A 2 Week Cambodia Itinerary For Temples, Nature & Idyllic Beaches

While the world-famous ancient temples of Angkor may be the crowning jewel of Cambodia, this confounding kingdom has so much more to offer. Scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find that Cambodia is also home to scenic riverside towns, pristine tropical islands, and mountainous landscapes home to an abundance of wildlife.

There’s a lot to see and do in Cambodia, so it can be a challenge to decide where to go with a limited time frame. This 2 week Cambodia itinerary for backpackers will help you to see the very best of the country, with a mix of temples, nature and beaches.

Given the roundish shape of Cambodia, I’ve arranged this itinerary so that you travel around the country in a circle (well, really more of a triangle). The itinerary begins in Phnom Penh and follows the circular route in an anti-clockwise direction. However, you can begin anywhere along the route (many people arrive into Cambodia at Siem Reap, for example) and complete the circle from there.

Phnom Penh: 1-2 days

Where to stay in Phnom Penh: Pooltop

I’m going to assume you’ll be starting this Cambodia itinerary from Phnom Penh — the bustling capital city. You may want to take it easy on your first day, so I suggest you explore at your leisure, hitting up some of the many cafes and markets that dot the city. Don’t forget to visit the Royal Palace, the river promenade and the Phnom Penh Night Market to try some authentic Cambodian street food, such as Amok and Mee Kola!

The main reason why you should spend time in Phnom Penh, though, is because it’s the epicentre of Cambodia’s tragic history.

During the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge, a political party led by Pol Pot, inflicted a barbaric regime across the country. This regime aimed to entirely eradicate capitalism, enforcing a mass “ethnic cleansing” campaign across Cambodia, where political opponents, intellects and minority groups were executed. 1 in 4 people in Cambodia died during this time.

While it’s not a pleasant subject, I feel it’s important to learn about this part of Cambodia’s history before exploring the rest of the country. Visit the Killing Fields and S-21 Genocide Museum; two locations which have been turned into museums depicting the horrors of the Khmer Rouge.

Kratie: 2 days

Where to stay in Kratie: Sorya Guesthouse — great location with both dorms and private rooms available.

Now that you’ve explored some of Cambodia’s history in Phnom Penh, head to Kratie for a dose of nature and wildlife. Many Cambodia itineraries I’ve seen don’t include Kratie — I think this is a huge shame, as it was one of my favourite places in the country. As it’s a little off the main tourist trail, it does require some effort to get to, but it’s absolutely worth it.

The key reason why most people visit Kratie is because it sits on the banks of the Mekong River, where a pod of about 20 endangered Irrawaddy dolphins live. The dolphins can be found about 15 kilometres north from Kratie, near a small village called Kampi. From here, you can take a boat onto the river for about 7 USD and watch them frolic in the water.

Just opposite Kratie Town, you’ll find Koh Trong, a beautiful, rural island sitting on The Mekong river. You can access Koh Trong by catching a ferry from the Jasmine Boat restaurant all day, every day, until 18:30. The ferry driver simply waits for the boat to fill up, then heads across.

There’s a tiny tourism centre up the beach from where you disembark the ferry — I recommend that you rent a bicycle from here and explore Koh Trong that way. You’ll find bamboo huts, rice paddies and beautiful beaches on your bicycle ride, and, if you’re lucky, you may spot a Mekong snail-eating turtle.

Siem Reap: 2-3 days

Where to stay in Siem Reap: Onederz

Head to Siem Reap next. The main reason why most people visit Siem Reap — and Cambodia in general — is because it’s home to Angkor Wat.

The most iconic symbol of Cambodia, Angkor Wat is the largest religious site in the world. Once the capital of the Khmer Empire, this ancient temple complex is now the biggest attraction in the country, with over 2 million visitors each year.

The Angkor temples were built in the 12th century and comprised a fully functional city spread out over 400 square kilometres. Given this, there is so much more to Angkor than just Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is the main, most famous temple that most people will recognise, but there are over 1000 smaller temples scattered around the area.

