TELEPHONE

Like all infrastructure in Cambodia, the land based telephone network was destroyed during the Khmer Rouge era, and, as a consequence, although improving and cities are now well connected, landline services remain unavailable in some locations. For this reason mobile phone technology has understandably been widely embraced in Cambodia.

To dial home from Cambodia, use the international access code 001, followed by the destination country code, area code and number you wish to dial.

For calls to Cambodia, the international dial code prefix may vary depending upon the country from which the call is made, but will be followed by Cambodia’s international number +855, followed by the Cambodian area code and local number.

The main police emergency number is 117 which is free to call, and is suitable for use in all types of emergency. When dialling from a mobile phone, you will need to prefix this with the local area code where you are staying. Additional free to call numbers are 118 for fire emergencies and 119 for an ambulance.

When travelling with Haivenu, you will also always be provided with an emergency contact number to access our help and assistance.

For mobile handsets, consult your service provider in advance of departure to activate your handset for use in Cambodia and seek advice concerning roaming charges, which are, however, likely to be expensive.

If your phone is unlocked, another option is to buy a SIM card locally, from one of the several networks, Metfone being the most widely used. Other major providers include Mobitel, Smart, and CooTel. It should be noted, however, that coverage beyond the cities and towns is sporadic.

You can also purchase contract free handsets locally, though you will also need to purchase a SIM card.

INTERNET

Many hotels in Cambodian towns and cities provide, often free, Wi-Fi access, along with numerous bars, cafes and restaurants.

If you don’t have a computer, some hotels provide public use computers, and well as internet cafes and bars who charge for access, though these are in decline due to the increasing availability of Wi-Fi. It is not recommended to use such facilities for financial transactions to avoid the possibility of criminals accessing your most sensitive data.

ELECTRICITY

The electricity supply in Cambodia is 230 Volts, at 50 HZ.

A useful visual reference guide to the full range of international plug and socket varieties can be found at http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/, which describes the type system in use on this website.

As yet, there is no standardised socket system for Cambodia, and you will likely encounter different socket systems in hotels all over the country. The majority of connections are variants of two-pin outlets, some of which are round-pin (type C), others flat pin blade types (type A). Some of the newer hotels also provide British style 3-pin type G connections.

For this reason it is best either to carry a range of suitable adapters or invest in one of the new universal adapters with retractable pins which are adaptable to differing formats, particularly if you are travelling to more than one country. Usefully, some models also provide additional USB connections.

It is helpful to consider your likely needs in advance. If you will need to charge several items such as mobile phones, tablet computers, cameras etc., it may be worth bringing a multiple, preferably surge protected, outlet from your own country to avoid having to purchase several adapters, or to deal with a limited number of wall sockets.

In most cases, if your equipment normally runs on a 110 volt, 60 HZ supply, you will additionally need a portable transformer.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

Although the Cambodians have a traditional system of weights and measures, the model in everyday use is the international metric system based on the metre and gram.

POSTAL SERVICES

The Cambodian postal services are run by Cambodia Post operated by Express Mail Service, but is widely regarded as unsafe for anything but non-valuable post items. Even then, the service is often unreliable.

If you wish to send goods home, use an international operator available in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, such as TNT, DHL, UPS and Federal Express.

TIME ZONE

Cambodia's time zone is GMT+7, though it should be noted for calculation purposes that Cambodia does not operate a daylight saving mechanism.