Cambodia Travel: Things you may not know

Cambodia, a neighbouring country of Vietnam has many interested things that people may not know. Read now Travel Sense Asia’s blog post to know more about this country and prepare for your trip to Cambodia.

Cambodian national flag

Cambodian national flag

It is the only national flag in the world having an actual building incorporated in its design. That is Angkor Wat – an ancient temple complex which is symbol of Cambodia and Khmer culture. It was first put on Cambodian national flag in 1850.

Phnom Penh capital

In the past 1920s Phnom Penh was known as the pearl of Asia. Together with Siem Reap they are 2 important cities of Cambodia and the most popular destinations in Cambodia Tours.

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat Temple

It is the main temple of a large temple complex of Khmer Kingdom, built from 9th to 15th century. At the beginning Angkor Wat was dedicated to Hinduism, but later place of worship for Buddhism.

Tonle Sap, the biggest freshwater lake in Cambodia

Tonle Sap is the biggest and the most important lake in Cambodia. It is home for over 1.2 million Cambodians living along river banks and hosts the most productive inland fishing on the planet. In rainy season Tonle Sap merges with the mighty Mekong River and expands its area nearly 10 times.

Lotus as a Buddhist symbol

Lotus is known as a symbol for Buddhism. So you can see lotus everywhere in Cambodia. From architectural decoration to daily life as an offering to Buddha or food ingredients.

Traditional costume of Cambodia

Khmer traditional costume

Cambodian national clothing is quite similar to Thailand traditional costume. It called “Sampot”, a large rectangular piece of cloth, which is wrapped around the lower part of the body. Together with “Sampot”, Cambodians wear “Chang Pong” at the upper half of the body. This cloth crosses shoulders and covers the breast of the woman. In addition to this, cambodian traditional scarf is also very popular here. It is a sturdy traditional Cambodian garment worn by men, women and children.

Prahok in Khmer cuisine

Prahok is a salted and fermented fish paste (usually of mudfish) used in Cambodian cuisine as a seasoning or a condiment.

Khmer – official language in Cambodia

Khmer is the official language in Cambodia. Cambodians also speak English and French. They speak English pretty good so you don’t need to worry when travelling to Cambodia. Simple conversations in daily life can work out.

Riel, national currency

Riel is Cambodian national currency. However USD is also very common in this country. Tourists can use USD in almost cities in Cambodia. 1 USD = 4.125 Riel.

Housings in Cambodia

Phnom Penh

Villas and rural Khmer houses are very common housings in Cambodia. In the city like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap you can find many small French villas or two, three, or four floors high shophouses. But in countryside almost people live in Khmer traditional wooden houses on stands.

Khmer greetings

The traditional Cambodian greeting is to place the hands together, with the palms touching (a posture Westerners often associate with praying), and bow the head. It is quite similar to the greeting of Thai people.

Religion in Cambodia

Buddhism is the state religion. Approximately 98% of Cambodia’s population follows Theravada Buddhism. It is common for Cambodian men to become monks for a short period of their life — usually a few weeks or a few months — to bring merit to their parents and to become closer to their Buddhist faith.

Chol Chnam Thmey – Cambodia New Year Festival

Like Laos, Thailand or Myanmar, Cambodians celebrates their New Year Festival in April. It is time for the people to take few day work off, come back to home town and enjoy the holiday with their family. On this occasion people usually visit temples and pray for a happy and prosperous new year.

We hope that interested things above will help you to have a nice trip in Cambodia. Follow our blog to get to know more about this Khmer country.