When people talk about Cambodia they probably instantly name up Angkor Wat. All tough visiting the temples of Angkor should be on the top of your list when travelling to Cambodia, there is so much more to explore in this authentic country.
We loved the diversity that it brings, name it and Cambodia will deliver. Jungle, beaches, culture, temples, islands to relax or party and lovely countryside. In 18 days we managed to enjoy all those lovely things.
In this guide, we hope to help you enjoy authentic Cambodia just as we did.
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Where to start?
When planning your Cambodia itinerary, it’s good to know where you wanna start.
Our adventures through Cambodia started off in Siem Reap. In our case, a ticket to Bangkok was way cheaper than a flight directly to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh. So we choose to have a 2-day city trip in Bangkok before heading to Siem Reap with AirAsia. To see how we spent our 48 hours in Bangkok click here. In this Cambodia itinerary, we show you which places we visited and tell you all about our favourite sites.
BTW don’t forget to bring some dollars, when entering Cambodia you have to pay $20 for a 30-day visa. Also, keep in mind that you need some extra passport photographs for your visa and Angkor pass.
Travelling through Cambodia by public transport
Going from place to place in Cambodia is best done by bus. We used Camboticket to get our tickets for the bus, ferry or taxi. With the code CTAPP, you can get 10% off when booking tickets with their app. Another easy option is that you can get your tickets at almost any hotel or hostel. If that isn’t the case try visiting a Mekong Express office nearby or book online.
It can happen that they sell too many tickets and if that’s the case the bus can be really packed. Also, keep in mind that your bus driver usually tries to drop you off at the edge of the city centre, it looks like they are working together with the tuk-tuk drivers. They usually drop you at a place where you pay way too much for short-distance tuk-tuk rides. We used an app called Maps.me to pin a marker at the place where the bus driver should have dropped us. So when they were planning to drop us at the wrong place, we could show them the bus station. This app is a perfect offline alternative to Google Maps.
For short distances in the cities or just outside of them, a tuk-tuk is perfect. The price can vary between $1 to $3, never pay more. And don’t get fooled by the trick that the price is per person instead of per tuk-tuk. And always try to get a deal, it’s really common to do this in Cambodia.
Accommodation | Where to stay in Cambodia
When travelling through Cambodia there are enough options to get accommodation. We booked our accommodation one day in advance and that worked out pretty well. It gives you a lot of freedom and opportunities to change your itinerary. We always use booking.com and if you use this link you get a $15 discount. In some cases, you can even cancel your booking, if done on time, without being charged.
My 3-week Cambodia itinerary | Day-to-day overview
Day 1 – 4 | Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Wat
When travellers talk about Siem Reap they see it as a starting point to visit the world’s largest religious monument named Angkor Wat. If you are thinking about visiting Angkor and we know you do! You can have a look at our Temple running guide below. Besides the temples of Angkor, Siem Reap is a place rich in culture and history. It’s easy to spend 3 to 4 days here, including your visit to the temples. Enjoy the many lovely restaurants, and the exciting nightlife and have a visit to the night market. If you take Siem Reap as a home base you can take a trip to, Phnom Kulen also known as the ‘‘Mountain of Lychees’’. It’s one of the best waterfalls in Cambodia and totally worth a visit.
Joining a day tour from Siem reap to Angkor is easy and includes a visit during sunrise. For prices and availability check here.
Day 5 – 6 | Battambang, Cambodia’s underrated gem
The city that’s most famous for its Bamboo train. Driving through the rice fields with a traditional train is a fun thing to do. You can combine it with a visit to the killing caves of Phnom Sampeau which was used as an execution site. During the Red Khmer regime, they used this cave to kill their victims and threw the bodies into the cave afterwards. On the other side of the tragic cave, you have the Bat Cave. Every day around sunset thousands of bats leave the cave, an amazing show by Mother Nature. In the city centre of Battambang, you can see the French colonial influences. You can say that Battambang has something special, although there isn’t much to do in the city, the cosy restaurants and laid-back cafes make it worth your stay. We really enjoyed eating tapas at The Lonely Tree Cafe or getting lunch at About The World.
