Typical Costs
Accommodation: Most guesthouses have dorm beds for between $2-4 USD per night. Private rooms range from $6-10 USD per night. You can get comfortable hotels for $15 – 20 dollars with air con, tv, and other amenities. After that, the sky is the limit but I’ve never needed to spend more than $20 USD per night for luxury in this country.
Food: Food is very cheap in Cambodia. Local street vendors will cost you about $1-2 USD per meal and basic restaurant meals will cost between $3-5 USD per meal. Western meals at nice restaurants go between $5-10 USD. You can get some really world class food in Phnom Phen these days and dishes start at around $8-10 USD. Fruit from the market will cost less than $1 USD.
Transportation: Local city transportation is cheap, costing only a few dollars. You can get a bus anywhere in the country for under $10 USD and renting a driver for the day will set you back between $15-20 USD.
Activities: Tours activities are between $10-20 USD depending on the length and popularity of the activity.
Money Saving Tips
Cambodia is one of the cheapest countries in Southeast Asia. There really isn’t any big money saving tips here because just by being here, you are saving money. Food, accommodation, transportation is all dirt cheap.
Drinks really add up. Every drink is a dollar and before you know it, you’ve spent more money on beer than on food and accommodation. There’s no reason this country should cost you more than $20 USD per day but if you drink a lot, you’ll never hit that amount.
Top Things to See and Do
Angkor Wat – This huge temple complex is the reason most people visit Cambodia. The temple ruins are massive and you’ll need a few days to explore all of them. While there’s a lot more to the country than this UNESCO site (too many people only come to visit Angkor), no trip is complete without satisfying your inner Tomb Raider and exploring these ruins.
Tongle Sap – Sailing down this river allows you to get a look at how closely Cambodian life is tied to this major waterway. You can take a boat all the way down one end to the other or just cruise around on a day trip.
Sihanoukville – White sand beaches, nearby deserted islands, great diving, amazing seafood, and a heavy nightlife filled with cheap booze make this spot a favorite among travelers. This was once a very seedy spot has become a mecca for backpackers. It’s not a quiet place to hang out but it’s good place to drink or use as a base to visit the nearby islands, which are quiet and serene.
Phnom Phen – The capital of Cambodia, this place has a wild west atmosphere with dusty streets and a devil may care atmosphere. There are few good attractions to see and there is an up and coming foodie vibe to the city. Since the destruction of the lake, most of the action has moved towards the river.
Kep – This beautiful beach town is the quiet version of Sihanoukville. There’s also great seafood here is a nice place to relax on near the ocean without the party atmosphere that is Sihanoukville. This city is famous for it’s pepper crab and empty beaches. There’s not a lot to do here so it also makes for a good day trip.
Bokor National Park – Wander among the atmospheric French ruins while hiking a great rainforest. Bokor was a big destination for the French aristocracy back in the day and you can see the ruins of their homes. It is a day trip from Sihanoukville or nearby Kampot.
Battambang – Known as a farming area, and famous for its fading French colonial architecture, this is the place to get a real taste of Cambodian life. There are great temples, a bamboo train, and stunning architecture from long past here. This destination sees few tourists except for those who like to get off the beaten path and off the Siem Reap-Phnom Phen trail. It’s Cambodia without the tourism.
Prasat Preah Vihear – This breathtaking mountain temple is source of conflict with its neighbor Thailand, who also claims this place as its own. The trip here is not easy but the nothing worth going to is ever is.
Visit a river village – There are 3 floating villages to choose from in the country. The houses are built on bamboo stilts and there are always boats filled with people selling trinkets, food, and hanging out. The Chong Khneas is the most visited in the country but popularity has made it a bit of a tourist trap recently.
Visit the pepper farms – Outside the city of Kampot (go there) and on the way to Kep are vast pepper fields. This southern region of Cambodia is filled with pepper farms where you can learn about the history of the spice, see how it is grown, and pick up what is considered some of the finest pepper in the world.
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