Type , and sockets at 230 V, shoulders and knees covered at the temples, and a calendar where the whole country stops for a week in April.
- 230 V at 50 Hz, with type , and sockets turning up sometimes in the same room. A universal adapter is the sensible answer; a 120 V American appliance needs a converter, not just an adapter.
- Shoulders and knees must be covered to enter Angkor, enforced at the entrance and strictly at Angkor Wat's upper level. Shoes stay on in the Angkor temples, unlike in an active pagoda.
- The greeting is the sampeah - palms together, a slight bow. Do not touch anyone's head, do not point your feet at a person or a Buddha image, and keep your temper in public.
- Tipping is not obligatory but wages are low: about 10% in a restaurant without a service charge, a dollar or two for a waiting tuk-tuk driver, USD 5 to USD 15 a day for a temple guide.
- Khmer New Year in mid-April closes much of the country for a week and empties Phnom Penh. April is also the hottest month; November to February is dry, comfortable and peak season.
Power
230 V at 50 Hz, with sockets of type , and - the flat American pins, the round European pins and the British three-pin all turn up, sometimes in the same room. A universal adapter is the sensible answer. Anything from the UK or Europe runs on the voltage directly; American 120 V appliances without a dual-voltage supply need a converter, not just an adapter.
Temples
- Shoulders and knees must be covered to enter Angkor, for everyone. It is enforced at the entrance and strictly at Angkor Wat's upper level, the Bakan, which also has a minimum age and closes on Buddhist holy days.
- Shoes stay on in the Angkor temples, unlike in an active pagoda.
- Do not climb on the ruins or touch the carvings, and do not photograph monks without asking.
Manners
- The greeting is the sampeah: palms together, a slight bow. Returning it is appreciated and never wrong.
- Do not touch anyone's head, and do not point your feet at a person or a Buddha image.
- Keep your temper. Public anger loses face for everyone present and will not get you what you want.
Tipping
Not obligatory, widely appreciated, and wages are low. Around 10% in a restaurant that has not already added a service charge, a dollar or two for a tuk-tuk driver who has waited, and USD 5 to USD 15 a day for a temple guide.
The calendar
- Khmer New Year, mid-April, is the big one. Much of the country closes for the best part of a week and Phnom Penh empties as people travel home. Book transport well ahead or plan to stay put.
- Pchum Ben, in September or October, is the other major holiday, with similar effects.
- The Water Festival in November brings millions into Phnom Penh for the boat races. It is worth seeing and it is also when petty crime spikes.
- April is the hottest month and the run-up to the rains, at 35 degrees and humid. November to February is dry and comfortable and is the peak season for that reason.
Odds and ends
- The language is Khmer, with its own script; English is common in tourism and rarer outside it, and older people may speak French.
- Dry season dust and rainy season downpours both argue for a small daypack with a cover.
- Cambodia is UTC+7, with no daylight saving.
Comments
No comments yet. Share the first one.
Share a tip
Sign in to continue.