Phnom Penh

Yes, mostly. Violent crime against tourists is rare, but petty theft is the real concern — drive-by bag snatches from motorbikes happen often along the riverside and quieter streets. Wear bags crossbody, keep phones out of street-facing pockets, use PassApp or Grab after dark, and avoid the unlit alleys behind the Central Market. Solo women report feeling broadly comfortable, though catcalling exists.

Three nights is the sweet spot. Day one covers the Royal Palace, National Museum, and Sisowath Quay; day two is reserved for Tuol Sleng (S-21) and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields, which are emotionally heavy enough to fill a day; day three is for the Russian Market, a Khmer cooking class, and dinner with a view. Add a fourth day if you want Koh Dach silk island.

November through February — the cool, dry stretch of the northeast monsoon. Daytime temperatures sit around 24–30°C, humidity drops, and rain is rare. March and April get punishingly hot (often 38°C+), and September and October are the wettest months. The early dry season is also when the Water Festival and Independence Day celebrations animate the riverfront.

Cheap by global standards, but no longer dirt-cheap. Budget travelers can manage on around $30 a day with hostels and street food. A comfortable mid-range trip runs $70–90 a day with a boutique hotel, mixed dining, and tuk-tuks. Splurging on Raffles, Topaz, and private guides pushes you well past $200 a day. It remains noticeably cheaper than Bangkok or Hanoi.

Three things, in roughly this order: the moral weight of Tuol Sleng (S-21) and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields, which document the Khmer Rouge years; the gilded Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda complex on the riverfront; and an underrated Khmer food scene built around dishes like fish amok, *lok lak*, *kuy teav* noodle soup, and the colonial-French-via-Cambodia *num pang* sandwich.

Carry cash. The US dollar circulates freely alongside the Cambodian riel — ATMs dispense both — and most prices over a few dollars are quoted in USD. Cards work at hotels and upscale restaurants, often with a 3% surcharge. Bring crisp, untorn bills; vendors regularly refuse marked or worn US notes and pass them back as change.

Phnom Penh International (PNH) is about 10 km west of the center. Grab and PassApp pickups at the official rank cost roughly $7–10 and take 30–45 minutes depending on traffic. The official airport taxi counter quotes a flat $15. There's also a slow public bus (#3) for under a dollar if you have time and patience.

Koh Dach (Silk Island) is the easiest — a 45-minute tuk-tuk plus ferry to a flat green island of silk weavers and stilt houses. The Tonle Bati lakes and the Phnom Tamao wildlife rescue centre are an hour south. Oudong, the former royal capital, is 40 km north. Kampong Cham, 90 minutes up the Mekong, is best done as an overnight.

For first-timers, Daun Penh — you'll wake up walking distance from the Royal Palace, National Museum, and Sisowath Quay riverfront. BKK1 is the best choice for food, coffee, and a slightly calmer feel, with the Russian Market a short tuk-tuk away. Tonle Bassac is the area for pool-and-skyline business hotels; Riverside is cheapest but noisy.

Both, ideally, on the same trip. Siem Reap is the temple base for Angkor Wat — the obvious choice if you can only pick one. Phnom Penh is the urban, gritty, food-and-history counterpart — bigger, busier, less curated, and where you actually feel modern Cambodia. Most visitors do 2–3 days in each, connected by a 45-minute domestic flight or a six-hour bus.

Yes — and the official audio guide, narrated partly by survivors, is what makes it. Choeung Ek is 15 km south of the city and takes a half-day with transport. Pair it with Tuol Sleng (S-21) the same morning, in either order; the museum contextualizes the field and vice versa. It is somber but neither voyeuristic nor exploitative.

Fish amok (coconut-milk curry steamed in banana leaf), beef lok lak (cubed beef in peppery sauce over rice), and *kuy teav* (rice-noodle soup, breakfast staple) are the three to start with. Add *bai sach chrouk* (pork over broken rice) for breakfast, *num banhchok* fish noodles for lunch, and *prahok ktis* — fermented fish dip — if you're feeling adventurous.

Most nationalities do. A 30-day tourist visa on arrival costs $30 USD cash at the airport, takes 5–10 minutes, and requires a passport with six months validity plus one passport photo. The official e-visa portal (evisa.gov.kh) handles it online before you fly. All travelers must also submit the Cambodia e-Arrival form within seven days of arrival.

In small pockets, yes — the riverfront promenade, the Royal Palace area, and the lanes of BKK1 are pleasant to wander. Beyond that, blocks are long, sidewalks are usually colonized by parked scooters, and crossings can be nerve-wracking. Most visitors walk locally and tuk-tuk between neighborhoods, which is cheap enough that there's no reason to do otherwise.

The wet season runs May to October, peaking in September and October when storms can flood streets for hours. Rain usually arrives as short, heavy afternoon downpours rather than all-day drizzle, so mornings stay workable. The dry season runs November to April; March and April are the hottest months of the year, with temperatures often hitting 38°C and humidity that lingers all night.