The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website is a good source of health information for travelers.

You should be up to date on routine vaccinations while traveling to any destination. Please be advised that high-standard medical care is not available in the more remote areas of Cambodia. Please ensure that we are aware of any physical disability or frequent, ongoing medical requirements. Sightseeing may require, at minimum, the ability to walk at a moderate pace for a mile or two and the balance and agility necessary to climb stairs, enter and exit buses and boats, and navigate uneven or cobble-stoned streets. Some sightseeing stops do not have elevators or wheelchair access. Bring medications in their original, clearly labeled containers. A signed and dated letter from your physician describing your med­ical conditions and medications, including generic names, is also a good idea. If carrying syringes or needles, have a physician’s letter documenting their medical necessity. When on vacation, it is always wise to watch what you eat and drink, but please do not drink tap water while traveling in Cambodia. Most hotels will provide complimentary bottled water; additional bottled water can be purchased throughout your trip.

Cambodia’s unit of currency is the Riel, available in the following denominations: Banknotes: 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 riel; Coins: 50, 100, 200, 500 riel. The US dollar remains king in Cambodia. Armed with enough cash, you won’t need to visit a bank because it is possible to change small amounts of dollars for riel at hotels, restaurants, and markets. There are now credit-card-compatible ATMs (Visa and MasterCard only) in most major cities, including Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Battambang, and Kompong Cham. There are also ATMs if arriving from Thailand at the Cham Yeam and Poipet borders. Machines dispense US dollars. Top-end hotels, airline offices, and up-market boutiques and restaurants generally accept most major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, sometimes American Express), but they usually pass the charges straight on to the customer, meaning an extra 3% on the bill. The exchange rate constantly fluctuates. The approximate exchange rate is  1 USD = 3,980 KHR. For the most updated exchange rate, please check <a href=”http://www.xe.com/

Electrical service in Cambodia is supplied at 220 volts and 50 hertz. Bringing an adaptor is a good idea if you plan to use electronics (i.e., cell phones, laptops, cameras, etc.) during your trip.

Cambodian cuisine, or Khmer cuisine, accentuates freshness, simplicity, seasonality, and regionalism. Rice and occasionally noodles are stapled foods for Cambodians. Rice is so widely consumed that there are over a hundred words and phrases for rice in the Khmer language and hundreds of varieties of rice indigenous to Cambodia.

Thai and Vietnamese influences can be noted in Khmer food, although Cambodians love strong sour tastes in their dishes. Unlike in Thailand or Lao, spicy hot food is not the mainstay; black pepper is preferred over chili peppers, though chilies are usually served on the side. Prahok, a local fish paste, is common in Khmer cooking and may not please Western palates. Indian and Chinese restaurants have a healthy representation in Phnom Penh and the larger towns.

Khmer, or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austro-Asiatic language, with millions of speakers. French, once the language of government in Indochina, is still spoken by many older Cambodians. French is also the language of instruction in some schools and universities that the government of France funds. Cambodian French, a remnant of the country’s colonial past, is a dialect found in Cambodia and is sometimes used in government, particularly in court. In recent decades, many younger Cambodians and those in the business class have favored learning English. In the major cities and tourist centers, English is widely spoken and taught at many schools because of the overwhelming number of tourists from English-speaking countries. Even in the rural outposts, most young people speak at least some English, often taught by monks at the local pagodas where many children are educated.