The ultimate Cambodia travel itinerary + handy tips

For the longer distances in Cambodia, you have several options: domestic flights, bus or train. Although domestic flights are available, bus transport in Cambodia is very well organised and also the cheapest way to travel around. Depending on the length of the journey, a bus ticket often costs only between €5 and €15 per person, and there are several options available each day through well-known booking websites such as 12Go.asia.

We therefore recommend opting for a bus rather than a minivan whenever possible. Buses are usually more comfortable and safer, as minivan drivers in Cambodia sometimes tend to drive quite fast. A useful tip is to check the carrier's reviews, which you can see on the booking website.

Another fun and relaxing way to get around is by train. Although the train does not travel to all destinations, it is a cheap option. You can also book train tickets through 12Go.asia or simply at the railway station. Although there have been rumours about plans to connect Cambodia's rail network with neighbouring countries for quite some time, we have not yet been able to find anything concrete about this. As soon as it is, we will let you know, because ‘slow travel’ by train is a great experience!

Short rides: In terms of transport at the destination itself, the tuktuk or the Remork-Moto (a typical Cambodian cart with motor scooter attached) is the way to get around. You can book these very easily via the app Grab or the Cambodian PassApp and they usually cost only a few dollars. Dollars? Yes, they prefer to pay in US Dollars here. These apps are also a good way to make sure you don't suddenly end up paying way too much or having to negotiate. Incidentally, we have also sometimes accosted a driver for a ride if we happened to be already standing next to it. This is fine if you have got a good idea of what normal prices are by now.  

A driver for an entire day: Another way to see a lot of a location is to hire a tuktuk/Remork-Moto driver for the whole day. In many Cambodian places, this is the ideal way to learn more about Cambodia's special history and connect with locals. Prices can vary considerably, but you can usually find a good guide under 50 euros.

It is best to arrange a driver for the whole day through your hotel as they are known to have reliable drivers. Would you rather arrange it in advance? Then check out Getyourguide! You can book complete tours, view reviews and book everything in advance here.

Tip: Another little tip for booking guides in Cambodia: be sure to contact them to work out the exact itinerary. In our experience, they are super flexible, even during the day trip itself. So you can go off the sights you want. 

Rent a scooter yourself: It is also possible to rent a (motor) scooter in Cambodia to go sightseeing by yourself. However, we did not opt for this. In Siem Reap, for instance, it is forbidden to do so as a tourist and outside, the police will also often ask you for a bribe even if you have an international driving licence in your pocket. In addition, Cambodia's bigger roads are not very well paved and very busy with speeding cars, buses and big trucks. The smaller roads are often not paved at all, leaving you covered in red dust and driving through potholes.

However... If you fancy an adventure and want to enjoy maximum flexibility and freedom, you can obviously consider this. There are plenty of tourists who do this. Renting a motorbike will often cost you less than $10 a day.

Note: Renting a scooter is one of Thousandtravelmiles's favourite things to do. However, Isa and Timo give you a very important warning. Because in Cambodia you do not rent scooters but motorbikes, which is usually the case in Southeast Asia, you are (probably) not insured for accidents if you do not have a motorbike licence. Check this carefully with your travel insurance.

Explore the world-famous Angkor temple complex. Many know it as Angkor Wat, but that designation is actually wrong as it is the name of only one temple of this immense complex. 

Indeed, this ancient capital of the Khmer kingdom consists of all sorts of structures that were meant to ‘glorify’ the rulers and their religion. We can well imagine that this desired effect was actually achieved, as the structures are still very impressive hundreds of years later. 

You will need at least two days to properly explore the Angkor temples. Longer is of course possible, but after two days you will probably have seen enough temples. Want to know more? Then check out our comprehensive guide to the Angkor temples.

Besides the Angkor temples, there are other sights in Siem Reap worth visiting. For this, we must first briefly explain to you a bit about Cambodia's history. You see, Cambodia suffered a lot at the end of the last century.  

Most impactful has been the rule of the so-called Khmer Rouge. This was a horrific communist regime led by the paranoid Pol Pot. In just four years, between 1975 and 1979, about a quarter of Cambodia's population was massacred to create a peasant state. Intellectuals in particular were murdered, but you actually had to do almost nothing to be caught and executed. You can still find a lot of traces of this past in Cambodia. Just the fact that the population is generally very young.  

Cambodia also suffered from the Vietnam War as many American bombs also landed here. The countryside is still full of unexploded mines and bombs, so never go off a path just yet. 

One place where you can learn more about the consequences of these events is Apopo. This is a training centre for rats that can detect the smell TNT and thus find explosives. You can take a look here to see how the rats are trained. With your visit and possible purchase of souvenirs, you can support Apopo. A guided tour takes 60 minutes, costs $10 and can be done every day from 8:30am to 4:30pm. 

Another special attraction is the Phare Circus, where young people are trained to become circus performers and get a better future. Shows are every evening from 20:00 to 21:00 and tickets start from $18. A real must-see as far as we are concerned! 

Another cool experience is dinner at the Lum Orng Farm to Table restaurant. The restaurant uses local produce and old Cambodian recipes that were banned during Khmer Rouge rule and have therefore been ‘forgotten’ by new generations. It is a fine dining experience so a lot more expensive than other restaurants, but for around $60 per person for 8 courses including matching wines, you have a very special and comprehensive dinner. 

