What are Cambodia’s visa requirements?
A couple of photos, a valid passport and $20 are the official requirements for a month-long single entry tourist visa. This can be extended within the country, most easily through agents. Business visas are also available, costing $25, and can be extended for up to a year, with multiple entry.

The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation launched in mid 2006 an e-Visa programme that enables travellers to apply for their Cambodian visas online. With this new service, applicants are able to obtain a visa in 3 days, with just a few clicks.

To apply for an e-Visa, applicants need to have a passport valid for at least 6 months, a recent passport size photo (JPEG/PNG format) and a valid credit card (Visa/Mastercard).

The visa costs US$20 and there is a $5 processing fee. Note this visa is only good for arrival to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh international airports.

For more information, or to process your application, please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation website.

What is the best way to get around Phnom Penh?
There are two answers to this, depending on what time you’re talking about.

Daytime: Walking. Phnom Penh is a great city for walking, with everything really within the enthusiastic walker’s reach. Lakeside to Wat Phnom takes about 30-45 minutes at a reasonable pace. Though motos are cheap and persistent, try to spend at least some time walking. If you’d had your fill, motos are fast and cheap and cyclos are slow and cheap. To be safe, you can try to negotiate a fare before jumping on, but often drivers won’t speak enough English, and confusion can arise between "one" meaning 1,000 riel or $1. We find it’s generally fine just to jump on and pay when you arrive. Sample fares for motos are (roughly) lakeside to Wat Phnom 1,000-1,500 riel, FCC to Tuol Sleng 2,000 riel, Russian Market to lakeside 2,000-3,000 riel. Prices usually rise up to double after dark. If you offer payment to the moto and he refuses to take the money, then you have definitely not offered enough, so up it. You are not expected to pay in dollars, though they are accepted. If you try to pay with anything bigger than a $1 note, don’t expect the moto to have change. If you plan on tripping around a lot, you can hire a moto for the day, figure around $5-$8 a day depending on where you are going and how well you negotiate.

Night time: Walking from one end of town to the other at night is not a good idea. Theft and assault remain problems in Phnom Penh -- walking long distances at night dramatically increases the risk of a problem. Walking from Sisowath Quay to lakeside around midnight after a happy pizza and beers is plain stupid. Use motos or cyclos for anything more than a few blocks.

How do I get from the airport into town?
Both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap have international airports. If you do not have much luggage, hire a moto. In Siem Reap, they will offer to take you for almost nothing as they’ll try to get you to rent them for a few days while you tour the sites. This can work out quite well, as the trip into town will give you a chance to better gauge the language ability of your moto as well as his driving skills. If you have a lot of luggage, both tuk tuks and taxis are available at Siem Reap and taxis only are at Phnom Penh. There is no public transport from either airport into town.

Can I drink the tap water?
Generally, it’s not a good idea. Rely on bottled water where possible
Is there good vegetarian food in Cambodia?
Cambodia is not world-renowned for its vegetarian food, nor for its food in general for that matter. Phnom Penh has a limited range of vegetarian places, but other than that you’re in for a lot of veggie stir-fries. Ot n’yum satch means you don’t eat meat. Even French places tend to not cater very well to vegetarians, and if you ask for something vegetarian, it’s still likely to come in a meat-based stock.

What’s the best way to travel around Cambodia -- share-taxi, bus, train or boat?
This will most likely be decided by your budget.

Share-taxis
Overall, share-taxi transport is the quickest and most comfortable way to get from A to B. The share-taxis are nearly all Toyota Camrys. Try to get a left-hand drive one if possible, though most seem to be right-hand, suggesting they have been smuggled in from Thailand. Share-taxis run on a per seat basis -- you buy one seat in the car. Note that in a share-taxi, the front passenger seat is actually considered two seats, so the best option is to buy two seats and have the whole front seat to yourself, although then they often seem to sell a second seat next to the driver, which will invariably end up being half yours. Share-taxis leave when full, meaning at least five to six passengers, though once you leave the driver may pick up more people. We have ridden in one Camry with 12 people from Battambang to Pailin.

Bus
Bus travel in Cambodia is good, cheap, not too slow and reasonably comfortable. The main disadvantage is that not many buses leave in the afternoon. If you’re planning on travelling by bus, figure an early morning departure as being probable. Buses run all the major trunk routes, such as Phnom Penh to Battambang, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. You are not expected to share your seat on a bus, but be sure to get on early to make sure you actually get one.

Train
To be honest, we’re yet to try the trains (except the bamboo one in Battambang). All reports say they are very slow and very cheap, but for budget travellers who have the time to spend on them, the reports are positive. Trains tend to leave on time.

