Cambodia Travel Guide: Tuktuk Through Cambodia
- Two Seats Reserved
- Jan 15
- 11 min read
Updated: Jan 17
Following our journey around India in a tuktuk in 2023 (read about that in our Rickshaw Run post), we wanted another 3-wheeled adventure. Scouring the land for a new destination to explore, and in this adventurous way, we found a company that hires them in Cambodia. Great, that is definitely in!
Why Choose Cambodia?
There’s something magnetic about Southeast Asia—the warmth, the chaos, the colour, the promise of real adventure. But Cambodia brings a different kind of magic. It offers that “off‑the‑beaten‑track” feeling many travellers chase, while still wrapping you in the rich cultural tapestry the region is known for. It’s a place where ancient wonders rise out of the jungle, where history sits heavy yet humbling, and where everyday life is lived with a resilience that leaves a mark on you.
At the heart of it all is Angkor Wat—often called the eighth wonder of the world—a sprawling, temple-studded kingdom that somehow exceeds every expectation. But Cambodia’s story doesn’t end with its ancient empire. Its more recent past, marked by the Khmer Rouge regime, is sobering and essential to understanding the country’s identity today. Visiting Cambodia means confronting both awe and empathy, side by side.
And then there’s the everyday charm: it’s incredibly affordable, wonderfully welcoming, and filled with unexpected quirks. From markets stacked with anything you can imagine—yes, including the infamous creepy‑crawly delicacies you’ll probably stare at but not dare to try—to quiet rural roads where life slows down, Cambodia rewards curiosity at every turn.
If you love Southeast Asia but want something a little wilder, a little deeper, and a little more surprising, Cambodia is where your compass should point.
Travel Itinerary
2 nights - Siam Reap
3 nights - Beach or Island escape
3 nights - Kampot
2 nights - Phonm Penh
Cambodia Travel Guide: At a Glance
Best Time to Visit: Dry season October - April
How long do i need?: 7 days will allow you to see the key backpacker sites, but 10-14 days is ideal to get more under the surface of the country!
Currency: Cambodian Riel (USD is also widely accepted, but make sure your notes are pristine!)
Language: Khmer
Budget Level: $$
Visa Info: Visa is required for travellers from the UK (eVisa's available and easy to apply for)
Must-See
Top 3 Landmarks:
Angkor Wat at sunrise (the cliché is justified)
Choeung Ek & Tuol Sleng in Phnom Penh (difficult but essential)
Bokor National Park above Kampot (mist, macaques, and crumbling colonial bones)
Hidden Gems:
Lotus Silk Farm (unexpectedly beautiful craft + a dreamy paddle among the pads)
Green Cathedral in Kampot (kayak under a canopy of mangroves)
Pagoda Beach on Koh Rong (the quiet exhale you didn’t know you needed).
Personal Favourite Moment:
New Year’s Eve on Siem Reap’s Pub Street with mostly Cambodian families out celebrating — friendly, warm, zero agro — followed by that soft, golden sunrise over Angkor a few hours later. An all‑timer of a travel day.
Practical Logistics
Getting Around in Cambodia
When it comes to exploring Cambodia, there are plenty of transport options—from buses to private drivers—but nothing comes close to the freedom, fun, and authenticity of travelling by tuk‑tuk. We hired one for our entire time in the country, and honestly, we cannot recommend it enough.
A tuk‑tuk gives you the best of both worlds:
Freedom and flexibility to stop whenever something catches your eye
A slower, more connected pace that lets you actually see the country as you move through it
Open sides and fresh air, which beats falling asleep wedged into yet another minivan
Surprising agility once you reach bigger towns—parking right next to markets, cafes, and restaurants with zero hassle
Unforgettable interactions as locals double‑take at the sight of a Westerner confidently navigating a tuk‑tuk
Yes, you’re still a bit wedged in—but somehow the open air, jungle breeze, and constant sensory stream make the whole experience feel far more immersive than anything with windows and air‑con ever could.
