Some Helpful Tips

Tips on Accommodations

Be warned that accommodations often fill up in the winter high season, especially the finer hotels nearest Angkor Wat. Note: There's a 10% VAT charge at most major hotels. Expect discounts in the low season. Phnom Penh and Siem Reap both have the highest concentrations of comfortable accommodations at international standards, but there are developments in small towns as well. Sihanoukville, Cambodia's little seaside resort south of the capital, boasts a fine high-end resort, the Sokha Beach, but in rural stops like Battambang, you'll only find budget rooms. Some of the most convenient choices are the smaller, foreign-owned guesthouses where you're likely to meet up with other travelers and can get the inside scoop on what's going on in the area.

Tips on Dining

In this old French colony, the cuisine is heavily French, all affordable, and often quite good. You'll also find tasty Thai, and tourist centers are chockablock with storefronts that serve up reasonable facsimiles of Western favorites.

Tips on Shopping

You'll find lots of antiques stores and boutiques in the major tour centers, but shopping for trinkets and memorabilia is best at the big markets: the Russian Market and Central Market in Phnom Pehn, as well as the Old Market in Siem Reap. The temple town of Siem Reap is fashioning itself as a chic international destination, and along with the many luxurious hotels and fine dining comes good boutique shopping and galleries. In Siem Reap you'll find fine art photography by noted expatriate artists, as well as some good original artwork and pleasing reproductions from the temples, a far cry from refrigerator magnets and collector spoons (though you can find those along the road to the temples).

Important note: The treasures and carvings of Angkor and Cambodia have been looted for centuries, and those treasures are still being sold. Do not buy any antique stone carving or temple reliefs in Cambodia. Even some reputable galleries are willing to arrange backroom deals for authentic Khmer antiquities, even make it look legitimate. For more information, go to www.heritagewatch.org.

Telephone Dialing Information at a Glance

Post offices and Internet cafes all rent time on direct lines. If you can manage the static and the delays, affordable Internet phone service is available at Internet cafes. Also keep your eyes open for the many street-side stalls with mobile phones on loan, a good choice for regional calls.

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Vietnam, 2nd Edition Author: Sherisse Pham Pub Date: January 22, 2008 Price: $22.99				Related Titles: Comrades and Strangers: Behind the Closed Doors of North Korea Frommer's Beijing Day by Day, Official U.S.O.C. Edition, 1st Edition Frommer's Beijing, 5th Edition