You’ll need a whole day to explore the temples, and those who are temple-mad may even want two or three days. Entry to the complex costs 37 USD.

Temples aside, Siem Reap is a fabulous city in its own right. It’s packed with culture and history, so make sure to soak it all in! I recommend a street food tour to experience the many markets, visit some of the local museums, and enjoy drinks at the lively backpacker strip of Pub Street.

Siem Reap also isn’t far from Tonlé Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Around its waters, you’ll find several floating villages. These villages comprise stilted houses that rise above the water, so they are protected when the monsoon season brings heavy rainfall. It’s amazing to see how these people live, so I recommend taking a day trip from Siem Reap to visit one of the villages.

Koh Rong Samloem: 2-3 days

Where to stay in Koh Rong Samloem: The Cliff Hostel

Koh Rong Samloem is a beautiful island just offshore from the town of Sihanoukville. Many people rave about Sihanoukville and spend a night or two here before heading to the island, but I didn’t personally warm to it so recommend heading straight to Koh Rong Samloem.

As Koh Rong Samloem is an island, you’ll need to get a bus to Sihanoukville and then a boat to the island. Koh Rong Samloem is all about relaxing on a beautiful beach paradise. So, kick back and unwind on this stunning island; drink coconuts, explore all the little beaches and swim in the sea. Lazy Beach was one of my favourite beaches — spend a few days relaxing with cocktails and fresh coconuts in hand.

I never really pictured Cambodia as the sort of place where you’d find paradise islands, but it really does have some gorgeous beaches. Most of Cambodia’s islands are quite undeveloped and barely warming up to tourism, so are perfect for relaxation.

Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem are the most visited, so are ideal for those who prefer more infrastructure and tourism, whereas islands such as Koh Thmei, Koh Ta Kiev and Koh Kotang are perfect for those looking to disconnect.

Kampot: 3 days

Where to stay in Kampot: I can’t recommend Karma Traders enough. Easily one of the best hostels I’ve ever stayed in.

Swap the sea for the river and head to Kampot next. It’s a relaxed riverside town with beautiful countryside comprising farming communities, pepper plantations, rice paddies, caves and mountains. I recommend hiring a bicycle to get out and explore it all — at only 2 USD a day for a rental, it makes for a wonderfully cheap day out.

Kampot is famous for its pepper plantations. La Plantation is probably the most famous in the area, so I would recommend including this on your bicycle itinerary. You’ll get a free guided tour of the plantation and can choose to have lunch there.

Be sure to visit some of the caves too, as many of them have temples or shrines inside them — I recommend Phnom Chhngok and White Elephant Cave.

The river Prek Tuek Chhuo runs right through Kampot and out across the surrounding countryside. You can walk along the boardwalk in the city which runs right by the river, but I recommend some boating activities to enjoy the river at its best. Hire a canoe and spend the morning canoeing or take a sunset boat trip.

You could also hire a motorbike (around 5-10 USD for the day) and head out to explore Bokor Mountain. This mountain is home to the abandoned Bokor Palace Hotel, also known as the “old casino” and an abandoned Catholic church, which are really interesting to see. The drive up to the top of the mountain is about 40km from Kampot and provides some stunning views, so you’ll probably want to stop a lot to admire the scenery.

Additions and alterations to your 2 week Cambodia itinerary

If some of the above destinations aren’t right for you, or if you have more than 2 weeks to spend, I highly recommend adding the following to your Cambodia itinerary.

Mondulkiri

A less visited destination, Mondulkiri is a mountainous area about 8 hours north of Phnom Penh. This is the place to go if you love elephants! The Mondulkiri Project is an ethical elephant sanctuary where tourists can feed and learn about elephants. The sanctuary offers a day tour at 50 USD or an overnight tour at 80 USD. Alternatively, visit The Elephant Valley Project, where you can choose to volunteer with the elephants for 5 days!

