Cambodia - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 571

SURVIVAL GUIDE
Directory A-Z
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation is great value in Cambodia, just like the rest of the Mekong region. In
popular tourist destinations, budget guesthouses generally charge US$5 to US$8 for a room
with a cold-water bathroom. Double rooms go as low as US$3 for a room with shared facil-
ities. Dorm beds usually cost US$2 to US$3. Rooms with air-con start at US$10. Spend
US$15 or US$20 and you'll be living in style. Spend US$30 and up and we're talking
boutique quality with a swimming pool. At the top end you can spend several hundred dol-
lars a night on international-standard luxury digs in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.
Accommodation is busiest from mid-November to March. There are substantial low-sea-
son (May to October) rates available at major hotels in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihan-
oukville (although you can only discount a US$5 room so much).
Homestays, often part of a community-based ecotourism project, are a good way to meet
the local people and learn about Cambodian life. The Cambodia Community Based Ecotourism
Network (CCBEN; www.ccben.org ) has information on various ecotourism opportunities in
Cambodia.
Price Ranges
The following price ranges refer to the cheapest double room on offer, with or without a
bathroom, in the high season.
$ less than 79,100r (US$20)
$$ 79,100r to 316,400r (US$20 to US$80)
$$$ more than 316,400r (US$80)
ACTIVITIES
Cambodia is steadily emerging as an ecotourism destination. Activities on offer include:
» Rainforest trekking in Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri and the Cardamom Mountains of the south
coast
» Elephant treks or walking with elephants in Mondulkiri
» Scuba diving and snorkelling near Sihanoukville