Related Cambodia Favorites Tips

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Favorite thing: The itinerary is now readable but the VT title covers up part of this two page table showing where I went and what I did in Cambodia on a 29 day visit in 2010. The trip included popular and remote sites in the Northwest, Northeast and South. It also shows my hotels and mode of transportation. If you wish, I can e-mail a copy.

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Favorite thing: Actually I met Ms. Naram Kang through Ms. Nara. They are colleagues. When I returned to Cambodia in March 2010, Ms. Nara was busy and so was Ms. Naram (it is common during the dry season when most of the tourists come). Naram was so thoughtful that she convinced her friend, Ms. Leakkhena (an accountant), to guide me on the first weekend of my trip to the remote sites of Sambor Prei Kuk, Beng Mealea, and Koh Ker. Later Naram took me to such places as the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum, an evening riverboat ride on the Mekong, Phnom Tamao wildlife sanctuary, and Tonle Bati. She is very knowledgeable, speaks excellent English, and has extensive contacts since she is a busy, experienced guide. Besides that, she is a little crazy and fun to travel with! Her phone is +855-12-577-449 and her email is naramkang@yahoo.com. You will consider yourself very lucky to have had Naram as your guide. BTW, her nickname is "Mickey," like Mickey Kandol (mouse in Khmer, LOL).

Favorite thing: When I took the 6-hour Mekong Express bus ride from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap to see the countryside, little did I know how fortunate I would be. The Fancy Guesthouse got seat 1D for me. It turned out to be on the aisle in the front row on the right hand side. Not only did I have the best seat for seeing things and taking pictures, but I also happened to be sitting next to Ms. Nara, a professional guide taking a 3-day holiday to visit her aunt in Kompong Thom. She is a very nice lady who really knows the local history and customs, and is happy to share her knowledge. I learned so much during that three hours to Kompong Thom. Awkun choeun (thank you very much) to her! She is not licensed to guide in Siem Reap but can do Phnom Penh and basically the rest of the country. Her phone number is (+855) 12580089. I highly recommend Ms. Nara.

However, Nara sometimes recommends her friend, Heak, as a driver. I used him in Feb 2010 and I do not recommend him. Absolutely do not drive with him at night. He has night vision problems and cannot see well. He is also phobic about going up inclines and getting his car dirty. Why he originally accepted my itinerary to remote sites in Northwest Cambodia, I shall never know. Over and over again, he had excuses why he could not go somewhere, but then we would see cars just like his both coming from and going to the destination. Basically I just had to say that I was paying him $95/day and that he had to go (although I walked up rather than asking him to drive up the steep, paved road to Phnom Kulen). Guess what? We always made it with no problem. Heak is a nice enough fellow and speaks good English. If you only have to drive during the day and on straight, level, paved roads, he would be fine, even if those roads are busy.

Favorite thing: Cambodia uses 230V, 50Hz

Nice hotels may have British 3-pin rectangular blade plug:
http://electricaloutlet.org/type-g

However, most will be a combination outlet that accept either USA/Japan 2-pin (type A) or European 2-pin:
http://electricaloutlet.org/type-a
http://electricaloutlet.org/type-c

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Favorite thing: Cambodia has a big production of palm sugar and it is often a small family business where daddy clims up the trees to get the palm juice while mummy is busy cooking it in to palm sugar.
The se people can often be seen doing their business by the side of the road and i have found that you can usually stop by and visit them and get a taste of their home made sugar while seeing them working.

Favorite thing: As far as changing money, almost all prices are quoted in US$. Sometimes the price will include a fraction of a dollar. When this is the case, the change that is a fraction of a dollar is returned in riel at an exchange rate of 4000:1. It is less than the official rate but close enough. I got enough riel this way to make all of my small purchases. In Siem Reap, I did all my "banking" at the small Canadia Bank on Street 11 across from the Old Market. It was in a convenient location, never busy, and the service was quite good. There was a 2% fee for cashing travelers' checks. I had no problems using US$20 and even a US$100 when paying a 5-night, US$98 hotel bill; the dollar value just needs to be close to what you owe. The tuk tuk drivers will want US$1-2 for each short ride, if not more (I walked). I did have one occasion where a US$20 was not accepted because it had a crease from being folded.

Favorite thing: Most people planning a trip to Cambodia are aware that the US Dollar is the "common currency" there - but there is one important thing that you should also know ...... THEY DO NOT DEAL IN COINS. This means that if you pay in dollars there will not be one single thing costing less than a whole dollar. That´s right, not even "the time of day". Definitely bring and save your "one-dollar bills" but get yourself some Riel quick-quick.

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Favorite thing: In addition to a licensed guide for Angkor, you will need transportation. My guide, Peng Thai, booked our tuk tuk driver through the travel desk at the Mandalay Inn where I was staying in Siem Reap. BTW, I prefer tuk tuk's because it is easy to take pictures even when you are moving and because it is easier to stop anywhere you want. Sophen was my tuk tuk driver for 3 of the 4 days that I toured the Siem Reap area and he also took me to the airport. He got very good at anticipating where I would want to take pictures and would intentionally slow down.

Sophen could not make it one day. His replacement that day was okay but drove too fast and went past some places where I wanted to stop (he could not hear me, I guess). Sophen charged the going rate ($12/day) for the Angkor temples. Banteay Srei is another $5, if you wish to go there, which I did. It was $4 to go to the airport. He was very reliable and right on time for my early (6 AM) departure to the airport. I felt very lucky to tour with Peng Thai and Sophen. They are both very nice gentlemen.