Major city · Cambodia
Banteay Chhmarបន្ទាយឆ្មារ
Go only if you want a whole Angkorian temple complex nearly to yourself: 1 night, US$5 entry, no ATMs, electricity 18:00–23:00.Go only if you want a whole Angkorian temple complex nearly to yourself: 1 night, US$5 entry, no ATMs, electricity 6:00 PM–11:00 PM.
- Weather
- see forecast
- Currency
- USD
- Best months
- Nov–Mar (dry season, road from Sisophon firm)
- avoid Jun–Oct (rain slows the dirt road; some satellites hard to reach)
- Airport
- REP
- Nights
- 1
Rules in force · 5Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…
- Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
- Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
- Cambodia ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal; lookalike sites charge extra. Some nationalities can also get a visa on arrival.
- Cambodia ↗Angkor Wat and other active temples enforce a dress code: shoulders and knees covered, or you are turned away at the gate.
- Cambodia ↗US dollars are used for most tourist prices; carry clean, undamaged small notes and some riel for change under one dollar.
Banteay Chhmar is a late-12th-century Jayavarman VII complex with Bayon-style face towers and bas-reliefs, plus nine satellite temples, in a village with no ATMs and no buses. It is reached by taxi from Sisophon, 65 km south. Fewer than a thousand visitors a year: you will likely have the temple to yourself. One night is enough; the temple fee covers multi-day entry to the satellites.
Essentials
Quick answers and what things cost
Quick answers
The questions people ask first about Banteay Chhmar, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.
- Cash or card?US dollars for hotels, tours and restaurants; riel (KHR, about 4,000 to the dollar) for change and small street purchases.Cambodia-wide
- SIM or eSIMSmart, Cellcard and Metfone sell tourist SIMs at the airports with passport registration; a week of data costs a few dollars.Cambodia-wide
- Tap waterNot drinkable from the tap.Cambodia-wide
- TippingSit-down restaurant: Round up or leave US$1–2 where no service charge is added.Cambodia-wide
- Plugs & powerSockets A/C/G. US/Canada (A/B): fits · UK/Ireland (G): fits · Australia/NZ (I): adapter. 230 V: US 120 V-only devices (hair dryers) need a converter; most chargers are dual-voltage.Cambodia-wide
- SafetyThe village is quiet and the main risk is practical: no ATM, no mains power by day, no English among homestay owners.
- RestroomsWestern toilets in hotels, restaurants and at the Angkor ticket office and main temples; squat toilets with a hose or scoop on the road.Cambodia-wide
- Emergency numbers117 police · 118 fire · 119 ambulance (not 911, 999 or 000)
- Sundays & holidaysMany shops close for Khmer New Year and Pchum Ben; government offices close all public holidays; Angkor temples open every day.Cambodia-wide
- Your embassyFind your embassy's 24-hour line before you fly.
- AirportcheckREP Siem Reap–Angkor International (No direct transfer; most travellers reach Banteay Chhmar via Sisophon by road, about 3–4 h (check)).
- Getting aroundThe village, the main temple and the homestays are close enough to walk.
Cost cheat-sheet
Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.
- Sit-down mealCBT restaurant lunch or dinnerUS$4
- Street or quick mealCBT restaurant breakfastUS$2
- Beercan from a shopUS$0.50
- Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi, about 3 miTuk-tuk, per dayHired in Sisophon; checkUS$30
- Budget bedCBT homestay room, a night, per roomUS$8
- Mid-range bedCBT homestay room, a night, per roomUS$12
- High-end bedCBT homestay room, a night, per roomUS$16
A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$20 · Mid US$35 · High US$60
Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →
Decide
What it is known for, and when the weather works
At a glance
What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.
- Airports
- REP Siem Reap–Angkor International (No direct transfer; most travellers reach Banteay Chhmar via Sisophon by road, about 3–4 h (check))
Weather and climate
Banteay Chhmar: next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Air quality
Loading…
Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.
Jan
31°C88°F
20°C68°F
1 rd
Feb
33°C91°F
22°C72°F
2 rd
Mar
35°C95°F
24°C75°F
4 rd
Apr
36°C97°F
25°C77°F
8 rd
May
35°C95°F
25°C77°F
15 rd
Jun
33°C91°F
25°C77°F
17 rd
Jul
32°C90°F
24°C75°F
18 rd
Aug
32°C90°F
24°C75°F
19 rd
Sep
31°C88°F
24°C75°F
19 rd
Oct
31°C88°F
24°C75°F
15 rd
Nov
31°C88°F
22°C72°F
6 rd
Dec
30°C86°F
20°C68°F
2 rd
High / low °C°F · rd = rain days
Arrive & move
Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Getting around
The village, the main temple and the homestays are close enough to walk. Most satellite temples are also walkable; the CBT rents bicycles (US$1.50/day). Mebon Baray is 600 m from the CBT office. Pol Pot Baray, 3 km north, is best by moto. There are no buses to Banteay Chhmar.
See & do
Day-trips, door to door
Day-trips
Banteay Torp Temple
goDoor to door: Half a day
9 km south off Hwy 56; by motorbike or taxi, or a kuyon arranged by the CBT for groups5.6 mi south off Hwy 56; by motorbike or taxi, or a kuyon arranged by the CBT for groups
Three leaning towers and wall paintings in the nearby pagoda. Bicycles are a poor idea, especially in the rainy season.
Mebon Baray
goDoor to door: 1–2 h
Walk or cycle 600 m from the CBT office
Angkorian reservoir, about 1,000 x 1,500 m, with a temple on the island reachable in the dry season.
