Cambodia is inexpensive, straightforward and used to independent travellers. Two things surprise first-time visitors: the currency, and how long road journeys take.
Visas
Most nationalities need a visa. The tourist visa costs 30 US dollars and is available on arrival at the airports and main land borders, or as an e-visa online for a small extra fee, which avoids queues and touts at land crossings. It is valid for 30 days and extendable once. Bring a passport photo and passport validity of six months.
Money
Cambodia effectively uses two currencies at once. Prices are quoted in US dollars, ATMs dispense dollars, and the riel functions as small change at a fixed rate of about 4000 to the dollar — you pay in dollars and receive riel below one dollar. Dollar notes must be clean and untorn or they will be refused. Cards are accepted in hotels and larger restaurants in the cities and nowhere else. There is a 5 dollar ATM fee at most machines.
Getting around
Buses connect all the main towns cheaply; Giant Ibis and Mekong Express are the reliable operators. Phnom Penh to Siem Reap takes six hours by road for around 15 dollars, or 45 minutes by air for considerably more. A new expressway has cut the Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville run to about two hours. Trains run on two lines, slowly and infrequently, but the Phnom Penh to Kampot service is pleasant. In towns, tuk-tuks are booked through the Grab and PassApp applications, which fixes the price and removes the negotiation.
Health
Malaria risk is low and confined to remote forested areas near the borders, but dengue is present nationwide and mosquito precautions matter day and night. Recommended vaccinations are hepatitis A, typhoid and tetanus. Do not drink tap water. Medical facilities outside Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are limited, and serious cases are evacuated to Bangkok, so insurance covering that is important.
Landmines
Cambodia remains one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, with several million items of unexploded ordnance still in the ground, concentrated along the Thai border. Casualties continue every year. Never walk off marked paths or into fields in rural areas, and do not touch metal objects on the ground.
Etiquette and safety
Dress modestly at temples, with shoulders and knees covered; remove shoes and hats before entering. Do not touch anyone on the head. Greet with the sampeah, palms together. Petty theft and bag snatching from motorbikes is the main urban risk. Never give money to child beggars and do not visit orphanages; both sustain an industry that harms children.