Cambodia Tour Guide
Cambodia is a Southeast Asian country located in the south of the Indochina peninsula. The country is most popular for its gorgeous temples some of which are UNESCO world heritage site. Moreover here you can enjoy gorgeous sea beaches, lush green forests, and some adventure activities. In this video, we will share every detail required to plan your Cambodia tour, like, how to reach the country, what is the ideal time to visit there, how many days required for this tour, how to get a visa, the top places to visit there, what is the mode of local transport, the budget and from where you can book this tour packages from India online.
How to Reach Cambodia
Cambodia can be reached directly from India by flight. It will take around 6 and a half hours to reach Cambodia by flight from New Delhi. The easiest way to reach Cambodia is via Bangkok, Thailand. There are numerous flights available from Bangkok to the Cambodia capital Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. The flight time will be around an hour. Other than the flight you can also get into Cambodia by road from Bangkok. If you want to start your tour from Siem Reap, then it is better to cross the border at Poipet by road from Bangkok. If you want to visit Phnom Penh first then it is better to cross the road via Trat or Koh. Both borders are open daily from 7 Am to 5 Pm and visas are issued on arrival.
How to Get Visa
All Indian passport holders can get eVisa for Cambodia. For eVisa you have to fill the online application form and pay the visa charge of Rs 4348.66 through your debit and credit card. Then you will receive your visa on your email within 24 hours. With a printed copy of that visa, you can enter Cambodia safely. The visa is valid for 30 days and the processing time is 3 business days. I’ll share the online visa application link in the description box below. Other than this you can also get your visa on arrival at the airport or border check post of Cambodia.
Top places to visit in Cambodia
There are 25 cities or provinces in Cambodia. Among these 25 provinces, the four major cities are Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kampot, Sihanouk Ville, and Preah Vihear. A 6days tour package will be enough to visit the major tourist places of Cambodia. It is better to start your tour from Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia.
Phnom Penh is the capital city of Cambodia situated at the confluence of three rivers, the Mekong, the Bassac, and Tonle Sap. At this place, you will find an old colonial charm that reminds you of the country’s French heritage. The major tourist attractions here are:
The royal palace- The palace was built in 1866 and is an architectural marvel. The Royal Palace contains some spectacular buildings, a Silver Pagoda enclosure, and the magnificent 17th-century emerald Buddha statue.
The Independence Monument- built-in 1958 to symbolize the independence of Cambodia from France in 1953.
Wat Phnom – This is a magnificent temple built on the only hill of this province.
You can cover these places in a single day city tour. The city tour can be booked online and I’ll share the respective links in the description box below.
The next important province that you should visit in Siem Reap. This is the city where you can see the past glory of this city. The major places to visit here are
Angkor Archaeological Park- a historical site located between Tonle Sap River and Kulen mountains. It is home to the remains of the gorgeous monuments of the Khmer Empire. The structures are built between the 9th to the 15th century and include the ancient capital cities, one of them is known to be the largest pre-industrial city in the world. The most prominent structure here is Angkor Wat temple which is now a UNESCO world heritage site. Except Angkor Wat other major sites are the ancient capital city Angkor Thom home to Bayon Temple, known for its hundreds of stone faces, and others. Visiting hours here are 5:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Entry passes can be purchased at the main entrance. Passes are sold in one-day ($37), three-day ($62), and seven-day ($72) blocks that must be used on consecutive days. A regular admission ticket is not required to visit Phnom Kulen, Koh Ker, or Beng Melea, but there is a separate entrance fee of $20, $10, and $5, respectively.
Tonle Sap Lake- the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia. Enjoy a boat tour here.
A total of 2 days will be enough to visit this province.
After Siem Reap, you can visit Kampot, another beautiful province located southwest of the country. Surrounded by the Elephant Mountains, Bokor Hills, and a series of beautiful beaches and islands, Kampot is one of the most popular tourist places in Cambodia. Here visit Kampot River, Popkovil waterfalls, and Bat caves.
You can spend a day here.
The next day you can visit another coastal province Sihanouk Ville and see some serene beaches here.
After Sihanouk Ville visit Preah Vihear. Preah Vihear is an ancient Angkor Hindu temple, located in Preah Vihear province. The temple is situated on top of a 525-meters tall cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains and offers magnificent views of the countryside. The place is famous for its exquisite architecture and is a UNESCO world heritage site at present.
Local Transport
Tuktuks are the most common mode of transport available in Cambodia. You can hire a tuk-tuk for private use for the whole day. These are the best and cheapest option for a city tour.
Motodup is a cheaper alternative to tuk-tuks. These are a small motorcycle taxi ideal for short journeys in cities and towns. Don’t forget to negotiate the price before hiring a Tuktuk or Motodup.
A passenger train service is available from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. The trains are a good alternative to buses, although they run much less frequently.
The Budget
From India, a typical 4 to 6 nights Cambodia Tour package will cost between Rs26000 to 70000 per person depending on the places cover and the activities you are participating in. You can book the package online. I’ll share the links in the description box below. Generally, the packages include food, accommodation, sightseeing, and local transfer cost. Flight fares are excluded from the total package cost.