We booked ours through tuktukrental.com, and at $22 per day (2025 prices) it’s fantastic value. That rate includes:
Full insurance
The training you need to drive safely and confidently
Ongoing support if anything crops up on the road
Fuel is the only extra cost, and that barely dents the budget. A full tank is around $6, lasts roughly 300 km, and keeps you moving without worry.
If you want a mode of travel that turns the journey itself into part of the adventure, a tuk‑tuk is hands down the way to go. It’s fun, cheap, flexible—and delivers memories that minibuses simply can’t.
Day 1–3: Siem Reap
Things to Do in Siem Reap
Pub Street — We ended up here on New Year’s Eve after dinner at the Phsar Khmer Food Court (highly recommend — modern, lively, great food, and the live performances really add to the atmosphere). I’m usually suspicious of any “pub street” in Asia — they tend to be loud, chaotic and full of tourists behaving like they’re on a stag do. But this one genuinely surprised us. It felt friendly, energetic, and packed mostly with Cambodian families out celebrating. A brilliant vibe and such a fun night.
Lotus Silk Farm — We almost skipped this because we’d already covered a lot of ground that day in the tuk-tuk, but I’m so glad we didn’t. The tour is fascinating — seeing how they use every single part of the lotus plant to create silk gives you a new appreciation for the craft. Afterwards, you're taken to the lotus ponds for the most peaceful paddle through lily pads. Our boat driver even made little trinkets out of fresh flowers for us along the way. A lovely, unexpected highlight.
Angkor Wat (Sunrise) — If you’re in Siem Reap, this is probably why. And yes, it really is that magical at sunrise. We hired a guide, which I’d 100% recommend — they know the best spots for photos and can explain the temple’s past life as both a Hindu and Buddhist site. Since we visited on New Year’s Day (after a late one on Pub Street…), we kept our temple run focused on Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm. The tuk-tuk was perfect for this — slow, breezy rides through the Angkor park, spotting temples peeking through the trees.
APOPO Visitor Centre — A genuinely inspiring visit. APOPO trains African giant pouched rats (nicknamed “HeroRATs”) to detect landmines and tuberculosis. They’re too light to trigger mines, incredibly smart, and help clear land at a pace humans simply can’t match. It’s short, impactful, and well worth the stop.
How to Get to Siem Reap
There are plenty of options depending on where you’re coming from:
Flights into Siem Reap International from across SE Asia.
Buses/minivans from Phnom Penh (5–6 hours) or Battambang (3–4 hours). Or from Don Det if you've just ended your trip in Laos (8-10 hours depending on border crossing)
Private taxi if you want the quickest and most comfortable land route.
Where to Stay in Siem Reap
We booked Golden Temple Residence but were upgraded to Golden Temple Boutique, their sister hotel across the road, and it was honestly such a lovely stay. The staff were incredible, the rooms were beautiful, and the hotel was in the perfect location — close enough to walk to Pub Street and Phsar Khmer Food Court in five minutes, but far enough from the noise to be peaceful. And an added perk: secure parking for the tuk‑tuk!
Day 4–5: Koh Rong
Things to Do in Koh Rong
Relax, relax, relax. Permission granted to slow everything down: book, beach, nap, repeat — with occasional dips in warm, ridiculously clear water.
Snorkelling day trip — Boats hit a couple of offshore spots with decent visibility; not the Red Sea, but plenty of life. Calm, easy and cheerful.
Bioluminescent plankton — When conditions line up, a night swim is pure magic. You swoosh your hands and the sea flickers back like little stars. It’s hard not to grin in your snorkel.
Kayak or paddleboard — Mornings are usually glassy. Hug the shoreline, peek around headlands, find your own patch of quiet.
Light jungle walk — Trails connect a few beaches; it’s nothing too technical, but take water and expect a satisfying, sweaty glow by the time you find the next bay.
Island‑hopping cruise — An easy add if you’re feeling restless: a loop of swim stops, a beach barbecue if you’re lucky, and a lazy sail back at sunset.
