Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Money & Banking
When we arrived in Cambodia, we were surprised to discover that, while the national cur-
rencyistheriel,almosteverytransactionisconductedinU.S.dollars.Thevalueofthedollar
translates into approximately 4,000 riel and there are no coins, so your wallet will be lighter
in weight, but you'll probably carry around lots of paper currency. The smallest note is the
100 riel, which translates into approximately 2.5 cents and we use it mostly for beggars and
tipping.
Make sure to always carry a wad of single dollar bills since you'll need them constantly. It
always amazes me that tuktuk drivers never have change so you'll need to have single dol-
lars to pay them. Many small shops or hang bais (small restaurants or roadside stands) can't
break large bills, and you'll often get change in riel if you're shopping in a local market.
Until 2006, there were no ATMs in Cambodia. However, there are now banks and ATMs
everywhere, except for some of the smaller towns and rural areas. The large banks include
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