Battambang

Despite being one of the largest cities in Cambodia, Battambang retains a town-like feel, thanks to its bohemian vibe and low tourist numbers. While the city itself is nice to wander, Battambang is best known for the “bamboo train” — a small railroad cart capable of travelling up to 40km per hour. At just 5 USD for a ride, it’s a fun way to see some of the surrounding rural landscape. Cycling around the countryside or hiking Mount Phnom Sampov are other great things to do in Battambang.

Cardamom Mountains

An impressive 40% of Cambodia is covered by protected areas and national parks, which means that the country is a haven for wildlife. The largest of these national parks is the Southern Cardamom National Park at 1584 square miles, home to Asian elephants, sun bears, gibbons, pangolins and more. This national park does require effort to get to, but once there, opt to trek through the jungle, go wildlife tracking, or get involved in some community ecotourism programs.

Sihanoukville

Most Cambodia itineraries recommend Sihanoukville, which is a popular beach town on the southwest coast. I disliked Sihanoukville — it had weird vibes and was kind of smelly — so I don’t personally recommend it as a place to visit. That being said, many people do like Sihanoukville, so you may want to look into it. It’s a good place for partying and hanging out on the beach.

Planning your trip to Cambodia

I hope my 2 week Cambodia itinerary has given you some idea of how you might like to spend your time in the country. Keep reading for my travel tips on what it’s like to travel in Cambodia, including budgets, cuisine, visas, getting around, and more.

Currency: The riel (KHR) is Cambodia’s official national currency. However, USD is widely accepted and generally preferred — I almost always used USD. When your change comes to less than 1 USD, you will receive it in riel, which can get rielly (see what I did there?) confusing. 1 USD = 4,100 KHR.

Capital: The capital of Cambodia is Phnom Penh.

Voltage: Cambodia operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.

Language: Khmer is the official language in Cambodia. English is widely spoken and some Cambodians also speak French.

Do you need a visa for Cambodia?

The majority of nationalities can obtain a 30-day tourist visa for travel in Cambodia. E-visas can be purchased online in advance, or you can get a visa on arrival into the country.

Please note that e-visas are only valid for entry through Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville airports, and Cham Yeam, Poipet, Bavet and Tropaeng Kreal land borders. If you are arriving at a different land border, you’ll need to obtain an on-arrival tourist visa. On-arrival tourist visas cost about 30 USD and you will need to provide a passport-sized photo.

When is the best time to visit Cambodia?

Cambodia is hot all year round, particularly in April and May when temperatures reach 38 Celsius, although it has some distinct seasons.

May to October brings about 75% of the country’s annual rainfall. This rainy season can be uncomfortably hot, humid and wet. On the plus side, Cambodia’s countryside will be lush and green. And, at the end of the rainy season, Cambodia’s floating villages really come to life!

The dry season in Cambodia lasts from November to April, when there is little to no rainfall.

Within this dry season sits a cool season, which lasts from November to February. Temperatures during this cool season can still be high (rarely dipping below 20 Celsius) but humidity is much lower than in March and April. Therefore, the best time to visit Cambodia is between November and February, when the temperatures and milder and there is very little rain.

Typical costs of travelling in Cambodia

Cambodia is a very cheap country to travel in — especially if you’re travelling as a backpacker and choose to stay in hostels and eat local food. I personally spent about 25 USD per day, which included accommodation, food, transport and activities.

If you have more money to spend, a daily budget of 40 USD will get you a budget hotel room with air conditioning, some sit-down meals at restaurants, and lots of tours and excursions! Your money goes a long way in Cambodia.

Accommodation: Cambodia has some of the cheapest hostels in all of Southeast Asia, starting at around 5 USD per night.

Food: Food can be incredibly cheap in Cambodia, with street food costing as little as 1 USD for a huge plate of noodles. If you eat locally, you can easily get by on about 3 USD a day.

Transport: Buses are the best mode of public transport in Cambodia as they don’t have the best rail infrastructure. Intercity buses cost as little as 10 – 15 USD and public city buses in Phnom Penh are just 0.37 USD.

