Cambodia: 5 Things You Might Not Have Known
Cambodia was full of surprises for me and John. Before we left for our trip, we did a bit of research, but of course, no matter how much you research, you’ll never truly know what a place is like until you go there! I’ve put together a list of five things that you might not know about Cambodia before you go:
1. They accept US Dollar: One thing we knew going into our trip was that USD was accepted all over Siem Reap. All the menus, price tags, and signs outside showed the prices in USD, so I felt like it was preferred. Before we left the US, John took out a bunch of 1 dollar and 5 dollar bills from the bank for us to use in Cambodia. It was so perfect and we HIGHLY recommend doing this! In Siem Reap, everything was primarily $1-$5 so it was so easy to pay for everything. Having the small bills made it easy to pay and avoided the hassle of getting change back in Cambodian currency. Especially if you're at Angkor Wat or any temple outside of the city, avoid using the big US bills because it can be an ordeal to get change.
2. Transportation is cheap and easy: There’s no Ubers in Cambodia but they have the next best thing: Tuk Tuks.
Drivers are abundant in all the touristy areas, and even where they aren’t, all you have to do it head to a main road and you are bound to see a few tuk tuks that you can wave down. They offer rides all over the city for just a few dollars! Talk about convenience! Our hotel was a little out of the city, but offered a service in which they would order us a Tuk Tuk anytime we needed! Getting to ride in the tuk tuks all the time was a fantastic way to see the city. We would just kick our feet up and relax! Taking in the views of the city and temples was much more enjoyable in the open-air seats of the tuk tuk!
3. A lot of people speak English: Whenever you travel somewhere new, the language barrier is always something that can potentially be an issue. In Siem Reap, I was so surprised at the amount of people that spoke English. We never had a problem communicating with anyone whether it was buying souvenirs or ordering food. The tuk tuk drivers were especially talkative and loved asking us questions! It was interesting to hear their stories and about life in Cambodia. Hearing their stories about other travelers they drive around was really funny too! They all seem to have ample funny stories about drunk tourists acting crazy so be sure to ask your driver if you want some entertainment while you ride.
4. Eating out is SUPER affordable: In other countries, especially European countries, it’s expensive to eat out. But in Cambodia, you can eat like a KING and you won’t break the bank.
Like I mentioned earlier, everything is around $5 so you can order appetizers, entrées and drinks for no more than $5-10. Drinking is super cheap too and bars sell beer for just 50 cents! I’ll be posting another article that is just about Cambodian food and will include some of our favorite restaurants and bars.
5. There’s GREAT night life: When you think about party countries, the top of the list is usually Thailand or Hong Kong. But I was really surprised at the nightlife in Siem Reap! The main center of town is called Pub Street and there are so many different restaurants and bars all around Pub Street! There are different side streets off of Pub Street that are full of unique restaurants and smaller bars.
Walking around at night is a really different vibe than walking during the daytime. The streets are full of other tourists and lit up with string lights. There definitely wasn’t a shortage of places to party and it seemed like Pub Street had bars for any vibe. From fancy rooftops bars, to loud techno clubs, to chill bars in treehouses—Pub Street had it all!
I hope that this list gives you a little insight into what Cambodia is like! After reading about these five things, I hope it makes you consider traveling to Siem Reap! If you’re planning a trip to Asia, I think that Cambodia would make a great addition to your travels!