16 Magical Budget Friendly Days in Cambodia

While we continue to explore Portugal and build up our list of recommendations, we want to share with you one of our favorite experiences while traveling through Southeast Asia......Cambodia!

When considering a destination vacation with culture, history, and a bit tropical paradise thrown in, the thought of visiting Cambodia had never really crossed my mind. It had been high on Kandace’s travel list for a while, and after spending a couple of weeks there, I understood why.  From the tranquil waters of Koh Rong Sanloem to the awe-inspiring grandeur of the ancient temples at Angkor Park, Cambodia unveiled its mesmerizing charm before our eyes. At every corner, we discovered a new adventure, immersing ourselves in the captivating allure of this vibrant land. For anyone contemplating a journey through Southeast Asia, Cambodia is a must-visit destination deserving of a prominent place on the itinerary. Read on to learn more about our travels through this fascinating country.

Cambodian Currency:

When it comes to budget friendly travel experiences, you really can’t go wrong with any country you choose in Southeast Asia. Although affordable, we should point out that Cambodia was on the higher cost end of the 4 countries we visited.  There could be many reasons for this, but it’s most likely due to inflation and the dollarization of the country.  During the Khmer Rouge (1975-1980), which we will touch on later, the country had no monetary system. Then in the early 80’s the Cambodian riel was reintroduced, however, it was the heavy use of the US dollar by the United Nations humanitarian aid that helped stabilize their economy and solidify the dollar as a secondary currency for commercial transactions.  Although most credit cards and forms of digital payments are accepted, it’s always a good idea to bring US currency with you when traveling through Cambodia. We also learned that any bills that have creases, tears, or any other type of blemish won’t be accepted, so make sure any bills you take (or get as change) are in perfect condition. Lastly, note that Cambodia is phasing out smaller US bills so any transactions under $10 must be made in riel and any change under $10 will also be in riel.  When preparing your budget, bring US currency and if you need riel, get it as change rather than at an ATM or bank as it will be a better exchange rate.

Similar to our posts for Vietnam and the Philippines, we have broken down our budget into the following categories:

Hotel

Excursions

Food/Drink

Transportation

Miscellaneous

Hotel

Poolside Villa Hostel, City Center, Phnom Penh: 4 nights ($20/night)

From the Phnom Penh airport, we took a 45 minute $10 tuk-tuk ride to our hotel.  Poolside Villa has a fun and lively atmosphere with a bar/restaurant, high top tables, lounge chairs and a swimming pool in the lobby.  Our room was a bit cramped with a support beam awkwardly placed right next to the bed, and the only window in the room faced the hallway offering little in terms of privacy, but the price was right, it was close to bars and restaurants, and it was within walking distance to most of the things we wanted to see.  One of the services provided at reception is booking excursions and bus trips to other parts of the country and with our next destination being Koh Rong, it was super convenient to have them book our bus ride to Sihnoukville ($15 each).  In the morning when we checked out, there was a van waiting to take us to the bus station where we took a 3-hour bus ride to the southern coast of Cambodia.

Sol Beach Resort, Koh Rong Sanloem: 3 nights ($113.78/night)

After an early departure from Phnom Penh, we arrived at the bus station in Sihnoukville.  From there, we had to negotiate with taxi drivers, van companies and tuk-tuk drivers to get us to the marina so we could buy a ticket on the ferry which would eventually get us to Koh Rong Sanloem. Safety alert We were warned that Sihnoukville is not a very safe city, especially at night. The rule of thumb is to arrive early enough to catch the ferry the same day rather than having to spend the night, as the popular gambling city has been known for muggings and robberies. 

Once we arrived at the pier on the island, we were greeted by a couple of employees from our hotel. Typically, they would taxi guests by longtail boat, but the waters were too rough that day, so we took a short walk with them along the beach as they carried our bags to reception. All along the coast you will find accommodations suitable for any budget level from fancy resorts to social hostels.  Sol Beach Resort falls middle of the road on the cost spectrum, and we enjoyed a private bungalow raised up on stilts with a king bed, large balcony, and ocean views.

As far as activities on the island go, the most common tend to be drinking, relaxing, and taking a hike over to Lazy Beach for a dip in the ocean and lunch at Lazy Beach Bar.  Check out our Lazy Beach experience HERE.

Den Hotel Totonou, Siem Reap: 3 nights ($23/night)

Our final, and arguably most memorable stop was Siem Reap.  We opted to take an overnight bus ride from Sihnoukville to Siem Reap on the Giant Ibis ($29 each) which took about 10 hours.  We crammed into a small cubby with our backpacks with barely enough room to stretch out our legs.  In hindsight, we should have booked a cubby for each of us vs. sharing one, as the ride would have been much more comfortable and we would have gotten a better nights rest.

