Updated to: 04/12/22. Are you thinking of traveling to Cambodia? Here is the guide to enjoy this incredible country.
THE OFFICIAL CURRENCY IS THE RIEL, BUT DOLLARS ARE USED
When we arrive in the country, we will see that the menus of the restaurants and hotels mark the prices in dollars. Usually, US currency is used as common money and riels for small change, as if they were coins. To get an idea: when paying $1.50 with a $5 bill, we will receive $3 and the rest of the change in riels.
APRIL AND MAY ARE THE HOTEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR
The months before the arrival of the monsoon rains, the temperatures sometimes touch 40º and the humidity is terrible , causing us to want to shower several times a day. In contrast to the heat of the street, inside the hotels and cafeterias they put the air conditioning very strong. It is advisable to carry a jacket in the backpack.
You will manage in dollars and riels.
THE NEW YEAR LASTS THREE DAYS AND IS CELEBRATED IN APRIL
during the new year most Cambodians return to their villages and the cities are virtually deserted. On the first day of the celebration, they usually dress in new clothes and offer candles and incense on Buddhist altars. On the second day, donations are given and honor is paid to the ancestors. On the last day, families gather to wash the Buddha image in the pagodas.
CAMBODIAN IS WRITTEN FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
In Khmer, words in the same sentence are written together without spaces and read horizontally, but with various vertical adjustments to consider. The language has 40 vowels and 35 consonants, although modern Khmer uses 33. . The Khmer language influenced Thai or Lao and vice versa due to their geographical proximity. However, unlike neighboring languages, it is not a tonal language.
The New Year's celebration lasts... THREE days!
YOU WILL FIND MANY FRUITS THAT YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN
Exotic fruits do not go unnoticed: dragon fruit, durian, rambutan, small bananas and mangoes. No matter what season you arrive, on the streets they are easy to find in small pieces inside a bag or in the form of a smoothie in the most touristic places.
THE DURIAN SMELLS FATAL
Durians are one of the most controversial fruits due to their extremely strong smell, similar to that of a rotten onion. But it is also one of the most delicious and expensive: those who give it the opportunity discover that its pulp is an exquisite cream. Due to its strong smell, durian is banned from some public places, hotels, and airplanes, not only in Cambodia, but throughout Southeast Asia.
Dradon's fruit.
IN ADDITION TO A LOT OF RICE, THEY EAT BAGUETTES
Rice is never lacking in Cambodia, as in any other country in the area. The word rice is even a verb in the Khmer language and when asking someone if they have eaten we should say: 'Have you already had rice?' As a legacy of the French colonial period, We will also find baguettes in street stalls, usually stuffed with cold cuts, onion and cucumber.
95% OF CAMBODIANS ARE BUDDHIST
The majority of Cambodians declare themselves to be Buddhists and also have great veneration for monks. throughout the country, We will see the religious dressed in orange robes and their bare feet carrying out daily activities. The monks do not work, but the faithful consider that making a donation will bring them good luck. The earliest risers will see them leave the monastery at dawn with a silver bowl where the faithful deposit their offerings in the form of alms.
At dawn, they leave the monastery.
OUR ACTIONS COUNT (AND A LOT)
In tourist areas, especially on the river in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, where the popular Angkor Wat temples are located, there are also large numbers of young children begging for money and food on the streets. Many of them are forced by their families to beg instead of going to school and giving them money could perpetuate this system. Our performances also count.