We took it easy in Cambodia, and the budget reflected that. We visited the coast and the islands, the capital Phnom Penh, and the "flavourful" city of Siem Reap, which gave us access to the incredible temples of Angkor.
30 days in Cambodia, 2 people, €615.60 total. €307.80 each. €10.26 per person per day! We could have done it cheaper, but the island visits — and above all the three-day Angkor pass — pushed the budget up.
Our Cambodia expenses in full:
- Food. Total spend: €291.50 — almost €5 per person per day! This time we broke it down into fresh fruit (€20); sweets, biscuits and pastries (€21.50); and everything else from street stalls, supermarkets and restaurants (€250).
- Accommodation. Probably one of the countries where we spent the least on sleeping, and that's despite staying in guesthouses almost every night. Total spend: €89.00 for a roof over our heads. Under €3 a day, which shows that Cambodia is a genuinely cheap country for accommodation.
- Entrance fees. For the first time in over a year of travelling we made a significant dent here. Visits to several natural parks — and above all the expensive three-day Angkor pass, which costs $40 per person — sent this category into orbit. Total: €62.
- Transport. €64 in total, split evenly between buses and boats. Urban transport we handled the usual way: on foot.
- Bicycle hire. Roll on the day we buy our own bikes and start riding them! We spent €7.60 on rentals, mainly to explore Angkor by bike and skip the tuk-tuks.
- Visa. Entry to Cambodia cost us €38, though this was actually paid nearly three months earlier in Bangkok during our embassy-hopping day sorting out visas. When we crossed the Vietnam–Cambodia border we made sure not to pay any of the many extras they try to sting tourists with.
- Alcohol. Our year on the wagon came to an abrupt end. Pints of cold beer for 50 cents were just too hard to resist — especially when it was often the cheapest drink available. We kept it under control enough to spend no more than €20.
- Drinks. Juices and shakes were part of our diet, same as previous months. Total: €19.
- Water. Tap water isn't safe to drink, so we had to buy bottled water constantly. We drove a hard bargain and bought bulk packs before heading into remote areas, but still ended up spending €19 on H2O.
- Health and hygiene. Shampoo, mosquito repellent, and bite-relief cream came to €5.50.
And that was that. Have you been to Cambodia? Share your experiences and your own budget in the comments!
