From ancient Angkor Wat to the bustling markets of Siem Reap, the traditional bamboo train in Battambang to the tragic Killing Fields of Phnom Penh, Cambodia is a brilliant country to visit. Here’s how we spent 2 weeks in Cambodia to help you plan your trip, including transport, where to stay and things to do 🙂
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Is 2 weeks in Cambodia enough?
We spent 2 weeks in Cambodia, which, for us, felt like the perfect amount of time to explore everything the country has to offer, without feeling too rushed. Transport is easy to book, with buses, trains, and ferries running between destinations, making getting around really easy.
Is Cambodia worth visiting?
To be honest, we didn’t have huge expectations when we arrived in Cambodia, but we were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it. Compared to its neighbours Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia feels more off the beaten track yet has so much to see and learn about.
The food is great (I loved Amok curry), it’s incredibly affordable (we stayed in hostels for as little as $3!), and the people are friendly. If you enjoy learning about history, trying new cuisines and visiting ancient temples, Cambodia is definitely worth visiting.
2 weeks in Cambodia: a detailed itinerary
Kampot: 2 nights
We began our trip in Kampot, a relaxed riverside town in southern Cambodia, known for its pepper plantations and salt fields. We spent our first afternoon wandering the town, getting a sim card and Cambodian currency, and enjoying our first taste of Cambodian cuisine. On our second day, we took a day trip to Bokor National Park. There’s not loads to do in Kampot so I wouldn’t recommend spending more than 2 or 3 nights here, but it’s a good place to chill and get familiar with Cambodia.
Where to Stay in Kampot
We stayed at OneDerz Hostel for £5 per night. It was one of the nicest hostels we stayed at in Cambodia, with a great outdoor pool area, hot showers, and a lively atmosphere. It also served the best amok curry we had on our entire trip.
Things to Do in Kampot
• Bokor National Park – About an hour from Kampot, you can get here by Grab, motorbike, or an organized tour from your hostel. Here, we visited Bokor Palace, an old French colonial hotel with stunning sea views. It was abandoned for many years during the Khmer Rouge but has recently been refurbished.
• Salt Fields & Pepper Plantations – If you have time, you can also visit the famous salt fields and pepper farms on a guided tour. Unfortunately, we arrived late in the afternoon on our first day so we didn’t have time, but I think it would have been interesting.
Koh Rong: 4 nights
From Kampot, we took a train to Sihanoukville and then a ferry to the island paradise of Koh Rong. There is one train per day, at 10:40am, getting to Sihanoukville for 1pm. We booked the train online for $6. If you’re short on time, you could skip Kampot and head straight to Sihanoukville, but I wouldn’t recommend staying there for more than 1 night as there’s not really anything to do there and it’s not the nicest place.
Koh Rong was one of my favourite islands on our entire Southeast Asia trip, with sandy white beaches, clear blue water and lively beach bars. I’ve written a separate blog post on Koh Rong which you can read below 🙂
Phnom Penh: 3 nights
From Koh Rong, we took the ferry back to Sihanoukville. We booked a minivan from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh for $13.50 each through redBus.
Phnom Penh is a lively riverside city full of history. It’s where you’ll find Tuol Sleg Genocide Museum and The Killing Fields, so it’s definitely not to be missed on a trip to Cambodia.
Where to Stay in Phnom Penh
We stayed at OneDerz Phnom Penh for £6 per night (as we loved Onederz Kampot so much!) It was centrally located, with two stunning rooftop terraces overlooking the city, a restaurant and bar, and a rooftop swimming pool.
Things to Do in Phnom Penh
• Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum – Here we learnt about Cambodia’s tragic history under the Khmer Rouge, and the brutal genocide of over 1 million Cambodians. Entry costs $5, plus $5 for the audio guide, which I’d highly recommend to gain an in-depth understanding.
• The Killing Fields – After the Genocide Museum, we took a tuk-tuk to The Killing Fields, where over a million people were brutally murdered by the Khmer Rouge. Entry is $6, including an audio guide that provides an in-depth history of what happened here.
• Royal Palace – On our second day, we took a walk along the river to the Royal Palace. Entry is $10, but we just admired it from the outside (because we’re tight backpackers).
• National Museum of Cambodia – If you want to learn more about the country’s history, you can visit the National Museum for $10.
• Aeon Mall Phnom Penh – A massive shopping mall with a big food court, a bakery, and a huge supermarket selling fresh salads, sandwiches, sushi, and juices. We took a short Grab here for lunch and to escape the relentless heat!
• Phnom Penh Night Market – We had some delicious local cuisine every night from the night market. There is a lot of choice, however all the food stalls are selling the same dishes, so you can just pick whichever one takes your fancy (or has the shortest queue lol). Then like a proper local you can sit on the cushions on the floor to eat your meal. There are also plenty of stalls selling souvenirs and clothes.
Battambang: 2 nights
Next, we booked a minivan through redBus from Phnom Penh to Battambang for $10 each. Battambang is a rural town with plenty to see and do and definitely worth a visit.
