Cambodia Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

South-East Asia.

Language

Khmer is the official language and spoken by 95% of the population. Chinese and Vietnamese are also spoken. French was widely spoken until the arrival of the Pol Pot regime and is still taught in schools, although English is now similarly popular among younger generations.

Area

181,035 sq km (69,900 sq miles).

Time Zone

GMT + 7.

Electricity

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Two-pin plugs are in use. Power cuts are frequent.

Population

14.2 million (2008).

Population Density

81.7 per sq km.

Capital City

Phnom Penh. Population: 2 million (2007).

Government

Constitutional monarchy since 1993.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Hun Sen since 1985.

Head of State

King Norodom Sihamoni since 2004.

Religion

95% Buddhist (Theravada), the remainder Muslim and Christian. Buddhism was reinstated as the national religion in 1989 after a ban on religious activity in 1975.

Recent History

The golden era of the Khmer dynasty, from the 9th to the 15th centuries, made the kingdom of Kambuja (from where modern-day Cambodia gets its name) one of the most powerful in Asia. A long period of decline followed, before the country fell under French colonial clutches in the 1800s.

Independence was finally achieved in 1953, after which Norodom Sihanouk was appointed king. His first reign lasted until the 1970s, when a coup d’etat and the Khmer Rouge led to years of repression and the execution of tens of thousands. Following a period of Vietnamese occupation, Sihanouk returned to the throne in 1993. His son, the current monarch, took over following his father’s abdication in 2004. Politically, Hun Sen and the extreme-left Cambodian People’s Party have been in power since a disputed election in 1998.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +855. Prepaid telephone cards are available in post offices, hotels and shops for public phones around Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with many international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good in major towns and cities and patchy elsewhere.

Internet

Available in most areas. Internet cafes are available in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and all other major towns.

Media

Much of Cambodia's media depends on support from political parties. Press freedom is not guaranteed, but Prime Minister Hun Sen has declared his public support for press freedom. There are no restrictions on satellite dish ownership, and neighboring foreign radio broadcasts are easily received. Newspapers The Cambodia Daily and The Phnom Penh Post (fortnightly) and are printed in English. National Television Kampuchea (TVK) is a state broadcaster, while Aspara TV and TV3 are commercial stations, and CTN, CTV9, Bayon TV and TV5 are private broadcasters. National Radio Kampuchea (RNK) is a state broadcaster; FM 95 (operated by Bayon Radio and TV News Agency), Radio FM 97 (operated by Aspara Radio and TV Radio) and Radio FM 103 are all commercial broadcasters.

Post

Airmail to Europe takes at least a week, and longer to the USA. The main post office in Phnom Penh is located on the western side of 13 Street between 98 Street and 102 Street, open 0630-2100.Generally Mon-Fri 0730/0800-1700/1730, sometimes closed for lunch.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
10 Dec Human Rights Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
7 Jan Victory Day
19 Jan Meak Bochea Day
8 Mar Women’s Day
14 Apr - 16 Apr Cambodian New Year
17 Apr Visaka Buja Day (Birth of Buddha)
1 May Labor Day
2 May Royal Ploughing Day Ceremony
15 May King Sihamoni’s Birthday
18 Jun Former Queen’s Birthday
24 Sep Constitution Day
26 Sep - 28 Sep Pchum Ben Day
29 Oct Coronation Day
31 Oct Former King Sihanouk’s Birthday
9 Nov Independence Day
10 Nov - 12 Nov Water Festival
10 Dec Human Rights Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
7 Jan Victory Day
19 Jan * Meak Bochea Day
8 Mar Women’s Day
14 Apr - 16 Apr Cambodian New Year
27 Apr Visaka Buja Day (Birth of Buddha)
1 May *Royal Ploughing Day Ceremony
1 May Labor Day
15 May King Sihamoni’s Birthday
18 Jun Former Queen’s Birthday
24 Sep Constitution Day
25 Sep *Pchum Ben Day
29 Oct Coronation Day
31 Oct Former King Sihanouk’s Birthday
9 Nov Independence Day
10 Nov * Water Festival
10 Dec Human Rights Day
* The religious festivals are determined by the Buddhist lunar calendar and are therefore variable. Public holidays falling on a Saturday or Sunday are carried forward to the following working day.

Contact Information

British Embassy in Cambodia

27-29 Street 75, Sangkat Srah Chak, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh
Tel: (855) (0)23 427124
Website: www.ukincambodia.fco.gov.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0830-1130, 1300-1530; Fri 0830-1200.

Royal Embassy of Cambodia in the UK

64 Brondesbury Park, Willesden Green, London, NW6 7AT
Tel: (020) 8451 7850.
Website: www.cambodianembassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1230 (visa section).

Royal Embassy of Cambodia in the USA

4530 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, USA
Tel: (202) 726 7742.
Website: www.embassyofcambodia.org

Ministry of Tourism

3 Monivong Boulevard, Phnom Penh 12258, Cambodia
Tel: (23) 211 593 or 213 741.
Website: www.mot.gov.kh