Transit | Sihanoukville
Once a sleepy beach town but it’s rapidly transforming due to Chinese investments, Sihanoukville has now, sadly, become a gambler’s paradise, with casinos popping up on just about every corner.
Not our favourite town, but that was no problem for us. We went straight to the ferry that brought us to Koh Rong. Sihanoukville is the best-known harbour city and you have to go here when you are going to visit Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem.
Day 7 – 11 | Koh Rong, Cambodia’s island paradise
If you like to have some time off at the white beaches or take a relaxing swim in the clear blue sea. Koh Rong is your place to go. When on the island you can choose to stay on the busy side to visit the bars and go partying. Or just pick a quiet beach on the other side of the island. We really liked our stay on the island and planned it in the middle of our itinerary. We even stayed a few days longer than planned.
Day 12 – 14 | Kampot, Cambodia’s scenic riverside town
Kampot is a small city on the coast with a lovely relaxing vibe. One of the charms of Kampot is that life feels slow over here. We ended up staying there a bit longer because of the nice atmosphere and good restaurants. We had some awesome Khmer food at Rikitikitava and enjoyed some good burgers at Pepe and the Viking. A must-do when in Kampot is driving to the top of Bokor Hill, you can easily rent a motorbike and explore the mountain by yourself. On top of the 1,080 meters high mountain, you have a viewpoint that gives you the most amazing views of the region. Take a visit to the famous Catholic Church or just restored Bokor Hill Hotel, which is now a hotel. If you own a drone you should definitely take it with you to the top, the bird-eye view is just mesmerizing!
Day 15 – 16 | Kep, an authentic local town
If you love seafood make your way to Kep. This small coastal city is well known for its ‘’Crab Market’’. You can easily spend a day in Kep to rent a motorbike and explore the surrounding countryside. Take a look at La Plantation which is one of Cambodia’s famous pepper plantations. They provide you with a free guided tour and let you taste all different kinds of peppers. The dusty road brings you through local villages and lovely rice fields and you can even have a stop at Kampot’s “Secret Lake”.
Day 17 – 18 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s energetic capital
The capital of Cambodia is really overwhelming and definitely not our favourite place in Cambodia. But if you don’t know anything about what happened during the Khmer Rouge regime, then this is where you should go. Have a visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and take a look at the tragic Killing Fields just outside of Phnom Penh. Keep in mind that visiting those places can be shocking and may need some time to settle. If you want to see some other cultural things in Phnom Penh pay a visit at What Preah Keo better known as The Silver Pagoda. Or maybe even try a traditional Khmer cooking lesson. At night you can have dinner or a drink at one of the many restaurants or rooftop bars.
Stay safe in Cambodia | Travel insurance
Though Cambodia is perfectly safe for travellers, I always strive to sort out my travel insurance before arriving in a foreign country, and I highly advise anyone else to do the same.
Where we prefer that everything goes smoothly during our travels, something unfortunate can happen at any moment, whether it’s an injury or an accident on the road. When that happens, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Heymondo | Whether you’re going on a 3-week backpacking trip, or planning a long stay somewhere abroad, Heymondo has excellent insurance options either way – plus full covid-19 coverage and a handy app with 24-hour medical assistance. Readers of WTSW receive 5% off any insurance policy, more information here.
World Nomads | If you’re an adventure seeker, backpacker, or planning your once-in-a-lifetime world trip, make sure you check out World Nomads, they designed the perfect travel insurance to help you travel safer and smarter. Do note that they’re not covering covid-19 related claims.
Some gorgeous photos and a really good itinerary! I wish I had longer when I visited Cambodia so I could see more of the places you listed here! Guess I’ll just have to come back again, what a shame! Great post!