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Voykit pocket guide · Cambodia
Sisophon
Visit Sisophon only if you need a transport hub or a day trip to Banteay Chhmar; otherwise skip and stay in Siem Reap.
Sisophon is a small provincial capital on the junction of Highways 5 and 6. It offers cheap guesthouses, a bus hub, and a one‑hour motorbike ride to the remote Banteay Chhmar temples. Most travellers pass through en route to Battambang, Poipet or Siem Reap, so a half‑day or overnight stay is enough.
- Country
- Cambodia
- Best months
- Nov–Feb (dry, cooler)
- Avoid
- May–Oct (rainy season)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- US dollars for hotels, tours and restaurants; riel (KHR, about 4,000 to the dollar) for change and small street purchases.
- Daily spend
- Budget $10–15 excl. bed · Mid $15–25 excl. bed · High $25+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Smart, Cellcard and Metfone sell tourist SIMs at the airports with passport registration; a week of data costs a few dollars.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Fire 118 · Ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US and round European pins; newer hotels have UK-style type G.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Round up or leave US$1–2 where no service charge is added.; Tuk-tuk: Round up; US$2–5 extra for a full Angkor day.; Guide day: US$5–10 per person.; Massage: US$1–2 per hour.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water everywhere; many hotels have refill stations.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, restaurants and at the Angkor ticket office and main temples; squat toilets with a hose or scoop on the road. Paper goes in the bin in older places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Beer (bottle) | $0.50 |
| Meal at market stall | $1–2 |
| Motorbike rental per day | $10 |
| Bus ticket to Siem Reap | $4 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
Typical fares
- Bus Capitol Siem Reap
- about $4, 90 min (check schedule)
- Motorbike rental
- $10 per day, fuel extra
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Town is walkable; motorbike rental US$10/day at Golden Crown Guesthouse; tuk‑tuk hire US$30 for 8 h to Banteay Chhmar.
See and do
Known for
- Transport hub on Highway 5/6
- Gateway to Banteay Chhmar temple complex
- Cheap guesthouses and markets
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Banteay Chhmar temple complex | Motorbike hire US$10/day or tuk‑tuk US$30/8 h from Golden Crown Guesthouse | ≈1 h each way |
Sleep
- Guesthouses near shared taxi stand
- Basic rooms US$2.5–3 per night; walk to market and bus stand.
- Botoum Hotel
- Air‑conditioned rooms US$15; central location.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | សុំទោសsom tohs |
| Thank you | អរគុណaw kohn |
| How much is it? | តើតម្លៃប៉ុន្មាន?tae tomlay pon man? |
| Where is the bus station? | ស្ថានីយ៍ក្រុងនៅឯណា?sthaney krong nov aena? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Sampeah (palms together, slight bow); higher hands for elders and monks; avoid: Firm handshakes with older women
- Head and feet: Keep feet down and pointed away from people and Buddha images; avoid: Touching heads, even children's
- Temples: Shoes and hat off inside, shoulders and knees covered; avoid: Sitting with feet toward the Buddha; women touching monks
- Keeping face: Stay calm and smile when things go wrong; avoid: Shouting or public anger
- Giving and receiving: Use the right hand or both hands; avoid: Tossing money or objects
- Photos: Ask first, especially of monks and at memorials; avoid: Selfies at Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek
Scams and watch-outs
- Bus schedules vary; check times at the shared taxi stand.
- Rail service to Sisophon ended in 2006; station is unused.
- Road to Banteay Chhmar is paved but remote; arrange transport in advance.
Generally safe for day visitors; stay alert on busy highways and keep valuables secure in markets.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Sisophon yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Transport hub on Highway 5/6
- Gateway to Banteay Chhmar temple complex
- Cheap guesthouses and markets
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Sisophon, revision 5309969 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5309969
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/sisophon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.