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Passport and Visas
Cambodia has very liberal visa regulations. For
USD 20 $ all travelers can obtain a tourist visa
valid for 30 days upon arrival at Phnom Penh and
Siem Reap airports. A passport valid for at least
six months beyond the end of your visit and one
passport photo is needed. Visitors arriving overland
from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam at the Bavet border
crossing, or from Thailand at Trat (Hat Lay border
crossing) or Aranyaprathet ( Poipet border crossing),
must obtain a visa which clearly indicates then
entry point prior to reaching the Cambodian border.
Customs and Formalities
Regulations are relaxed and simple formalities
should be observed when entering the territory.
Every traveler has to complete immigration and
customs declaration forms during the arrival flight
and must submit them on arrival. Any amount of
foreign currency can be brought into Cambodia,
but the amount of Cambodian currency must not
exceed 100,000 Riels per person. Tourist and non-resident
carrying over USD 10,000 in cash or its equivalent
must declare it to ensure they will be allowed
to take out with them the amount declared. Immigration
formalities are quicker when travelers already
possess their visa.
A Mittapheap Travel & Tours representative
will meet travelers at the airport, after immigration
control has been passed. For easy recognition,
our representative will display a Mittapheap Travel
& Tours sign with the names of the guests
or their group. Leaving the country, luggage will
be X-rayed in Phnom Penh airport and inspected
in Siem Reap.
Food
Khmer cuisine is closely related to those in neighboring
Thailand and Laos, although it is not as spicy.
Curries, stir tried vegetable, rice, noodles and
soups are staples of the Khmer diet. Cambodia
is well known in the region for its Prahok, a
strong, fermented fish paste used in a variety
of traditional dishes. Fresh serve bottled drinking
water and tap water should never be drunk. Similarly,
salad and fruit served at these establishments
are safe. All Tours are based on full board arrangements.
For full-day excursions, picnic lunch can be provided
if no adequate restaurants are available.
Cambodia food is closely related to the cuisines
of neighboring Thailand and Laos and, to a lesser
extent, Vietnam, but there are some distinct local
dishes. The overall consensus is that Khmer cooking
is like Thai without spicy. Curries, stir tried
vegetable, rice, noodles and soups are staples
of the Khmer diet.
Cambodia is well known in the region for its Prahok,
a strong, fermented fish paste used in a variety
of traditional dishes. Fresh serve bottled drinking
water and tap water should never be drunk. Similarly,
salad and fruit served at these establishments
are safe. All Tours are based on full board arrangements.
For full-day excursions, picnic lunch can be provided
if no adequate restaurants are available.
Phnom Penh is far and away the best place to try
inexpensive Khmer cuisine, though Siem Reap also
has some good restaurants. One of the easiest
and most affordable ways to acquaint yourself
with Khmer cooking is to wander into the food
stalls found in markets all over the country and
simply sample each dish before deciding what to
eat. In Phnom Penh you also have the choice of
excellent Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, French and
Mediterranean cooking.
Rice is the principal staple in Cambodia and the
Battambang region is the country's rice bowl.
Most Cambodian dishes are cooked in a wok, known
locally as a chhnang khteak.
Nonalcoholic Drinks
All the famous international brands of soft drinks
are available in Cambodia. Locally produced mineral
water is available at 500r to 700r per bottle.Coffee
is sold in most restaurants. It is either served
black or with generous dollops of condensed milk,
which makes it very sweet. Chinese-style tea is
popular and in many Khmer and Chinese restaurants
a pot of it will automatically appear as soon
as you sit down.You can find excellent fruit smoothies
all over the country, known locally as a tikalok.
Just look out for a stall with fruit and a blender
and point to the flavors you want. Keep an eye
on the preparatory stages or you may end up with
heaps of sugar and a frothy eggg.
On a hot day you may be tempted by the stuff in
Fanta bottles on the side of the road. Think again,
as it is actually petrol (gas).
Alcoholic Drinks
The local bee is Angkor, which is produced by
an Australian joint venture in Sihanoukwille.
Other brands include Heineken, Tiger, San Miguel,
Carlsberg, VB, Foster's and Grolsch. Beer sells
for around US$1 to US$1.50 a can in restaurants.In
Phnom Penh, foreign wines and spirits are sold
at reasonable prices. The local spirits are best
avoided, though some expats say that Sra Special,
a local whisky-like concoction, is not bad. At
around 1000r a bottle it's a cheap route to oblivion.
Airport Tax
USD 20 $ per outgoing international passenger
for flights from Phnom Penh
USD 8 $ per outgoing international passenger for
flights from Siem Reap
USD 10 $ per outgoing domestic passenger for flights
from Phnom Penh
USD 4 $ per outgoing domestic passenger for flights
from all other domestic airports |
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