How to Get to Koh Rong
Ferry from Sihanoukville (Autonomous Port): Multiple operators, multiple departures. We rocked up ~50 minutes early and had no trouble boarding. Our open return ticket was about $25 pp.
Parking: The tuk‑tuk stayed at the secure, manned port car park for $1/day — stress‑free.
Know your pier: Ferries drop at different beaches depending on your accommodation, so check your booking and confirm at the counter before you board. Saves a lot of faff on arrival.
On‑island transport: Tuk‑tuks are easy to find and friendly, just pricier than the mainland — roughly $5 pp for short hops on the same side, $10 pp for longer cross‑island runs.
Where to Stay in Koh Rong
We were ready for quiet, so Pagoda Beach was perfect. We stayed at The Beach Resort and loved having access to its two sister spots (You&Me and The One) — three pools, a choice of restaurants, and a big beachfront room where you can roll out of bed and onto the sand. Proper white‑sand, clear‑water stuff, with palms and just enough life to keep it interesting. If you’re craving more buzz, Long Set Beach is the social one: bars, beach shacks, and the occasional fire show. Accommodation ranges from budget to solid mid‑range — not as polished as Pagoda, but full of energy and people‑watching.
Day 6–8: Kampot
Things to Do in Kampot
Paddle the Green Cathedral — A slow, meditative kayak under a canopy of mangroves that meet overhead like a leafy tunnel. Go early when the water is still and the light slips through the branches; you can hear birdsong, your paddle, and not much else. It’s exactly the kind of calm you hope to stumble into on a trip like this.
Visit local animal rescues —
UCP Cat Rescue — A short hop out of town, and absolutely worth it. Monika has turned her own home into a sanctuary where cats are protected, loved and ultimately rehomed. It’s small‑scale, thoughtful and very human.
Kampot Dog Sanctuary — Bigger, riverside, and surprisingly fun to visit thanks to the on‑site bar and restaurant (you’ll end up staying longer than planned). They do rehoming properly, with house checks and care. The dogs will steal your heart and possibly your seat.
Samaki Market & Kampot Night Market — We never get tired of markets. It’s the rhythm of daily life — people picking fish, choosing veg, gossiping, negotiating. You snack, you watch, you imagine living here for a month and doing this every morning.
Bokor National Park — One of the best days of the trip.
The park: A breezy, mist‑prone plateau above the Gulf of Thailand with evergreen forests, waterfalls, macaques and a scatter of French colonial ruins. Cooler air, big views and a proper sense of elsewhere.
Wat Sampov Pram: A modest hilltop pagoda from the 1920s perched among weathered boulders, with huge gulf views when the cloud parts. The wind, the silence, the scale — it all lands at once.
Bokor Hill Station: The abandoned hotel‑casino feels like walking through a memory — flaking paint, long corridors, fog pooling in doorways. You can almost hear cutlery and clinking glasses under the quiet. It’s eerie in the best way.
How to Get to Kampot
Our route (from Koh Rong): On paper, it’s ~100 km / ~3 hours. In practice, after a smooth first stretch, the “road” crumbles into a pothole‑and‑dust obstacle course. We crawled at around 20 kph, sometimes slower. It’s bumpy, it’s a story, and the scenery softens the rough bits.
From Phnom Penh:
Minivan: roughly 2.5–3 hours and the quickest way to do it by road.
Coach/Bus: 3–4 hours, less cramped, more stops.
Private taxi: 2.5–3 hours, door‑to‑door and easiest with luggage.
Train: Occasional Royal Railway service — slower, but a quietly charming way to watch the countryside roll by.
Where to Stay in Kampot
Bohemiaz Resort & Spa — Excellent value. We paid about $7 pp for a comfy AC double and access to two pools (one a huge natural, well‑fed pool that looks rustic but is properly maintained). Food was tops — get the Mexican salad if you go.
