Overview Preparation Budget Travel Cambodia Hideouts
Cambodia
Cambodia is one of the best countries for backpackers in Southeast Asia and I highly recommend it to everyone, even first timers. It’s not just remarkably cheap, but it’s infinitely beautiful too. The landscape is green, lush and glorious. The ancient city of Angkor Wat is unrivaled in it’s authenticity, detail, and sheer size. The people are full of genuine smiles and warm hearts. The food is delicious, even though it lacks that spicy kick that I love about Thai food. And you can really get off the beaten path here if you want to. For these traits it’s no wonder our world travel experts gave Cambodia a near perfect score.
Overview
Official Name: Kingdom Of Cambodia
Population: 15,140,000
Capitol City: Phnom Penh
Main Language: Khmer
English Speakers: 10%
Budget Backpacking Rank:
4.5 out of 5.0
Budget
Currency: Cambodian Riel / US Dollar
Exchange Rate: 1$ USD = 4,073 KHR (Dec 2014)
Budget Backpacker Price Index:
- Budget Hotel Room: 28,000 Riel/7-10 USD
- Piece Of Chicken: 3,000 Riel: 75 Cents
- Large Water: 2,000 Riel/30-50 Cents
- Can Of Cambodia Beer: 2000 Riel/50 Cents
18 USD/Day
*Cambodia uses both their national currency, the Riel, and the US dollar. Although official exchange rates for 1USD is often more than 4,000 Riel, almost everyone rounds down to an even 4000. To get the most bang for your buck, it’s a good idea to exchange your dollars into Riel. Not only will you be saving 50 to 150 Rial for every transaction, but small denominations will help you haggle better prices.
Travel Gear & Resources
This post just saved me $300 :) I’m planning a trip to Vietnam this winter and instead of paying $800, I am going to get a ticket to Bangkok for $400 for a one way from Orlando, FL or FLL and then buy a $50 one way from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City.
Hey Michael, that’s awesome! Really glad to hear it, thanks for telling me. That sounds like a good plan. I would say just take carry on if you can, and try to keep it under 10 kilo.