Pol Pot Baray (Boeung Cheung Kru)
cautionDoor to door: 1–2 h
3 km north; best by moto, possible by bike in the dry season1.9 mi north; best by moto, possible by bike in the dry season
Built under the Pol Pot regime; still the villagers' water source. Hard to reach in the rainy season.
Sisophon
goDoor to door: About 1 h
Shared taxi from the taxi stand on Hwy 56, about 1 h in the dry season
Transit hub for Siem Reap, Battambang, Phnom Penh and Poipet; nearest ATM.
Eat & sleep
Which area to sleep in
Where to sleep
Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.
CBT homestays, Banteay Chhmar village
The only sleeping option in the village: 8 homestays, 19 rooms, one double bed each, mosquito nets, no air conditioning. Booked through the CBT; owners do not speak English.
CBT guesthouse rooms
Two guesthouses, 12 rooms total, also booked through the CBT. Slightly more comfort than a homestay.
Tent in the temple compound
Overnight tent stay with lunch, dinner, breakfast and a tour included; booked through the CBT. Priciest option.
Practical
What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Cost per day
- Budget
- US$15–25 excl. bed
- Mid
- US$25–45 excl. bed
- High
- US$45+ excl. bed
Trip budget
| CBT homestay room1 × 1 night × US$12 | US$12 |
| Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$35 | US$70 |
| Temple entrance fee, covers all satellite temples2 × US$5 · Children under 12 free; good for multi-day entry. | US$10 |
| Shared taxi Sisophon → Banteay Chhmar, one way2 × US$5 · Six passengers per car; pay for two seats for legroom. | US$10 |
| Private taxi Sisophon → Banteay Chhmar, one way1 × US$25 | US$25 |
| Bicycle rental, one day2 × US$2 | US$3 |
| English-speaking CBT guide1 × US$15 | US$15 |
| Ox-cart village tour, 1 h1 × US$10 · Up to 4 people. | US$10 |
| Kuyon (powered tractor) trip1 × US$15 · Up to 10 people; to the barays or Banteay Torp. | US$15 |
| Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge | US$17 |
| Trip total≈ US$94 per person per day, bed included | US$187 |
One double bed, mosquito net, no air conditioning; book through the CBT.
2026 estimate in US dollars, the usual currency here; riel and baht are also accepted. Your choices stay in this browser.
Prices of common things
| CBT restaurant breakfast | US$2 |
| CBT restaurant lunch or dinner | US$4 |
| Chan Rom Restaurant mealNo menu; look in the pots. | US$1.00–2.50 |
| Market stall snack or rice soup | US$0.50–2 |
| Beer, can from a shop | US$0.50 |
| Motorbike with driver (motodop), per dayHired in Sisophon; check | US$10–12 |
| Tuk-tuk, per dayHired in Sisophon; check | US$30 |
| Self-drive motorbike rental in SisophonGolden Crown Guesthouse; check | US$10/day |
2026 estimate; check locally.
Watch out
Safety
- No ATM in Banteay Chhmar; the nearest is in Sisophon. Bring US dollars, riel or baht in cash.
- Electricity runs only 18:00–23:00; bring a torch and a power bank.Electricity runs only 6:00 PM–11:00 PM; bring a torch and a power bank.
- No internet facilities; Smart Mobile 4G is spotty (check).
- Market food stalls start closing around 17:00: eat early or arrange a later meal.
- In 2025 there were border skirmishes along the Cambodian–Thai border; check your government's advice before any leg within 50 km of that border.In 2025 there were border skirmishes along the Cambodian–Thai border; check your government's advice before any leg within 31 mi of that border.
- The road from Sisophon is rarely closed, but rainy-season travel takes longer.
Emergency numbers
- Police
- 117
- Fire
- 118
- Ambulance
- 119
Pocket card
Fill in, then print or save as PDF
Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.
Banteay Chhmarបន្ទាយឆ្មារ
Pocket card · Voykit
My bed tonight
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—
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សូមជូនខ្ញុំទៅអាសយដ្ឋាននេះPlease take me to this address
Emergency
- Police117
- Fire118
- Ambulance119
Embassy
No embassies in Banteay Chhmar; the nearest consular help is in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap (check).
My embassy: —
Fare anchors (2026 estimate)
- Shared taxi Sisophon → Banteay Chhmar: US$5 per person, about 1 h in the dry season
- Private taxi Sisophon → Banteay Chhmar: US$25 per car
- Temple entrance: US$5 per person, multi-day, children under 12 free
Say or show
- សួស្តី — Hello (suostei)
- អរគុណ — Thank you (aw kohn)
- ថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន? — How much is it? (thlai ponman)
- បង្គន់នៅឯណា? — Where is the toilet? (bangkun nov ae na)
- ខ្ញុំចង់បានរបស់នេះ — I would like this (khnhom chong ban robsa nih)
- សូមកុំដាក់ហឹរ — No spicy, please (som kom dak her)
No ATM in the village: carry cash. Electricity only 18:00–23:00.
Deep dive
What this guide covers so far, and its sources
Not a trip line yet
This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Banteay Chhmar. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.
What we know, and what is coming
On this page
- Best months: Nov–Mar (dry season, road from Sisophon firm) · avoid Jun–Oct (rain slows the dirt road; some satellites hard to reach) · month by month →
- 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
- Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
- Cost per day in 3 bands
- 4 day-trips, door to door
- 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers
Coming as the guide grows
- Verify CBT homestay, guesthouse and temple-tent rates and the current temple fee before publishing a price table.
- Field-check the Sisophon taxi stand and shared-taxi fares, plus dry- and rainy-season drive times.
- Confirm Smart Mobile 4G coverage and whether the CBT still lends computers or modems.
- Recheck border-safety advice for the Cambodian–Thai border before any Poipet or Samraong routing.