Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
While there's no need to change dollars into riel, if
you need to
change currency
you can head to a
bank - there will also be one or two
money-
changers
around most markets in the country. Thai
baht, pounds sterling and euros are all widely
accepted for exchange, although other currencies
may not be, especially outside larger cities and
tourist centres. Check your money carefully before
leaving and feel free to reject any notes in particu-
larly dire condition, especially larger-denomination
dollar bills with tears or blemishes.
Banking hours
are generally Monday to Friday
8.30am to 3.30pm (often also Sat 8.30-11.30am).
MONEY ON ARRIVAL
There are ATMs at both Phnom Penh and
Siem Reap international airports and in
the border areas at Poipet, Bavet and Koh
Kong, so you can get US$ cash as soon as
you
arrive in Cambodia
. Note also that
unless you have obtained a
Cambodian
visa
in advance, you'll need $20 in cash
to buy one on arrival.
in US dollars or riel, though you might end up
paying fractionally more.
Bargaining
Prices at upmarket hotels, shops, food stalls, cafés
and restaurants are fixed, as are fares for flights, bus
journeys and boat trips. However, when shopping
in markets, taking motos, tuk-tuks or cyclos,
bargaining
is expected. Prices in more
downmarket hotels can often be negotiated as
well, especially if you're going to be staying for a
few nights or longer.
Opening hours and public
holidays
Key
tourist sights
, such as the National Museum,
the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and Toul Sleng
Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, are open every
day including most public holidays. The temples at
Angkor, Tonle Bati and Sambor Prei Kuk and the
country's national parks are open daily from dawn
to dusk.
Markets
open daily from around 6am until
5pm,
shops
between 7am and 7pm (or until
9/10pm in tourist areas). The main
post o
ce
in
Phnom Penh is open from 7.30am to 5pm Monday
to Friday, 7.30am to 11am on Saturday. In the
provinces, post o
ce hours tend to be 8am to
11am and 2pm to 5.30pm (earlier on Saturday),
with some, in Siem Reap, for example, open on
Sunday.
Banks
tend to open Monday to Friday from
8.30am to 3.30pm, and sometimes on Saturday as
well, between 8.30am and 11.30am.
Accessing your money
All large (and an increasing number of smaller)
Cambodian towns now have
ATMs
accepting
foreign cards and dispensing US dollars. The two
main networks are those belonging to
Canadia
Bank
(which accept both Visa and MasterCard) and
Acleda Bank
(pronounced
A-See-Lay-Dah
, which
accept Visa only). Canadia Bank ATMs won't charge
you a commission fee to withdraw money -
although you'll still be charged by your card issuer
back home - while Acleda and other banks
generally charge $4-5 on top of whatever fees are
levied by your card provider.
An increasing number of places accept
credit
cards
, typically mid- and upper-range hotels and
Western-oriented restaurants and shops in bigger
towns and cities. You may be charged a surcharge
(around five percent) if paying by card, however.
Most banks also change
travellers' cheques
,
usually for a two-percent commission; travellers'
cheques in currencies other than dollars are
sometimes viewed with suspicion and may be
rejected. You can also get
cash advances
on Visa
and MasterCard at some banks and exchange
bureaux (including the Canadia, ANZ and Acleda
banks - although the last accepts Visa only). It's also
possible to have money
wired from home
. The
Acleda Bank handles Western Union transfers, while
the Canadia Bank is the agent for Moneygram. Fees,
needless to say, can be steep.
Public holidays
Dates for Buddhist religious
holidays
are variable,
changing each year with the lunar calendar. Any
public holidays that fall on a Saturday or Sunday are
taken the following Monday.
Note that public holidays are often “stretched” by
a day or so, particularly at Khmer New Year, Bonn
Pchum Ben and for the Water Festival.
CALENDAR OF PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
January 1
International New Year's Day
January 7
Victory Day, celebrating the liberation of Phnom Penh
from the Khmer Rouge in 1979
February (variable)
Meak Mochea, celebrating Buddhist
teachings and precepts
March 8
International Women's Day
April 13/14 (variable)
Bonn Chaul Chhnam (Khmer New Year)
April/May (variable)
Visaka Bochea, celebrating the birth,
enlightenment and passing into nirvana of the Buddha