Since we were arriving in Siem Reap early in the morning, we decided to book our hotel for the same night we took the bus so we could check in when we got there.  We got in at 9am, so it was nice to be able to go straight to our room and get some much-needed rest as soon as we checked in. The Den Hotel was a perfect spot to visit Pub Street, local markets, and retail stores. We also stumbled upon an incredible coffee shop called The Source Café which had amazing food and coffee!

Grand Venus, Siem Reap: 3 nights ($38.34/night)

The main purpose for visiting Siem Reap was to visit the ancient temples and with this in mind, we decided to move to the Grand Venus hotel which is only a 10-minute drive to Angkor Wat.  Here we had a king size bed, huge room, nice shower, and a balcony overlooking the pool.  Super nice hotel room that would easily run $300 - $400 per night in the states, so $38 seemed like a steal!

Bliss Angkor, Siem Reap: 3 nights ($40/night)

For our final 3 nights in Cambodia, we stayed in the exquisite Bliss Angkor hotel. Once again, we had a nice large room overlooking the pool, a king bed, and spa like bathroom – we literally felt like we were living the life of luxury on a peasant’s budget. The hotel staff at all three of the hotels were warm, friendly, and helpful.  Another plus is that there is virtually no communication barrier as everyone speaks English.

Excursions

National Museum of Cambodia: $10 per person

If you are looking for something interesting to do while exploring Phnom Penh, a quick visit to the National Museum of Cambodia is a perfect way to take a step into the cultural heritage and artistic splendor of the Cambodian people.  The serene courtyards and lush gardens surround an exquisite red building adorned by incredible detail. Once you step inside you will find each room filled with a treasure trove of ancient artifacts, including majestic stone sculptures, exquisite ceramics, and intricate bronze artifacts. We were fascinated by everything from the Angkorian deities to the craftsmanship of traditional Khmer textiles and we are sure you will be too!

Killing Fields: $6 per person

Our visit to Cambodia was an opportunity to learn more about its history and little did we know that it would leave us both stunned, saddened, and in complete awe.  From the recent history of the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields to the ancient temples of Angkor Park, we left with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the country and its people.  Our first excursion was visiting one of the many killing fields near Phnom Penh that serve as a grim reminder of a violent and sad period of Cambodia’s past.  Imagine for a moment that your life is about to go from having a career, owning a home and a couple of cars, enjoying time with your family and loved ones, to being stripped of everything you own, separated from your family, forced to work in fields and being told that money and possessions no longer hold any value.  In a nutshell this is exactly what happened during the Khmer Rough uprising.  The government was overthrown, and anyone associated with law enforcement, government, and high value jobs like doctors etc. were executed.  The Killing Fields were essentially mass graves where anyone who was against the Khmer Rouge were sent to be disposed of. From 1975-1980 hundreds of thousands of Cambodians were killed by their own people and dumped into mass graves.  Fortunately, the people who lived through the horror were able to tell their stories to the rest of the world.  After visiting the Killing Fields, we bought two books to help us better understand this sad time in Cambodian history.  The first was “Stay Alive, My Son” written by Pin Yathay. An incredible story about perseverance, wit, courage, and the will to live, published with the intent that Pin would be reunited with his son.  The second book which has been made into a movie was “First They Killed My Father” a riveting memoir written by Loung Ung who was a childhood survivor of the Cambodian genocide.

Khmer Cooking Class at a Locals Home: $29 per person

Not only does food play an important role in our lives, it’s also a huge part of immersing ourselves in the culture of any area we visit.  One way for us to take our food experience to the next level was through a cooking class we signed up for in Siem Reap.  The “Khmer Cooking Class at a Locals Home” was a fun and unique experience that lived up to its 415 five-star reviews on Google! With that many reviews it’s almost impossible to find any business with every single review getting a 5-star rating from customers, so that alone should tell you it’s an incredible and worthwhile experience.  The day started with our host taking us to a small market where we bought fish and produce from the local merchants.  We were then escorted to the Khmer Cooking Class kitchen where we picked mushrooms and herbs from their garden, learned about Cambodian cuisine, and then the fun began.  Our hosts explained the menu, set us up at a cooking station and gave us step by step instruction on how to make each dish.  The food was amazing, and the experience was unforgettable. Check out our full experience video HERE

Angkor Archaeological Park: $62 per person (3-day pass)

A trip to Angkor Park is like a journey back in time and it was one of the top experiences not just on this trip, but in our entire lives!

