Transport
Giant Ibis is a bus company providing upscale travel service b/w all major tourist cities of Cambodia. It connects Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Kampot, Kep, Sihanoukville and other cities.
Internationally, it connects Siem Reap to Bangkok and Phnom Penh to Saigon. Comfortable, clean and punctual – I booked all my trips with them and had a positive experience every time. Tickets can be booked directly from their website.
Currency
US dollar is the main currency (yes you read that right :)). I actually enjoyed spending in USD – all transactions became simpler compared to INR which I am used to.
Cambodian Riel is used to complement the USD to serve as small tender. And yes, ATM machines dispense crisp dollar bills 🙂
Stay
In my travels, searching for a good accommodation always takes up a large portion of my energy. If done wrong, it can totally spoil the mood and the vacation altogether.
While travelling through Cambodia, I found the chain of hostels by Onederz always reliable. They provide a great experience and at the very minimum – an above average experience. Value for money too – their dorms are priced at 5-6$ a night and a meal with a drink will set you back only by ~7$. And yes, all their hostels have a restaurant and bar too. If that is not all, they have swimming pools at each of their hostels. Their hostels are always located in the centre of all the action.
In short, if you want to save your energy that goes into stay hunting, you can choose Onederz and rest assured of at least an above average experience. They have hostels in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Kampot, Koh Rong (main island and Sanloem both).
Note – If you want to have an exceptional hostel experience and you find yourself in Siem Reap (which you will for sure when in Cambodia), do stay at Lub D. It is THE best. It was my best hostel experience so far.
Budget
Cambodia is way cheaper compared to Thailand or Vietnam. You get far more value for the bucks you spend here.
Dorm for a night would cost you 5-6$ and a meal with a juice would be around 7$. And I am talking quality at these prices, not just namesake choices.
Eating habits adaptability
I found very little difficulty adapting to Cambodian food. Even the veg options were available aplenty (unlike Quy Nhon, Vietnam where I had almost starved searching for good veg options).
Cambodian dishes – Amok and Lok Lak became my favourites and I had them in almost every meal.
You will find the juice and shake culture widespread in Cambodia similar to Thailand. Every food joint would be selling shakes and juices, only a lot more cheaper compared to Thailand 🙂 This was totally missing in Vietnam. Only a few select regular eateries and of course, the fine dining places would sell shakes/juices.
English spoken
English is well spoken all across the country. The locals may not speak fluently however they know enough to make the transactions smooth.
This was in stark contrast to Thailand and Vietnam. I remember I was at an upscale night club in District 1, Saigon – the reception staff as well as the manager had great difficulty conversing in English. I have experienced similar issues in Thailand in the past.
Experience with locals
Landing in Siem Reap from Thailand was such a welcome relief. I was allowed to be myself and I never felt like I was travelling abroad. People were always so warm and welcoming. You will feel this difference the moment you land in Cambodia. Phnom Penh could be a bit loud, however in all other cities, you would feel like being at home.
My experience in Vietnam was far more hostile where I felt discrimination on the face on many occasions. However it gets a lot better when you move into the countryside and further away from big cities like Saigon and Hanoi.
Overall experience – Awesome
I was delighted with my stay in Cambodia and never felt like coming back :). I will definitely visit soon.
Tales of a traveller 
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