Things to Know Before Going to Cambodia
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Things to Know Before Going to Cambodia
Cambodia is one of the countries frequently preferred for international travels with its rich history and culture and its nature extending from national parks to islands.
This article covers what you need to know before your trip to Cambodia, or the Kingdom of Cambodia as it is officially known.
Where is Cambodia?
Cambodia is a country located in the southeastern part of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Bordering Vietnam to the east, Laos to the northeast, Thailand to the west and northwest, Cambodia has a coastline on the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest.
How many kilometers is between Türkiye and Cambodia?
The distance between Cambodia and Türkiye is 7,396 kilometers, which is equivalent to 4,596 miles of air travel. It takes approximately 22 hours to reach Phnom Penh Airport from Sabiha Gokcen Airport.
What Time Zone is Cambodia in?
Cambodia is in the Indochina time zone and the time difference between Cambodia and Türkiye is 4 hours. Cambodia is 4 hours ahead of Türkiye.
What is the Climate of Cambodia Like?
Cambodia's climate, like the rest of Southeast Asia, is dominated by monsoons, known as tropical wet and dry, with pronounced seasonal differences.
Cambodia has a temperature range of 21 to 35 °C and is dominated by tropical monsoon rains. The heaviest rainfall in Cambodia occurs in September and October, while the highest temperatures in Cambodia occur in January and February.
Cambodia has two distinct seasons: the rainy season, which lasts from May to October, when temperatures drop to 22 °C, and the dry season, from November to April, when temperatures can rise to 40 °C around April.
The Best Months to Go to Cambodia
The best time to visit Cambodia is between November and May, when the country receives low rainfall and still warm weather. However, the climate in Cambodia is generally hot and humid all year round.
What is the Geography of Cambodia?
Cambodia has an area of 181,035 square kilometres and lies entirely within the tropics, between latitudes 10° and 15° north and longitudes 102° and 108° east.
The geography of Cambodia is characterized by a low central plain surrounded by highlands and low mountains and including the Tonle Sap (Great Lake) and the upper reaches of the Mekong River delta. The transitional plains east of the Mekong gradually merge into the eastern highlands, a region of forested mountains and high plateaus that extends into Laos and Vietnam. The southern coastal area of Cambodia, adjacent to the Gulf of Thailand, is a narrow strip of densely wooded, sparsely populated lowland isolated from the central plain by the southwestern highlands.
Natural Beauties of Cambodia
The natural beauties of Cambodia are listed below.
- Phnom Kulen National Park
- Battambang Bat Caves
- Bou Sra Waterfall
- Preah Monivong National Park
- Koh Rong Island
What is the History of Cambodia?
The history of Cambodia dates back to the Indian civilization, and the lands known today as Cambodia were first mentioned in Chinese annals as Funan, which covered the southern part of the Indochina peninsula between the 1st and 6th centuries.
The Khmer Empire was founded in the early 9th century. A series of powerful rulers, continuing the tradition of the cult of the Hindu devaraja II, founded on Mount Kulen in 802 AD, ruled during the classical period of the Khmer civilisation until the 11th century.
By the 15th century, the Khmer's traditional neighbors, the Mon people to the west and the Cham people to the east, were gradually pushed aside by Siam/Thailand and Annam/Vietnam, and Oudong was established in 1601 as the last royal residence of the Middle Period.
Independent since 1953 after the colonial policies of European powers in the 19th century, the Kingdom of Cambodia has struggled to remain neutral in a world shaped by the polarization of the nuclear powers the United States and the Soviet Union.
What is the Official Language of Cambodia?
Khmer is the official language in Cambodia and is spoken by approximately 90% of the population.
Khmer is an analytical and isolating language, but there are no inflections in the language, so auxiliary words are used. The sentence order in Khmer is subject-verb-object.
The Cambodian language differs from neighboring languages such as Burmese, Thai, Lao and Vietnamese in that it is not a tonal language. Khmer words are stressed on the last syllable, so many words follow the typical Mon-Khmer pattern of a stressed syllable followed by a diminutive syllable.
What is the religion of Cambodia?
The religion of Cambodia is Theravada Buddhism, practiced by over 95 percent of the population, with an estimated 4,392 monastic temples across the country. Cambodian Buddhism has been deeply influenced by Hinduism and indigenous animism.
Mahayana Buddhism is the religion of the Chinese and Vietnamese communities in Cambodia. Elements of other religious practices, such as veneration of folk heroes and ancestors, Confucianism, and a mixture of Chinese Buddhism and Taoism, are also practiced in Cambodia. Islam is the religion practiced by 2% of the population in Cambodia.
What is the Currency of Cambodia?
The currency of Cambodia is the Cambodian riel, abbreviated as "KHR" and its symbol is "៛".
As of January 2023, the answer to the question of how many Cambodian riels are 1 TL is known as 217.44 KHR.
What are the places to visit in Cambodia?
Places to visit in Cambodia are listed below.
- Angkor Wat
- Phnom Penh
- Koh Rong Samloem
- Siem Reap
- Ratanakiri
- Prasat Preah Vihear
- Battambang
- Kampot
- Tonle Sap
- Koh Kong
- Kratie
- Sambor Prei Kuk
- Banteay Chhmar
- Mundulkiri
Must-See Cities in Cambodia
The must-see cities in Cambodia are listed below.
- Phnom Penh
- Siem Reap
- Sihanoukville
- Battambang
- Kratie
- Kampot
- Banlung
- Koh Kong
- Kampong Thom
- Cap
- Kampong Cham
- Poipet
Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia and the most populous city in Cambodia. The national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia, Phnom Penh has grown to become the country's most important city and its economic, industrial and cultural centre.
What are the activities to do in Cambodia?
Below are the activities you can do in Cambodia.
- Witness the sunrise over Angkor Wat.
- Take the bamboo train in Battambang.
- See freshwater dolphins in Kratie.
- Paddle board along the “Green Cathedral” in Kampot.
- Check out the bars of Bassac Lane in Phnom Penh.
- Go to Phare in Siem Reap.
- Spot rare waterfowl at Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary.
- Explore the remote temples of Preah Vihear.
To perform the activities listed above, you need to go to Cambodia with a Cambodia tourist visa. You can find the necessary information about the Cambodia tourist visa application process on the tourist Cambodia visa page.
Nightlife in Cambodia
Nightlife in Cambodia is very local-focused, but the country’s many bars, restaurants and clubs provide plenty of options for expats. Some clubs in Cambodia are open 24 hours, while others close early.
While the main towns of Siem Reap and Phnom Penh have designated “pub streets” and riverside boulevards, Sihanoukville is rich in casinos.
What Is Cambodia Famous For?
Things that Cambodia is famous for are listed below.
- Apsaras dance performance
- Koh Kong
- Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphins
- Angkor Wat
- Siem Reap
- Tuk Tuk
- Phnom Penh Royal Palace
- Tonle Sap Lake
- Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
- Cambodian cuisine
What Are the Most Famous Cambodian Dishes?
The most famous Cambodian dishes are listed below.
- Nom banh chok
- Well Teow
- Lok lac
- Prahok
- Amok train
- Just a little bit of your time
- Balut
- Kangkep baob
- Lord chaa nom k'chai
- Please help me
- Samlor is afraid