Cambodia: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Cambodia feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 79 written places.
Gentle smiles carry deep history; the sampeah greeting sets the register.
✓ Considered polite
- Return the sampeah - palms together, higher for elders and monks
- Dress properly at Angkor: covered shoulders and knees are enforced at upper levels
- Sunrise at Angkor once, then explore the quiet outer temples all day
- Carry small US dollar bills - dollars and riel circulate together
✗ Better avoided
- Touch monks if you are a woman, or hand them things directly
- Photograph monks without asking
- Give money or sweets to begging children - NGOs advise firmly against it
- Discuss recent history casually - let locals lead if they wish
Worth knowing
- US dollars work everywhere; torn notes are refused - keep bills crisp
- Tipping is not traditional but a dollar means much
- Tuk-tuk hailing apps exist in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap
- Angkor passes are timed and photographed - buy official only
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.