Other than that, it is just super fun to walk around lively Siem Reap. You'll find great shops and restaurants everywhere, often with a social purpose. You can also visit the famous Pub Street visits if you are looking for a cosy evening or want to feast your eyes. End your visit to Siem Reap with a purchase at Artisans Angkor. Here you will find truly the very best handmade souvenirs we have come across so far in Southeast Asia. In case you only want to buy your souvenirs at the end of your trip, don't worry, you can also find those at Artisans Angkor at the airport.   

As far as we are concerned, the main sights in Battambang are the Killing Cave and the bat cave. These two sights can be found near the same mountain called Phnom Sampov.

The Killing Cave has, as the name suggests, a terrible story. Indeed, this is where dead and even living people were thrown through the roof of the cave by the Khmer Rouge regime. Now the cave is a memorial site. As far as we're concerned, even the not so nice things are part of experiencing and understanding a country, should you still prefer to leave it aside, this mountain is still worth a visit as it offers a beautiful view of the rice fields surrounding Battambang.  

The bat cave is also a special place! During sunset, thousands of bats leave the cave here in one big swarm. Really super impressive!

Another special place for a short visit is the Human Gallery. Basque photographer Joseba Etxebarria travelled all over the world by bicycle to take pictures of areas where, for instance, there was a lot of poverty and/or war. A knee injury eventually landed him in Battambang. It really is a very nice gallery to visit and possibly even buy a photo as a souvenir.  

In the town, again, you will find many cosy restaurants. A nice place to eat is Jaan Bai

You can tour Battambang just fine by booking a tuktuk or Remork-Moto each time. Nevertheless, this is precisely a place where we would recommend a guide. We did a tour with Bun And it was really fantastic. You can join him for a whole day for as little as 37 euros (based on two adults). With him (or a colleague as in our case) you will then visit the places mentioned above, but also some special places where you can learn more about the Khmer Rouge period and contemporary local life, such as the market or a rice paddy factory. Highly recommended! 

One of the most popular activities in Battambang is taking a ride on the famous bamboo train. After the devastation of the war, hardly any roads remained, so this creative solution was born to transport both goods and people. Although the reviews of this are not always positive, we would like to mention it.

The funniest thing? If you pass an oncoming car, the little train with the fewest passengers is briefly lifted off the rails, dismantled, and then reassembled to zoom onwards. As you ride, you see the beautiful countryside passing by, with green rice fields and locals bustling about. We skipped this activity ourselves due to so-so somewhat mixed reviews and preference for other activities, but for only $5 per person you can definitely consider the short ride!

Despite Phnom Penh being a fairly modern city, you will also find history here, such as the huge and beautiful royal palace. We didn't go inside it ourselves and also read mixed reviews about it (as you don't seem to be able to see very much once inside the gates), but should you be interested, it's good to know that you can enter here for $10 between 8:00 and 11:00 and between 14:00 and 17:00.

Tip: Make sure you check beforehand what the latest dress code is.  

Other than that, the ‘must sees’ in Phnom Penh are unfortunately not so cheerful, to say the least. Phnom Penh is also truly the capital of atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime. A visit to Tuol Sleng prison and the Killing Fields are the epitome of this. 99% of the inmates of Tuol Sleng prison found death at the Killing Fields.  

Tuol Sleng prison: The prison housed all kinds of people, from teachers to people with glasses (yes really). Today, it is a museum with even an audio guide in Dutch. A visit is possible every day between 8 and 17 and costs $5 without or $10 with audio guide. We can really recommend the latter.

The Killing Fields: The Killing Fields are located just outside the city. There are several such mass graves in Cambodia, but this is the most famous. The official name is Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre and a visit is possible every day from 7:30am to 5:30pm. Admission including an audio guide costs $6. Also note the dress code at both sites, this applies to all memorial sites in Cambodia. 

Tip: Make sure you wear the ‘right’ clothes. Bare knees and shoulders are not appreciated at temples. You are then likely to be banned from entering, although this is reportedly not very actively enforced. 

Despite being officially a city, it feels more like a village. Nevertheless, you have nice restaurants and cafes, especially on the waterfront. It is also possible to take a riverboat trip in the evening. You shouldn't expect too much from it, but for a few dollars it's certainly a funny experience.  

Also in Kampot, we can recommend hiring a local guide. We went with Guide Lim along and thus saw all the highlights of Bokor Hill (officially Preah Monivong Bokor National Park). This is where French settlers used to love to come for some refreshment.

Sights include Bokor Church (an old abandoned church), the Popokvil waterfall (note: in the dry season, this waterfall gets ‘dry’) and the beautiful Sampov Pram Pagoda (a Buddhist structure). From Bokor Hill, you also have a great view of the sea and nearby islands.  

The National Park has a slightly spooky feel to it because of the abandoned colonial buildings and many half-occupied Chinese flat blocks. It is precisely the mystique of this place that makes a visit here so special.  

You can also spend a day (with a guide or independently) visiting the countryside around Kampot. We didn't find the salt plantations that special, but the pepper plantation at La Plantation, on the other hand, definitely is! Not only is it super beautifully located but the French owners ensure that the profits benefit the locals. A tour here is free and can be done every day from 9 to 16 without a reservation. Be sure to order the pepper ice cream, it may sound like a strange combination but believe us it's delicious!  

If you want a very special and luxurious overnight stay you should definitely go to their accommodation watch. You can also eat authentic Cambodian food here or get cooking yourself. A cooking class should be booked a day in advance, takes two hours and costs around 32 euros per person.