Boat
A number of trips can be done by boat, with Phnom Penh to Siem Reap being the most popular. Others include Phnom Penh to Kratie, Sihanoukville to Ko Kong and Siem Reap to Battambang. Overloading of boats often takes places. If you feel the boat is so overloaded to be unsafe, get off. They’ll be another boat the next day. When the Tonle Sap is low, boat travel between Siem Reap and Battambang is not a good idea. Although comfortable and scenic to sit on the roof, be sure to bring sunscreen as you’ll otherwise get burnt to a crisp.

Are credit cards accepted?
Not generally, but most top-range hotels, some middle range and very few lower range hotels will accept them. Very few restaurants and bars accept them. Most travel agents prefer cash. If you can use them, expect to be charged a 3% surcharge.

Should I bring travellers cheques, credit/debit cards or cash?
Most people now rely on a mix of cash, credit and debit cards and travellers cheques. Cambodia has no ATMs of any use to foreigners, although ANZ is supposed to begin operations early next year. For now, you need to rely on exchange booths, so will need to manage your money a bit more carefully than in say Thailand, where there is an ATM on every corner. For cash, bring US dollars in small denominations - lots of $1 and $5 notes are a great idea.

Is Cambodia a safe place to travel alone to?
In a word, yes. One of the best or worst things (depending on your viewpoint) is how easy it is to meet other travellers while exploring Cambodia. If you’re travelling by yourself, chances are you’ll meet loads of people than if you’re with a partner, and when you come to leave the country you’ll realise you’ve developed a collection of friends from all over the globe. It’s rare indeed for a lone traveller to not hook up with others for at least a part of their trip. When this is combined with the very gregarious nature of Khmers, it’s actually pretty difficult to stay alone for long periods.

As with just about anywhere in the world, you are safer travelling with others, but as long as you use your common sense, travelling alone is generally perfectly safe.

Take all the usual precautions: carry copies of all your documentation in case you are robbed and try to keep in touch with family or friends overseas. There’s no shortage of internet cafes across the country, so there’s no excuse for not occasionally dropping an email to placate worriers at home. Better still, send a postcard - some people still use them.

If you ever find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, don’t hesitate to ask a local for assistance - by and large Khmers are very helpful, end even if they don’t speak your language, they’ll be able to help you find someone who does.

Is medical care in Cambodia good?
Absolutely not. Most expats living in Cambodia have medical evacuation insurance in case of emergency, which will get them to Thailand or Singapore. Women generally choose to give birth in a hospital in Thailand where possible. You do not want to be hospitalised in Cambodia.

What should I pack?
First on your list should be an open mind and a sense of humour. Don’t come with too many preconceived ideas about what Cambodia is like, as media and friends’ experiences have a habit of distorting reality.

Otherwise, bring as little as possible. Take enough padlocks for every double zipper to stop wandering hands and lock up your sacred belongings, even in your hotel room.

Essentials are a swimming costume, a day pack and a raincoat or umbrella in rainy season. You will only need a couple of changes of clothes as you can get washing done anywhere cheaply. Remember dark clothes do not need to be washed as often, as long as you do not have a BO problem or sweat profusely. Sandals are a good idea as the climate is too hot for boots. These are best bought before arriving.

Bring your own snorkelling gear as what is available locally is very limited and poor. Alternatively put up a notice looking for gear from someone who is leaving. A tent for camping if you are a national park buff is a good idea, as is a compass. You might like to bring compact binoculars too if wildlife is your thing. A good map of Cambodia would be fabulous. If you find one that is actually accurate, please let us know -- we’re yet to find one.

Take earplugs for when you’re stuck in a noisy room or want to sleep on the bus. Take a mirror for shaving, as often budget places won’t have any. String is very handy for hanging up washing. Travel scrabble can be great. Cigarette rolling papers can be difficult to find, except in tourist centres.

A spare pair of prescription glasses or contact lenses plus a copy of your prescription is a good idea. Bring a book you’re prepared to swap. A personal music player is great as a huge range of cheap music is available everywhere.

Into the toiletries bag throw sun screen and insect repellent. Mosquito coils are also a good idea. A small pocket size torch will come in handy when the electricity goes out or for investigating caves. Condoms, of course. Passport photos come in handy for visas.

If you plan to travel long distances by motorbike, purchase a good quality helmet, which you can do in Cambodia. Last but not least, pack your stuff in plastic bags to stop them from getting wet, especially when travelling in the rainy season or on boats.
Aside from the above, the following are essential:
Passport with minimum 6-month validity left;
Travel insurance;
Blood donor/type card;
Details of your next of kin;
Prescriptions for any medication you require. Most chemists will sell medicine over the counter without a script, but if you are searched by immigration it’s good to be able to show you require what you’re carrying; and
A second photo ID other than your passport

Should I tip?
Tipping is not expected but as always appreciated. If you want to tip, 10% percent is generous.