Just Landed in Cambodia? Your First 7 Days

Mobile data is cheap, fast and the main way most people get online, with solid 4G across the cities and much of the country. Home fibre from providers such as EZECOM, SINET and Online is available in urban areas but can take several days to install and usually needs an address and a deposit. Buy a prepaid SIM on arrival and top up at any phone shop or through the operator's app.

Typical cost: USD 2-5 for a starter SIM; roughly USD 5-10 a month for a generous data package; home fibre from about USD 15-30 a month

Cambodia is heavily dollarised: prices, rents and salaries are usually quoted in US dollars, while riel handles small change at a rate of roughly 4,000 riel to the dollar. Carry clean, untorn USD notes, as damaged ones are routinely refused, and keep a supply of ones and fives for daily spending.

Opening an account: ABA Bank and Acleda are the most foreigner-friendly banks, with English-speaking staff and excellent apps; ABA in particular dominates QR payments. Opening an account usually needs your passport and a valid visa, and some branches also ask for a rental contract, proof of address or a work permit for long-stay applicants.

Cash: Cash is king for markets, tuk-tuks, street food and small shops, but QR payments via ABA, Wing and the shared Bakong/KHQR system are now everywhere, including many market stalls. Supermarkets and city restaurants take cards. Keep a mix of USD notes and riel for change.

Tipping: Tipping is not obligatory but appreciated. Round up taxi and tuk-tuk fares, leave USD 1-2 or spare change for good restaurant service, and note that some upmarket places already add a 10% service charge to the bill.

There is no personal town-hall address registration for foreigners as in continental Europe, but Cambodia does require that your presence be reported. Under the Foreigners Present in Cambodia System (FPCS), landlords, property owners and guesthouses must register any foreigner staying with them at the local Commune/Sangkat authority, in practice within about 24 hours of moving in, either in person or through the FPCS online system. Hotels do this automatically. For a private rental the landlord is responsible, but you should confirm it has been done, because it matters when you extend a visa, change address or need a certificate of residence, and non-registration carries fines of around 30,000 riel per foreigner.

Deadline: In practice within 24 hours of taking up residence; handled by the landlord, owner or guesthouse

Where: Local Commune/Sangkat authority or police, via the FPCS online system, typically arranged by your landlord

Tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis (motodops) dominate short trips and are cheapest and safest to price when booked through an app rather than flagged on the street. Phnom Penh has no metro or meaningful rail commuter network; a few public buses run but expats rarely use them. Longer intercity journeys go by air-conditioned bus or shared minivan, booked online through BookMeBus, Giant Ibis or at bus offices.

From the airport: From Phnom Penh International Airport, a Grab or PassApp car into the city centre costs roughly USD 7-12 and takes 30-60 minutes depending on traffic; airport tuk-tuks are cheaper but slower and more exposed to the heat. From Siem Reap's newer airport (Siem Reap-Angkor International, well outside town) budget more, around USD 20-30 by car, as it is a longer run.

Furnished flats and serviced apartments are easy to find and usually rent month-to-month or on flexible leases, with Western-standard blocks concentrated in Phnom Penh's BKK1, Toul Kork, Russian Market and riverside areas. Most searching happens through Facebook groups (search 'Phnom Penh apartments/rooms for rent'), local agents who charge the landlord rather than you, and listing sites like Realestate.com.kh and Khmer24.

Typical rent: A furnished one-bedroom in central Phnom Penh runs about USD 400-800 a month; the same outside the centre or in Siem Reap and Kampot can be USD 250-450. Modern serviced apartments and expat-favoured blocks with pools and gyms cost more.

Deposit norm: Usually one to two months' rent as a deposit, plus the first month upfront; landlords often prefer USD in cash. Read what the deposit covers, photograph the flat's condition on move-in, and be aware deposits are sometimes slow or partial to recover at the end.

Public hospitals are basic and under-resourced; expats and locals who can afford it use private international clinics in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. For anything serious or surgical, medical evacuation to Bangkok or Singapore is the norm, so insurance covering evacuation is genuinely essential rather than optional.

How to access it: Walk in or book at private hospitals and clinics such as Royal Phnom Penh Hospital, Sen Sok International University Hospital, Raffles Medical or the well-regarded Kantha Bopha children's hospitals; for evacuation-grade cases many head to Bangkok. You generally pay upfront by card or cash and claim back from insurance, so keep receipts.

Insurance: There is no free national health system for foreigners. Buy private international health insurance that explicitly includes emergency evacuation to Thailand or Singapore, and carry the policy number and 24-hour assistance line offline. Routine pharmacy medicines are cheap and widely available, but check authenticity at reputable pharmacies (Pharmacie de la Gare, U-Care).

• Greet with the sampeah (palms pressed together with a slight bow); the higher the hands, the more respect shown, and avoid initiating handshakes with monks or elders.
• Remove your shoes before entering homes, temples and many shops or offices when asked, and follow your host's lead.
• Dress modestly at temples and pagodas: cover shoulders and knees, and never point your feet at a Buddha image, a monk or another person.
• Keep calm and avoid raising your voice; publicly showing anger or embarrassing someone causes loss of face and rarely gets you what you want.
• Use both hands, or your right hand supported by the left, when giving or receiving something, especially money or a business card.
• Learn a few Khmer words; 'sues-dey' (hello) and 'arkun' (thank you) are warmly received and go a long way.
• Women should avoid touching monks or handing things directly to them; place items down for the monk to pick up instead.

• Do not touch anyone's head, including children's, as the head is considered the most sacred part of the body.
• Avoid pointing with a single finger or beckoning with the palm up; gesture with your whole hand, palm down.
• Be discreet photographing people, monks and sensitive sites, and always ask first, especially at temples and in rural areas.
• Do not step over people or food, and avoid sitting with your feet pointing at anyone.
• Keep public displays of affection low-key; they are frowned upon, particularly outside the tourist bars.