Cambodia Tours & Holidays

Health and Vaccinations 

There are no mandatory immunisations for travellers to Cambodia though you should be up to date with Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio and Hepatitis A. Malaria is present in some parts of Cambodia. Please note we are not medical professionals and so we highly recommend you seek advice from your local GP or travel centre as to the correct immunisations and preventative treatments.  

Currency 

In Cambodia the official unit of currency is the Riel. This is a closed currency and can only be exchanged in country. However, majority of businesses deal with US Dollars, the unofficial currency throughout Cambodia, so we advise to take USD in cash.   

To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com. 

Cultural Sensitivity 

 On our tours you will frequently interact with local people, each with their own distinct customs and traditions. We therefore ask you to be considerate and to treat them with respect. Your tour-leaders and guides will always be able to advise you accordingly.  

Overall Cambodia is very liberal towards travellers and their ways, but we always recommend that modest dress should be adopted for both sexes when exploring local areas. The region is predominantly Buddhist and so especially when visiting temples or monasteries you will need to cover your legs and shoulders. Do not wear hats in religious buildings, never touch anyone on the head and do not point your feet towards them (this would be an insult to a monk particularly). Also avoid eating within religious buildings. Generally, when entering a temple sanctuary, house or even guesthouse, you should remove your shoes. This will be apparent by the pile of shoes outside!   

At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.  

To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition, we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.   

 However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result, we ask that you refer to the Responsible Travel section of this document which highlights the Wild Frontiers Foundation, which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.   

 Language & Religion 

 80% of the Cambodia’s population speaks the Khmer language, which is the official language. Other languages spoken include Chinese, Vietnamese and Cham. French was once the language of government in Indochina and is still spoken by many older Cambodians. Buddhism is the majority religion in Cambodia, with 96% being Theravada Buddhist. The other minorities are Islam and Christianity.  

Time 

Cambodia is 7 hours ahead of GMT.  

A useful website to check the time zone differences is www.worldtimezone.com.  

Food and drink 

Rice is the foundation for meals, and almost all dishes are cooked with fresh ingredients such as vegetables, freshwater fish, poultry, duck, pork, beef or water buffalo. Lime juice, lemon grass and fresh coriander give the food its characteristic tang, and various fermented fish concoctions are used to salt the food. Hot chillies, garlic, mint, ground peanuts, tamarind juice, ginger and coconut milk are other seasonings.  

In terms of alcohol, the local beers are good and reasonable wine can also be found, although they can be expensive by comparison. Most spirits are also generally available but watch out for those priced very cheaply as the quality will definitely leave you with a lasting headache the next day!  

Travelling Solo In Cambodia

All of our small group tours are designed to cater for solo travellers: the number of solo travellers will vary from tour to tour, but usually over half will be travelling alone. Get all of the excitement of discovering new places combined with the security of travelling with an organised group, with like minded people.