Insight Guides Laos & Cambodia (Travel Guide eBook)

Insight Guides

• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN: 9781786717122
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Travel

Laos and Cambodia maintain a formidable allure for travellers - thoughts of paradise beaches and ancient temples are enough to set feet itching. Be inspired to visit by the new edition of Insight Guide Laos and Cambodia, a comprehensive full-colour guide to this fascinating and dramatically beautiful country, home to eight of the world's ten highest mountains.Inside Insight Guide Laos and Cambodia:

? A fully-overhauled edition by our expert South East Asia author.

? Stunning, specially-commissioned new photography that brings this breath-taking area and its people to life.

? Highlights of both country's top attractions, including Cambodia's Angkor Wat temples and the French colonial city of Luang Prabang in Laos.

? Descriptive region-by-region accounts cover both countries in detail.

? Detailed, high-quality maps throughout will help you get around and travel tips give you all the essential information for planning a memorable trip, including our independent selection of the best hotels and restaurants.

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides has over 40 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce around 400 full-colour print guidebooks and maps as well as picture-packed eBooks to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture together create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

'Insight Guides has spawned many imitators but is still the best of its type.' - Wanderlust Magazine

A-Z: A Handy Summary of Practical Information

A

Accommodation

Luxury accommodation in Cambodia is limited to a few major centres: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Phnom Penh offers a fine choice of luxury accommodation at very reasonable prices, considering the amenities on offer. Mid-level accommodation can be found in abundance and is usually quite comfortable. At the lower end, guesthouses are common, and some of them are excellent. Compared with what was available a few years ago, the general situation in Cambodia has improved tremendously. Above the US$15 or $20 level all rooms will be air-conditioned and normally have satellite television and a refrigerator. Hot water is usually available in mid-level and luxury accommodation. Under US$15 usually gets you a cold shower and ceiling fan. You may or may not have windows and a TV with international cable stations.

Booking ahead is a good idea, particularly in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, as well as Sihanoukville during high season (roughly October to March). It’s best to book directly through the hotel or through an online service rather than a tour office. Tour offices will mark up the price considerably. Moto and tuk-tuk drivers can drive you around and help you find accommodation when you first arrive. However, be aware that they receive a commission from the hotel, which may be added to the price of the room. Beware of taxi drivers at the airport who try to tell you that your chosen hotel is already full, under renovation or full of prostitutes. This will rarely, if ever, be true. It’s common for taxi drivers to pull a bait-and-switch, taking you to the wrong hotel (one where they collect a commission). If this happens, hold your ground (unless the other hotel looks like a better deal), and don’t pay the difference in the fare to take you to the correct hotel.

Bed bugs can be a problem in Cambodia’s budget hotels. Check for grey stains on sheets, tiny exoskeletons on the floor (particularly behind and under the bed), blood smears on walls, and tiny bugs (or black deposits of faeces in nests) in the folds of the mattress. Where signs are found, do not simply change rooms – it’s best to find another hotel entirely.

Unlike in Vietnam or Laos, Cambodian hotels do not need to retain passports to present to police. Receptionists will copy basic information and then immediately return them to guests.

Useful hotel booking services include www.cambodia-hotels.com and www.agoda.com.

Admission Charges

Admission charges vary widely. Sights off the beaten track generally have cheap admission charges, while places that receive lots of foreign tourists, notably Angkor Wat, can be relatively expensive. Many sights have free admission for Khmers or children.

B

Budgeting for Your Trip

Cambodia is the most expensive country in Indochina. The price difference between Cambodia and both Laos and Vietnam is partly due to Cambodia’s reliance on the US dollar, and because so many products are imported. Also, the substantial numbers of foreign NGO workers living in Cambodia for the past two decades have contributed to inflation. Food and drink, transport, internet access, medications and supplies are more expensive here, but accommodation tends to be cheap.

C

Children

Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat have enough diversions and creature comforts to keep the young ones in a good mood, but more remote destinations are certain to be taxing. Cambodians love children, but sometimes express this affection by a firm pinch, which can be a surprise for the child not used to this cultural trait. The beach at Sihanoukville and the temples of Angkor present spectacular ”playgrounds” for children, while Phnom Penh can be a bit problematic. Beware of wild monkeys at Angkor and Wat Phnom in Phnom Penh. They are often attracted to children and do bite − and can carry dangerous diseases. Better hotels normally have swimming pools. Monument Toys in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap carry toys. A large Lego retailer is located beside the Cambodia−Vietnam Friendship Monument in Phnom Penh.

Climate

Cambodia’s climate is dictated by the annual monsoon cycle. Between May and October the southwest monsoon brings heavy rainfall, usually for a few hours in the late afternoon on most days. The northwest monsoon, between November and earl...

Table of contents

• Laos & Cambodia’s Top 10 Attractions
• Editor’s Choice
• Introduction: Laos and Cambodia
• Spiritual Peoples
• Introduction: Laos
• The Lay of the Land
• Decisive Dates
• The Kingdom of Lan Xang
• Colonialism and Independence
• Population, Society and Economy
• Insight: Ethnic Minorities
• Culture, Art and Architecture
• Lao Food
• Introduction: Laos: Places
• Vientiane
• Insight: France on the Middle Mekong
• Vientiane Environs
• Luang Prabang
• Northeastern Laos
• Insight: Mysterious Jars
• Northwestern Laos
• The Mekong Valley
• Insight: The Mekong River
• Southern Laos
• Introduction: Cambodia: Places
• An Environment under Threat
• Decisive Dates
• The Rise and Fall of the Khmer
• From Colonialism to the Killing Fields and Beyond
• Population, Society and Economy
• Culture, Art and Architecture
• Insight: The Royal Ballet of Cambodia
• Cambodian Food
• Introduction: Cambodia: Places
• Phnom Penh
• Phnom Penh Environs
• Siem Reap and Battambang
• Angkor
• Insight: Angkor Architectural Styles
• Central and Northeast Cambodia
• Insight: Lao and Cambodian Festivals
• Preah Vihear
• The Cambodian Coast
• Transport
• A-Z: A Handy Summary of Practical Information
• Understanding the Language
• Further Reading
• Transport
• A-Z: A Handy Summary of Practical Information
• Understanding the Language
• Further Reading