Here’s why you should travel to Cambodia.
For a tiny country, Cambodia has plenty to offer for the intrepid traveller. Angkor Wat, comprising a sprawling complex of temples and on whose ruinous monuments plants spread their roots, will satiate the demands of culture vultures and shutter bugs. Siem Reap, the resort town where travellers are based for their excursions to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, is lined with trendy cocktail bars.
The capital city, Phnom Penh, is a cradle of Cambodian cuisine infused with French and American influences. While upwardly mobile aspirations have endowed the prospering city with a swanky casino, it also possesses a nefarious past etched by the Khmer Rouge, whose heinous crimes can still be discerned on the walls of numerous imprisonment camps dotted in and around Phnom Penh. A rustically charming old capital called Oudong is located minutes north where it offers juxtaposed glimpses into the lives of ordinary people in a relatively impoverished country amidst magnificent monasteries.
Fans of wildlife and eco-adventure can journey to Tonlé Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and the last refuge of endangered giant catfish, giant barb and river catfish. For beach, sun and surf lovers, Sihanoukville is a throwback to pre-touristy Thai and Malaysian islands with opportunities to dive further offshore. Keen to explore more? Book your flight now.
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Things to know when you travel to Cambodia from Malaysia, beginning 23 April 2022:
Although Cambodia was closed to tourists for the large swathe of the pandemic, it is also one of the first Southeast Asian countries to completely abandon constrictive travel restrictions.
Insurance covering Covid-related expenses isn’t mandatory, though it is encouraged. You may click here to obtain more information.
Malaysians don’t have to apply for a visa to enter Cambodia.
If you are fully vaccinated, you are exempted from pre-departure and on-arrival Covid tests, as well as quarantine. Travellers aged 18 and below who are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated must be accompanied by fully vaccinated guardians.
Proof of vaccination must be in printed format. Details including dates and types of vaccinations taken, preferably with a QR code, must be presented upon arrival in Cambodia.
If you are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated due to medical reasons, you must provide proof. In addition, you must book your own accommodation for seven days of quarantine, or you may provide US$2,000 to the Cambodian authorities for them to make the necessary arrangement for your quarantine. On the seventh day, you will undergo an RTK test in order to be released.
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Hero and feature images: George Bakos on Unsplash