Where to Stay in Battambang
We stayed at The Place Hostel for just £3.70 per night. It had a great chill-out area overlooking the town and served delicious food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’d definitely recommend this hostel if you’re visiting Battambang 🙂
Things to Do in Battambang
• Bamboo Train – The traditional bamboo platform, powered by a small motor, runs along an old railway track through the countryside. It’s a very interesting way to learn about the local history; locals built these “norries” during the 1980s to transport goods and people after the Khmer Rouge destroyed the railways. The ride lasts around 30 minutes and costs $5 per person and I thought it was well worth it!
• Wat Samrong Knong Killing Fields – This Buddhist temple complex was used as a prison during the Khmer Rouge regime, and many people were brutally murdered here. Today, it is free to enter the memorial and read the plaques detailing the history of the site.
• Ek Phnom Temple – A 1000 year old temple from the 11th century, with a giant sitting Buddha next to it. It costs $1 to enter and it only takes about 20 minutes to walk around the whole site.
• Killing Caves of Phnom Sampeau – An execution site where the Khmer Rouge threw victims from the top of the cave to their death. The skulls and bones of victims are encased in a memorial at the bottom of the cave where you can pay your respects.
• Bat Cave – Every evening around 6pm, thousands of bats stream out of Phnom Sampeau Cave, creating an incredible spectacle in the sky. The sight lasts for about 30 minutes, and you can watch from one of the nearby roadside cafés. It’s really easy to get to this area via Grab, tuk-tuk or motorcycle. You can also join a full or half day guided tour that combines the cave with other nearby attractions.
Siem Reap: 3 nights
From Battambang, we booked another minivan to Siem Reap through our hostel for $8.
We loved Siem Reap—the city had a great vibe, with lively markets, affordable food, and lots to do. And of course, it’s home to the famous Angkor Wat.
Where to stay in Siem Reap
We really liked The Place Hostel in Battambang so we booked it again in Siem Reap for just £3 per night. It had a nice outdoor pool, comfy chill-out area, and a great central location just 10 minute walk from the main restaurant and bar area.
Things to Do in Siem Reap
Angkor Wat (duh)
No trip to Cambodia is complete without visiting 12th century Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument and Cambodia’s most famous landmark. It’s a very cool place to visit and definitely worth the money.
We bought the one-day pass for $37, which gave us access to multiple temples across the area.
We wanted to see the temple at sunrise, (and avoid the intense midday heat) so we arrived around 6:00am. It was a bit cloudy so unfortunately the sunrise was a little underwhelming, but by 7:00am the temple looked stunning. It was already packed by this time, but the site is so huge that you don’t really notice the crowds.
It’s really easy to get to Angkor Wat from Siem Reap. You can book a Grab, go on a guided tour with your hostel or book online, or drive yourself. If you want to learn more about the history of Angkor Wat, then I’d recommend joining a guided tour, as there aren’t any information signs to read as you walk around.
Which temples to visit at Angkor Wat
You don’t need to visit every single temple on the complex, and unless you have a multi-day pass, I doubt you would have the time or energy! I’d say Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple, Ta Keo and Ta Prohm are the main temples worth visiting. Depending on what time you are arriving, many people like to watch the sunset from Phnom Bakheng too.
• Angkor Wat – Start at the main temple. It’s huge, beautiful and surrounded by lush green jungle. We spent about an hour wandering around the site.
• Bayon Temple – Next, head to Bayon Temple (my favourite), renowned for it’s 216 carved stone faces. It’s much smaller than Angkor Wat and can be seen in about 30 minutes.
• Ta Keo – Close to Bayon Temple is Ta Keo, an impressive temple full of monkeys. We spent about an hour exploring the temple and watching dozens of monkeys playing in the surrounding jungle.
• Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider Temple) – Finally, visit Ta Prohm, a very interesting temple that has been reclaimed by nature, with massive tree roots intertwining through the ruins. It was very interesting to see how the jungle had grown over the old ruins. This was probably the busiest temple we visited and it was quite hard to walk around, but we spent 45 minutes here.
Other things to do in Siem Reap
• Siem Reap markets – There are plenty of great markets in Siem Reap. We visited the Made in Cambodia market, which is a more expensive market aimed at tourists, selling arts and crafts handmade by locals. There is also the Old Market, a big market which sells everything you could imagine, from clothes and souvenirs to spices, tea and everything in between.
• Khmer Taste Restaurant – We ate in the same restaurant every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner (yes, it was that good). This place is perfect for backpackers on a budget with meals for as little as $1. The food is also delicious!
• Pub Street – In the center of Siem Reap is Pub Street, a lively area full of, you guessed it… pubs. If you enjoy nightlife then this is the place for you.
2 weeks in Cambodia: final thoughts
Overall, our 2 weeks in Cambodia way exceeded our expectations. We learnt so much history, ate some delicious food, and saw some incredible sights. I’d highly recommend spending 2 weeks in Cambodia and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did 🙂
