Cambodia is an amazing, multifaceted and still little explored country by Russian tourists. But here you can find everything: amazing temple complexes, and the warm sea, and fruits, and Asian exoticism.
Cambodia is not a very developed direction of Southeast Asia. Tourists are mainly offered two-day excursions from Thailand or Vietnam. But it is much more interesting to explore this amazing country on your own.
Flight.
There are no direct flights from Russia to Cambodian cities. You can get to Siem Reap either with one change in Bangkok, Seoul or Guangzhou, or with two changes. But the simplest thing is to fly first to Ho Chi Minh City or Bangkok to relax there for a while, and then take a local airline ticket.
Flight cost: from Moscow or St. Petersburg to Bangkok, you can buy a ticket for 18-20 thousand rubles, if you follow the airline promotions. A plane from Bangkok to Siem Reap will cost about 2 thousand, from Ho Chi Minh City - about 5 thousand. Siem Reap - Sihanoukville: about 4 thousand rubles one way.
From Thailand or Vietnam, you can get to Cambodia by bus, it will be cheaper, but the road is quite long and tiring.
There is no need to worry about a visa in advance, it is placed at the border.
Siem Reap.
People from all over the world come to this small town to look at the unique temple complex discovered by a French traveler. The incredible stone structures amaze the imagination and impress even the most sophisticated.
At dawn, people leave to see temples, and in the evening they walk the streets and sit in cafes and bars. Since there is no sea here, most stay only one or two days. Siem Reap has a unique atmosphere filled with speech in different languages, movement and the sea of people. If you are not lovers of discos and bars, you can do a Thai massage or a foot massage in the evening, its cost is only 5-10 dollars.
From the airport, you can ask the taxi driver to take you to the city center, where there is always a place in one of the hotels. Price for a double room: from $ 20 per day. Any taxi driver will gladly take you to see the temples, with whom it is better to agree on the evening before. The trip runs from 5-6 am until about noon.
Phnom Penh.
In the capital of Cambodia, all the contrasts inherent in this mysterious country are fully manifested. On the street you can find chic Lamborghinis and cycle rickshaws. Wealth coexists with extreme poverty. Tourists in the capitals visit temples, as well as the "Killing Fields" near the city, where you can realize all the horrors of the Pol Pot regime and the tragedy of an entire nation.
Sihanoukville.
A coastal town built by the French.
It is simply the perfect place where the traveler can recuperate. Warm calm sea, fruit markets, smiling locals who know how to enjoy life and incredibly beautiful children. At the same time, you can find completely deserted beaches, for example, Otros Beach, where instead of palm trees, large larches grow on the shore. On any beach there is always a free bungalow for the price of $ 20-30 for two.
What to eat.
Prices in cafes on the seashore are not at all high. Of course, there are a lot of seafood and rice dishes here. One of the Cambodian national dishes is amok - fish, poultry or seafood cooked in coconut milk with the addition of spices. On the central beach of Serendipity, there are many Italian restaurants serving pasta and pizza.
Safety.
Like most countries in Southeast Asia, Cambodia is completely safe to travel on your own if you follow the general rules in force in any country: do not walk the streets late at night, beware of pickpockets in crowded places, do not wear diamond jewelry on the beach, be polite with locals residents and understand that you are not at home.
What to look for.
The Khmers (Cambodians) are very friendly people, but in tourist places you need to keep your eyes open, everywhere you can bargain, since often initially a very high price is called.
At the border you can meet "Ostapov Benders" offering to exchange money for the local currency, riels, at a very unfavorable rate. And claiming that it will no longer be possible to change money anywhere else. In fact, in Cambodia everywhere you can pay in dollars, and this is much more profitable.
Many locals speak English quite well and understandably.
Cambodia is not yet as "spoiled" by tourists as Thailand, so prices are slightly lower here.
Souvenirs. Here you can buy beautiful wood products, jewelry with semi-precious stones, cotton clothes, pictures with images of temples.
Don't forget to take out travel insurance before you travel.
Cambodia is becoming more and more popular every year, so do not postpone a trip to this wonderful country, which will give you vivid memories for a lifetime.
