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Tips & Traps
Insider advice from Local Friends and travelers. What to do, and what to avoid, city by city.
- TipA place or a move worth it
- TrapWhat to avoid, and how
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Insider advice from Local Friends and travelers. What to do, and what to avoid, city by city.
Join RALF to share your own tips and traps
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New postThe Elephant Bar sits in the east wing of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, part of the original 1929 building, and is known for its gin collection and afternoon tea. The room has wicker chairs, leather sofas and high French windows, a calm break from the heat outside. Choose tea in the early afternoon or a gin later in the…
Raffles Hotel Le Royal opened in 1929 as Hotel Le Royal and reopened under Raffles in 1997 after an extension and renovation. Its design draws on French colonial, Khmer and Art Deco influences. A night here is about the building and its history rather than sightseeing convenience. If that is the draw, ask when booking…
The Cambodia International Film Festival screens films for free at around ten Phnom Penh venues, including cinemas, the Institut Francais and campus open-air screenings, with a closing party at the Bophana Center. Tickets are handed out on site one hour before each screening, so arrive early for popular titles. The…
Visak Bochea, usually in May, marks the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death. In the evening people circle temple grounds carrying candles, incense and lotus flowers, and Phnom Penh pagodas fill with worshippers. Dress modestly and watch quietly from the edge. For the national ceremony, many head to Oudong, about…
The Independence Monument is a lotus-shaped stupa that looks striking by day and is lit after dark. Come in late afternoon for softer light, then stay for the lights. On weekend nights the fountains and music draw crowds, so take wide frames early. A zoom lens helps for candid street shots around the roundabout, and…
Cambodia runs on US dollars and riel, and change is where problems start. UK advice notes fake dollar bills given as change in shops and clubs, and some airport drivers reject a note as torn so you pay with a larger one. Check each bill, refuse torn or marked ones and keep small clean bills with a little riel for…
The riverside night market sits between Streets 106 and 108 and is free to enter. It suits cheap clothing, cushions and paper flowers. Enter through the northern gate to avoid rows of parked scooters. Prices are often posted, but buying several items can earn a discount, so ask politely. The central stage plays very…
Yang Pov Riverside is a riverside pub where a house band plays old-school Khmer songs, and the weekly gig guide lists it on most nights. The room gets lively around 9 or 10pm, so come earlier for a better seat. Reviewers say staff and performers sometimes teach traditional dances, so be ready to join in. Opening hours…
Leng Pleng is the local gig guide and publishes a weekly list of who plays where in Phnom Penh. In a typical week it shows a different band nightly at Oscar's on the Corner on Street 104, a rock bar known for late, loud sets, plus jam nights and open mics around town. Check the list in the afternoon and arrive late…
Sosoro Museum tells about 2,000 years of Cambodian history through money and trade, inside a 1908 colonial building near Wat Phnom that was once the mayor's residence and later city hall. Twelve themed modules use artifacts, touchscreens and projections, and audio guides come in several languages including English and…
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a memorial, so cover legs and arms; shorts and sleeveless tops are not considered respectful. Tickets are sold only at the entrance booth, and the audio guide gives context the signs do not. Phones are not allowed inside the exhibition buildings and drones need the director's…
Techo International Airport is about 23 km south of the center, so plan the last leg. An Airport Express Bus runs daily from early morning to late evening from the Kouch Kanong Circle station, stops at AEON Mall Mean Chey and takes around 90 minutes. For speed, book a taxi at the official counter in arrivals, where…
Bag snatching from passing motorbikes is the most common theft in Cambodia, and UK advice names the Phnom Penh riverfront and BKK as hotspots. Carry your bag on the side away from the road, keep nothing loose in a tuk-tuk and choose one with side grills when you can. Leave passports in the hotel safe and bring only…
Fill in Cambodia's arrival card only on the government site, whose address ends in gov.kh, or in the official Cambodia e-Arrival app. Look-alike sites have charged travelers for a form that is free apart from any visa fee, and immigration has said they are not government sites. Type the address yourself instead of…
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