Budget for 2 in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap
Replies: 9 - Last Post: Jul 18, 2012 10:12 PM Last Post By: JustiniDaGreat
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Budget for 2 in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap
Hi,I'm Justin (27yo Vietnamese Australian) and I'm off to Cambodia with my boy friend in July. We'll be landing in Saigon on 21st July and heading to Phnom Penh by bus on the 22nd. I've booked 1 night at the Diamond Palace hotel (a mistake I think as they've got such bad reviews now that I've looked at it) and 3 nights at the Tara Angkor. Accommodation for those 4 nights are paid for (but not for extra night in Phnom Penh on the way back) and I've carrying USD500 with me for the two of us. I'm not into luxurious indulgence or anything but I would like to have proper and decent dinners as we'll be celebrating my bf's bday over there. Do you guys have any suggestion for a nice dinner with a little bit of music/show or piano/violin etc and arrangement for a bday cake? I also love mojitos so any suggestion would be nice.
Also, as I've been to Siem Reap twice previously but this is his first time to so we'll definitely get a tuk tuk (just love this thing) but do you think we should get a guide? I'm very fluent in Khmer history as I'm sort of a history buff.
We will do a bit of horse-riding with the Happy Ranch and looking at doing hot air balloon (not too sure as it is stationary).
Do you think that the budget for food, activities and other things is reasonable?
I'm sorry if this is not coherent as I'm just writing this from the top of my head so many apologies for any confusion. Thank you for reading this and hope to get some feedback from you guys soon.
Thanks,
Justin
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If you are very fluent in Khmer history then I'm not sure a guide is necessary although they will explain to you for example what the carvings and bas relief are depicting.Cambodia is very cheap so I think 500USD is more than enough (I do not know how much horseriding and hot air balloon costs though).
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Thanks for the reply. I guess I'll be the guide for my bf though. $500 hopefully is enough spending money for both of us. I've checked with Happy Ranch and 2-hour is like $25 per person. Bought heaps of chocolate for the Cambodian kids so hopefully they will enjoy it. =)3
It's not clear from your post how many nights you and the bf are planning to spend in Cambodia. Does the $500 include a night in Saigon and the bus to PP? Yes Cambodia is cheap but not that cheap if you like nice hotels and good Western restaurants. As for drinking in PP, I'd suggest the riverside starting at about 5pm. Most places have a rooftop bar and happy hour prices from about 5-7pm. I've spent a lot of time in Cambodia recently so PM me if you have any specific questions.4
BTW...Cambodians don't really seem to like chocolate that much. Also, it's not a good idea to give money to kids on the street in Cambodia, whether they are begging or selling something. They are all controlled by very unsavory characters and giving them money completes the loop and keeps them out of school. (and of course contributes to their exploitation.)5
Hi Hot,I've pre-booked 1-night accommodation in Saigon, 1 night in Phnom Penh and 3 nights in Siem Reap but I'm planning to come back to Phnom Penh for another night or two after that. I'm looking at spending about $30-$40 per night. The spending money of $500 is for the both of us so that includes $80 for Angkor Wat and $50 for the horse-riding. that leaves $370 for the food and everything else. Does that sound ok to you?
I've bought mini maltesers, cadbury, time out, kit kat etc but you don't think that is a good idea to give to kids? I'm not intending to give out money to anybody though as it could adversely affect them according to my research.
Thanks for your reply and hope for the feedback.
6
$370/6 days = $62 per day for a hotel room, food, drinks and misc expenses. For 2 people. Yes I'd say it's doable in Cambodia but you will have to be just a bit frugal. In any case you should have a little extra $$ just in case you need it.Since you've already bought the candy you should just hand it out. Try not to create a mob scene.
If you're interested, there are a couple gay bars in PP, not too far from the riverside. They both have funny drag shows on weekends around 10pm.
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Hi Hot,Again, thank you for the heaps useful info. I've booked and paid for the hotels already through Agoda so I'm probably talking about $60 for both of us just on spending, lunches, dinners and extras and maybe a few gifts for the relatives back in Vietnam and Australia. I'll also be carrying my savings card and credit card. I figured that credit card withdrawals would be the best way to go? I'm not keen on taking too much cash around and hence only exchanged for $500 in USD. I think another 2-300 AUD would be enough as back up?
We're young, upwardly mobile but definitely not into the scene. Not clubbers or anything like that, prefer to enjoy drinks and dinners with our straight friends (LOL). I do have a bit of a laugh watching drag shows once every few full moons so any recommendation for a Sunday night in Phnom Penh watching show or listening to contemporary Cambodian music would be great.
Kids in Vietnam loves chocolate so should I just leave the chocolate in Vietnam and buy lollies for the Khmer kids instead?
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about $60 for both of us just on spending, lunches, dinners and extras
Even better.
I figured that credit card withdrawals would be the best way to go?
Strictly speaking, with a credit card cash advance you will get hit with a high interest rate from the day you make the withdrawal. But are you talking about a debit card? (you already have the money in an account at your bank). If that's the case, then definitely use the debit card in Cambodia if you have to. Use the ATMs at Canadia Bank because they do not charge a fee. Other banks charge about $5 per withdrawal. Don't leave any money in any hotel rooms or it will probably be stolen!
Sunday night is pretty quiet in PP. But you could read the weekend entertainment guide in one of the local English language papers to find out if anything's happening.
Kids in Vietnam loves chocolate so should I just leave the chocolate in Vietnam and buy lollies for the Khmer kids instead?
Up to you. I personally don't believe in giving candy to children. But I occasionally buy meals for skinny, half-starved kids in SE Asia. There is a lot of malnutrition in Cambodia but most of it is in the countryside.
