel for every one km. The amount of 400 Riel will be charged for every three minutes of waiting. Paying around US$ 5-15, you can reach Siem Reap Province from Phnom Penh Capital by bus, and paying around US$ 5-13, you can reach Sihanouk Ville from Phnom Penh Capital by bus.
Transport and travel are easily available by train from Phnom Penh Capital to Battambang Province and Sihanouk Ville.
Travel is very popular by water along Tonlé Sap, Tonlé Bassac, and Tonlé Mekong. The dramatic landscape of rivers does attract a lot of interest, though tourists spend their more money on boarding a boat.
Tourists can travel on domestic flights within Cambodia instead of going by land and water. Cambodia has eleven domestic airports situated at Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, Koh Kong, Kratie, Mondul Kiri, Phnom Penh, Preah Vihear, Rattanak Kiri, Siem Reap, Sihanouk Ville, and Stung Treng.

Airport Tax
International flight: Each foreigner has to pay US$ 25, and each Khmer person has to pay US$ 18 at Phnom Penh International Airport or Siem Reap International Airport.
- Additionally, children below the age of 12 have to pay US$ 13, children below the age of 2 do not need to pay tax at any airport.
- Domestic flight: Each foreigner has to pay US$ 6, and each Khmer person has to pay US$ 5 at Phnom Penh International Airport or Siem Reap International Airport.

Cambodia Hours:
- Government Offices:
Mon to Fri: 07:30-11:30 and 14:00-17:00
- Private Company Offices:
Mon to Fri: 07:30-12:00 and 14:00-17:30
Saturday: 07:30-12:00
- Banks:
Mon to Fri: 08:00-15:00
Saturday: 08:00-12:00
-NGOs
Mon to Fri: 08:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:30
-Shops and Markets: 
Open everyday from 07:00-17:00
Emergency Services
Police: 117
Fire: 118
Ambulance: 119.

National Flag of Cambodia: 

Cambodian Flag Description:
The flag of Cambodia consists of three horizontal stripes - the top and bottom stripes are blue and of equal size; and the center stripe is a larger red one with a white emblem representing the towers of Angkor Wat in the middle of it.

Cambodian Flag Meaning:
The blue color symbolizes the country's royalty. The red represents the nation and the white represents the religion, beginning with Brahmanism, and the current major religion - Buddhism. The emblem of the temple represents the structure of the universe.

Cambodian Flag History:
The Cambodian flag was adopted on June 30, 1993. It was originally adopted on October 29, 1948 and remained until October 1970. The Cambodian flag once again resurfaced in 1993 with the reestablishment of the Cambodian monarchy. Cambodia declared independence from France on November 9, 1953.

Interesting Cambodian Flag Facts:
The first Cambodian flag came into existence around 1863. It was quite similar to the Cambodian flag currently used.