Is Cambodia ready to welcome its visitors in 2021-2022?

The archaic country, Cambodia is home to some of the most picturesque religious sites, hospitable and warm locals, and astonishing scenery, as far as your eyes can reach. Traveling to this spiritual country can certainly jjj give you a divine and devotional experience.

However, like several other countries across the globe, this country is too is gradually rejuvenating from a damaging and aggressive past. Due to this, there are many elements of danger that still linger within the country. Although it is now deemed to be a safe and popular destination for tourists, yet they still need to be extra cautious when they head towards this beautiful country.

Thanks to the gaining momentum of vaccinations all over the globe, things around the globe are eventually returning to normalcy. Cambodia is also slowly getting ready to welcome its visitors with open arms. The authorities of Cambodia are supervising over this situation minutely and you’ll get a detailed information on traveling to this country from the US in 2021. Keep reading to stay updated on the latest updates.

Entry, Exit, and Visa – What do tourists require to visit Cambodia?

If you wish to know in detail about the entry and exit requirements to Cambodia during COVID-19, you have to first visit the official Embassy’s COVID-19 page. The two things without which you cannot enter this country are a valid passport and a Cambodian visa. In case you’re traveling from the US, you’ll require a visa for Cambodia from US to enter the country for business or leisure purpose.

Business travelers and tourists can also grab a Cambodian visa at the Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports and also at the major borders. In case you stay back in Cambodia beyond the official date authorized, the immigration officials will charge you a fine of $10 for each day you overstayed. Excessive overstays can also lead to an arrest for breaching immigration laws.

Will I be allowed to visit Cambodia?

GAINING ENTRANCE PERMISSION TO CAMBODIA

As of now, traveling to Cambodia is restricted due to the rising cases of COVID-19 affected patients all over the country. The flights that direct towards Cambodia usually need a transfer through international locations in South East Asia. The 3 land borders – the Cambodia-Vietnam, Cambodia-Thailand and the Cambodia-Laos are all closed till date.

REQUIREMENTS OF VISA

The general visa exemption policy of Cambodia, e-visas and tourist visa-on-arrival have been deferred for an indefinite period of time.

However, if you’re someone who has some important reasons to enter Cambodia, you should get yourself a visa-before-arrival. Such visas can be got from Cambodian embassies set abroad or from diplomatic missions.

The visas that are presently accepted are ‘ordinary’ visas of E-class, and EG, EB, ER or ES (extensions of stay), B-class, A-class diplomatic visas, K-class visas and C-class visas.

PROOF OF BEING TESTED NEGATIVE FOR COVID-19

If you’re a traveler traveling from the US to Cambodia, you’ll require a medical certificate that has been issued 72 hours before your travel date. This certificate should be issued by a health authority mentioning that you have tested negative for your RT-PCR test. The stamp of the authority should be present on the report and it should be signed by the doctor.

VACCINE REQUIREMENTS

No, it is still not a mandate to get your COVID-19 vaccine for entering Cambodia. However, since more and more people are getting vaccinated all over the world and the countries are returning to normalcy, this will soon become a requirement for entering Cambodia. Recently, the Tourism Ministry of Cambodia announced that all fully vaccinated individuals will be permitted to enter Cambodia since November, 2021.

QUARANTINE

Each and every backpacker to Cambodia will be tested medically as soon as they arrive. Then they might have to quarantine for around 14 days at a place assigned by the government of Cambodia. Right on the 13th day of quarantine, all travelers will need to take another PCR test at either the ChakAngre Clinic in Phnom Penh or the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh. The costs of the test have to be borne by the traveler.

When will Cambodia open fully for travelers?

As already mentioned earlier, it has been announced by the Cambodian Tourism Ministry that the tourists with double vaccination will be allowed to enter Cambodia from November, 2021. Did you know that Cambodia is the second-highest vaccinated nation in South-east Asia just after Singapore?

It is fortunate enough to note that Cambodia has already injected more than 65% of its 17.5 million population and 95% of the residents of the capital, Phnom Penh have received both the doses of vaccine.

What is the best time to visit Cambodia?

Throughout the year, Cambodia is a warm country and hence no matter which month you travel, you can enjoy a tropical weather. The monsoons have a higher probability of rain from the month of May to October. Nevertheless, rains in Cambodia occur during the afternoon and soon they’re followed by sunshine.

The remaining months are dry and hot and therefore are perfect for lying down on beaches and chilling with friends and family. You can also visit the best temples during sunrise like Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider.

So, to cut it short, no time is a bad time to visit Cambodia. Isn’t this a great piece of information for backpackers who are waiting to travel to Cambodia?

Delve into the biggest temple complex in the world

The largest religious complex in the world is Angkor Wat and this happens to be one of the most attractive tourist spots for people who are traveling to Cambodia. It was built as a Hindu temple 900 years back and later on transformed to a Buddhist monument. Angkor Wat is presently a UNESCO World Heritage Site and of immense importance and significance to the people of Cambodia. The best way to soak the stateliness of Angkor Wat is by getting up by sunrise, get a cup of coffee and unravel your inner Indiana Jones to get the most out of this piece of wonder!

Although it is not possible to travel to Cambodia just yet, yet there are high chances of being able to do so in the near future. So, keep your plans ready to make it a memorable trip.

Author Bio:

Susan Noel is an experienced content writer. She is associated with many renowned travel blogs as a guest author where she shares her valuable travel tips with the audience.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the management of EconoTimes