Before we entered the park, we needed to buy tickets, so we had a tuk tuk take us to the ticket office just outside the gate. We purchased a 3-day pass for $62 each and negotiated with our tuk tuk driver to be our private guide for $20 a day. We wanted our first experience to be Angkor Wat at sunrise, so we got our passes the day before and had our driver meet us at 5am the next morning.

Angkor Wat is the most famous temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia, but each temple offers a unique and awe-inspiring experience. From the magical faces of Bayon to the nature-reclaimed Ta Prohm, we were blown away by the incredible detailed and intricate carvings, the mathematical precision of the layout, and the sheer scale of each meticulously placed stone. To put it into perspective the construction of the temples is akin to the ancient pyramids of Egypt making us question why they are not considered one of the 7 wonders of the world. Check out our Temple tour video HERE

Visiting the temples was fascinating but what had us even more captivated was interacting with the monkeys (Kandace’s favorite part of the trip!).  We had so much fun playing with the little rascals and enjoyed their curiosity and playful nature. Even the sneaky duo who unzipped Kandace’s backpack to steal a package of trail mix had us in stitches.  Not all of the monkeys are approachable, and some can be mean, nasty, and will bite, but we found the most friendly and playful were at the Bayon temple.  Check out our monkey business video HERE.

Open Markets: Free

No trip to Cambodia is complete until you visit one of the open markets. Once inside, you will find yourself getting lost in a maze of isles filled with clothing, jewelery, souvineers, and everything inbetween. On top of that, there are authentic produce, meat, and egg booths where locals and tourists can find bargain prices to make home made meals. We even took part in a novelty snack by eating a fried spider!

Food/Drink

Here is a list of our most favorite food and drink experiences in Cambodia:

Element - Excellent vegetarian restaurant in Phonm Penh

Elia Greek Kitchen - Fantastic Greek food in Siem Reap

Chubby Gonzo’s – Bring from California, it's tough to find good Mexican food when we travel, and Chubby Gonzo's did not disappoint - the tacos were top notch!

The Source Cafe - The Source was a few doors down from our hotel. Convenient location and the coffee and food was amazing.

Scribe Bar at FCC Angkor - Amazing outdoor bar with delicious craft cocktails and relaxing atmosphere.

Chanrey Tree - One of the best authentic Cambodian food experiences we enjoyed in Siem Reap. Check out their website and reviews, they speak for themselves!

Urban Tree Hut - The ambiance here is just as good as the food. The outside area offers semi private booth seating perfect for date night!

White Rabbit - Super unique bar with craft cocktails, speakeasy-esque ambiance, and an interesting story about a wite rabbit. A bit on the pricey side but a fun date night experience.

Temple - The Phenom Penh location has amazing ambiance, architecure, and interior design. Great place to enjoy a coffee, tea, or bite to eat!

Pub Street - Lively street lined with bars and restaurants with cheap beers and cocktails. Perfect way to end the day after exploring Angkor park!

Scribe (Drinks)

Transportation

Even though we logged over 20,000 steps per day, we had our fair share of Tuk-tuk rides to get us to and from the airport and around town when needed. They are much easier to work with, more affordable, and more convenient than a traditional cab so it became our preferred means of transportation.  There’s also a lot of competition among drivers, so repeat business is a way to insure a good stream of income for the tuk-tuk owner.  Be aware that drivers tend to be very pushy and will try to be your exclusive driver during your stay by getting your WhatsApp etc.  We found that it was more convenient for us to just flag one down rather than working with just one driver as they weren’t always available when we needed them, and they can be unreliable.  The only time we hired the same driver was for our tours through Angkor Wat.  We had a three-day pass to see the temples, and it was helpful to have the same driver pick us up at our hotel and drive us around all day. The daily cost was only $20, which was an incredible bargain. For the most part the drivers were friendly, and the rides were rarely more than $3 per trip!

Total Cost Breakdown:

Hotel: $724

Excursions: $270

Food/Drink: $856

Transportation: $295

Misc: $210

Total Spend: $2,355

Average Spend per day: $147.19

Average Spend Per Person: $73.60

Highlights/Takeaways:

• Siem Reap, the ancient temples, (and of course the monkeys) was the top experience. So much to explore there and it's the main reason we will return to Cambodia.

• It was cool to see Phnom Penh, but one visit to the capitol city was enough for us.

• The food is excellent, especially Fish Amok!

• Visiting the fish / produce markets is an experience like no other and is a must see.

• One of the best ways to experience a country's culture is through food. We highly recommend attending a cooking class for a immersive experience!

Until next time

-Life Beyond the Leap Crew!