Activities: Cambodia is home to a ton of amazing, free activities. However, it’s likely that you’ll want to do some activities which cost. For example, a single-day pass to Angkor Wat is 37 USD, an elephant sanctuary visit is about 50 USD and trekking with a guide could cost about 50 USD a day.

Item	Cost
Street food	1 – 2 USD
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	3 – 4 USD
Bottle of water	0.50 USD
Cappucino	2 USD
Local beer	0.50 – 1.25 USD
Import beer	1.50 USD
Dorm room in a backpacker hostel	5 USD
Private room in a budget hotel	10 – 15 USD
Bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap	10 – 15 USD
Ticket entry to Angkor Wat	37 USD

Getting around in Cambodia

The easiest and cheapest way to travel around Cambodia is by bus. A bus will take you everywhere and anywhere you want to go, no matter how far. The backpacker trail is so worn that there is a very well-established tourist bus system to take you almost anywhere. That being said, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville are the main transport hubs, so you may have to layover in one of these destinations if you’re wanting to head a little more off the beaten track.

There are lots of travel companies offering bus transfers, but some of these have pretty questionable comfort standards. I suggest you use Giant Ibis. Bus rides from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, for example, start at about 10 USD one way.

Minivans can also be arranged to get you around the country, although these can get cramped as they pack people in. Cambodia’s rail infrastructure is quite limited and can be slow, but you can see a map of Cambodia’s railway here.

Food & drink in Cambodia

Cambodia shares many dishes with its neighbouring countries. You’ll find noodle soups similar to Vietnamese pho, refreshing salads similar to those in Thailand, Indian-inspired curries, plus noodles and stir-fries not unlike those you would expect in China.

That being said, Cambodians do put their own spin on things, so here are some tasty Khmer dishes you should definitely try.

Amok: A delicious curry seasoned with coconut milk and cooked in banana leaves. Usually served with fish but can be made with other proteins.

Mee Kola: A vegetarian noodle dish.

Samlor Machu Trey: A sweet and sour soup made with pineapple, chilli garlic and lemongrass.

Bai Cha: Cambodia’s take on fried rice, made with soy sauce.

Khmer Laksa: Thin rice noodles added to a red curry soup with vegetables and fish sauce.

Vegetarian diet: As a vegetarian, I found eating in most of Southeast Asia to be no problem. It was a little more difficult in Cambodia, as a lot of their dishes contain fish. Rice, noodles, tofu, stir-fried vegetables and fresh fruit made up a large part of my diet in Cambodia.

Water: Don’t forget, you cannot drink tap water in Cambodia, but bottled water is cheap to buy from shops at 0.50 USD.

Alcohol: Cambodia has a large selection of beers available in shops and bars. Their most popular local beer is Angkor, which you can buy for as little as 0.50 USD. Other easily accessible beers include Klang, Bayon and Cambodia Lager. Imported beers, such as Heineken and Carlsberg are widely available too, but you’ll pay more for them.

Tea & coffee: A cup of Western coffee, such as a cappuccino, is relatively cheap at about 2 USD.

Travel safety in Cambodia

Cambodia is a safe place to travel in.

Violent crime is rare, especially towards tourists. That being said, tourists can be the target of petty theft crimes such as pick-pocketing and bag snatching. Always be aware of your surroundings, especially in busy tourist hotspots, and keep your valuables out of sight.

Tourist scams are also sadly fairly common in Cambodia — I suggest watching out for the following:

• If you’re renting a motorbike, be sure to take photos, as it’s been known that vendors will try to charge you for pre-existing damage to their bike.
• Be aware of shady or fake police officers who demand to see your passport and ask for a fine in order for you to get it back.

Nonetheless, Cambodians are generally very nice people and it’s a safe country to travel in. That being said, I always say that if you can’t afford travel insurance, then you can’t afford to travel. For backpacking trips, I always go with World Nomads as they are flexible and cover a wide range of outdoor/adrenaline activities.

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Thank you for reading! If you found this post useful, I’d be grateful if you would consider using the affiliate links below when planning your travels. I’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This will help me to keep this blog running. Thanks for your support – Lauren.

Hotels – Booking.com
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