Eden Eco Village — A gentle splurge at around $10 pp, and worth every cent. Simple bamboo huts right on the river, your own hammock, steps straight into the water. Composting toilet that behaved itself, and the coolest nights’ sleep we had in Cambodia — duvet territory! Waking to fishing boats humming past is the kind of travel memory that sticks.
Yellow Sun (next door) — Friendly, budget, and you can wander over for drinks or food even if you’re staying at Eden. Big deck, bigger sunsets.
Day 9–11: Phnom Penh
Things to Do in Phnom Penh
Wander and look up — Phnom Penh is a city of layers. Above you: glass towers. Around you at street level: colonial balconies, tangled cables, food carts with charcoal smoke curling up. Boeng Keng Kang (BKK) is our pick for bar/coffee/restaurant hopping — easy to spend a day nibbling and people‑watching.
Understand Cambodia’s recent history — Choeung Ek (Killing Fields) and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S‑21) are not easy visits, but they are important ones. Go when you have the headspace, take your time, and give yourself something gentle afterwards — a river walk, a café, a quiet hour.
Markets, always —
Russian Market was our favourite: moody light, narrow aisles, a bit of everything and the right kind of chaotic.
Central Market is the famous art‑deco one — come for the architecture and a browse.
Orussey Market is colossal and heavy on textiles/beauty; interesting to see once, but not one we lingered in.
Night Market + Walk Street (Fri/Sat) — Preah Sisowath Quay goes pedestrian‑only and fills with artisan stalls and food carts. This is also where the “are we doing this?” snacks appear — deep‑fried tarantulas, hissing cockroaches, snake on a stick. We spectated. You might be braver.
Sunset with a flourish — Sora Skybar at Vattanac Tower, cantilevered out on the 37th floor like a little glass plank. We did the sunset deal (~$60 for two): free‑flow drinks for two hours, two plates of food, live music and a honey‑gold sky over the city. A lot of “this is excellent” head‑nodding happened.
How to Get to Phnom Penh
Fly: Phnom Penh International (PNH) is the main gateway. If you’re bouncing between the two major hubs, Siem Reap (SAI) has quick hops to PNH.
Overland:
From Siem Reap: minivan/bus ~5–6 hours, private taxi ~4–5 hours, or a 45‑minute flight.
From Kampot: minivan ~2.5–3 hours; private taxi ~2.5 hours.
From Laos: common route via Si Phan Don (4000 Islands), then cross into Cambodia and ride buses south to Phnom Penh.
Where to Stay in Phnom Penh
We finished big at the Rosewood Phnom Penh (blame The Grand Tour: Seamen — it put the idea in Chris’s head and we ran with it). It’s one of those hotels where everyone is absurdly lovely and your room is half apartment, half dream. Huge bath, cloud‑level bed, the kind of city view that hushes conversation mid‑sentence — and Sora Skybar just an elevator ride away. Turning up in a tuk‑tuk made for a fun check‑in moment; they seemed as delighted as we were.
Food & Drink
Khmer curry — Gentle, aromatic and built for spoonfuls of rice.
Lok lak — Peppery, saucy beef; the lime‑pepper dip is the whole point.
Fish amok — Silky coconut curry, often steamed in banana leaf. Comforting in a tropical way.
Grilled river fish and night‑market BBQ — Skewers, smoke, and that irresistible “one more bite” cycle.
Fresh fruit shakes — Mango, passionfruit, whatever’s piled highest that day.
Coffee — Phnom Penh and Kampot both punch above their weight. Iced coffee becomes a personality trait around 2pm.
The Final Verdict
Cambodia was exactly the mix we were hunting: somewhere slightly off the typical first‑timer trail, packed with colour and kindness, and full of those “I’ll remember this” moments. Frenetic cities when you want energy, quiet rivers and beaches when you don’t — and a price point that lets you treat yourself now and then without guilt.
Who is this for?
Backpackers, mid‑rangers, honeymooners on a curveball route — honestly anyone who wants warmth, variety and good value.
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