The water
Bottled water always; ice from sealed bags is the rule. Tap water: Not drinkable.
Cambodia
The Tonle Sap, whose seasonal flow reversal swells the lake several times over and drives one of the world's most productive inland fisheries.
RegionAsiaCurrencyUSDPowerType A/B/C, 220V (varies)Tap waterNot drinkable
Good
Eco Index
What to expect on the ground
At a glance
Food & farming
Cambodia is strongly agricultural, self-sufficient in rice and a significant milled-rice exporter, with food only about 8.5 per cent of merchandise imports (World Bank). The Tonle Sap sustains one of the world's most productive…Read more
Cambodia is strongly agricultural, self-sufficient in rice and a significant milled-rice exporter, with food only about 8.5 per cent of merchandise imports (World Bank). The Tonle Sap sustains one of the world's most productive inland fisheries, and tropical fruit and vegetables are widely grown. Domestic food production is robust.
Local staples
Rice, freshwater fish, prahok (fermented fish paste), Khmer curries built on kroeung spice paste, tropical fruit and Kampot pepper.
Markets
Daily produce markets (psar) in every town, busiest at dawn.
In season
Wet-season rice harvested from November to December, with dry-season rice around March and April.
Wildlife
The Cardamom Mountains and northern plains hold globally important biodiversity, and a single reserve, Keo Seima, supports more than 75 IUCN-threatened species. Cambodia is a last refuge for the critically endangered giant ibis,…Read more
The Cardamom Mountains and northern plains hold globally important biodiversity, and a single reserve, Keo Seima, supports more than 75 IUCN-threatened species. Cambodia is a last refuge for the critically endangered giant ibis, its national bird, and Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins. Populations are heavily depleted by poaching and the wildlife trade, and tigers are now functionally extinct here.
Found nowhere else
Cardamom Mountains and northern-plains species, including the critically endangered giant ibis and the Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin.
Natural phenomena
Dry Nov–Apr, monsoon May–Oct; the temples are best early morning.
When to go
November to February, the cool dry season.
Getting around
Buses and shared minivans between towns, tuk-tuks in the cities, and boats on the Mekong and Tonle Sap.
Good to know
USD is used alongside riel; cash is king. Khmer etiquette is gentle and formal.
Safety
Solo female travel: Take care. LGBTQ+: Mixed.
Only hereThe Tonle Sap, whose seasonal flow reversal swells the lake several times over and drives one of the world's most productive inland fisheries.
Assessed across 10 equally-weighted pillars
The Eco Index, pillar by pillar
65/100
Good
The Eco Index: Cambodia
12 pillars, equally weighted, from published sources. All 12 assessed. Blanks mean unverified, never estimated.
Only here The Tonle Sap, whose seasonal flow reversal swells the lake several times over and drives one of the world's most productive inland fisheries.
- Forest cover
- 43.06%
- Land protected
- 39.8%
- Sea protected
- 1.44%
- Organic farmland
- 0.6%
- Found nowhere else
- Cardamom Mountains and northern-plains species, including the critically endangered giant ibis and the Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin.
- Renewable power
- 35.7%
- CO2 per person
- 1.0 t
- Air quality (AQI)
- 18.1
- Cleanest air
- The Cardamom Mountains and the Koh Kong coast.
- Water from
- Bottled water always; ice from sealed bags is the rule.
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Safe drinking water
- 29.13%
- Cleanest water
- The Cardamom rivers and the Koh Rong archipelago.
- Food imported
- 8.52%
- In season
- Wet-season rice harvested from November to December, with dry-season rice around March and April.
- Plastic ban
- Phnom Penh introduced a charge on plastic bags at large stores in 2018, though enforcement is limited and litter remains heavy.
- Watch out for
- Illegal logging, riverbed sand mining and garment-factory effluent.
- Solo female travel
- Take care
- LGBTQ+ acceptance
- Mixed
- Best months
- November to February
- Getting around
- Buses and shared minivans between towns, tuk-tuks in the cities, and boats on the Mekong and Tonle Sap.
- Power
- Type A/B/C, 220V (varies)
- Currency
- USD
| Pillar | Score | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| WaterWhere the water comes from, and whether there is enough of it | 2/5 | Cambodia is shaped by water, from the Mekong River to the Tonle Sap, South-East Asia's largest freshwater lake, which reverses its flow each monsoon, so surface water is abundant. Full assessmentDelivery, however, is poor: only about 29 per cent of the population uses safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2022), rural access lags and some groundwater carries arsenic. Tap water is not safe to drink untreated. |
| Food and farmingWhat the island actually grows, and what arrives by boat | 5/5 | Cambodia is strongly agricultural, self-sufficient in rice and a significant milled-rice exporter, with food only about 8.5 per cent of merchandise imports (World Bank). Full assessmentThe Tonle Sap sustains one of the world's most productive inland fisheries, and tropical fruit and vegetables are widely grown. Domestic food production is robust. |
| Plant based and real foodWhether you can eat unprocessed from local supply | 3/5 | The rice-and-vegetable base and abundant tropical produce make plant food easy to find, and Buddhist temple cuisine offers a vegetarian thread. Full assessmentBut fish and the fermented fish paste prahok are central to Khmer cooking, so genuinely plant-based meals take more effort to source. Availability is good, the culture less so. |
| OrganicCertified and chemical free growing, which is not the same thing as plant based | 2/5 | Certified organic land is about 0.6 per cent of farmland, roughly 36,000 hectares (FiBL, 2020), a small but growing sector. Full assessmentOrganic Kampot pepper and emerging organic rice are the standout products. The certified share stays low. |
| ConservationWhat is protected, and whether protection is enforced | 3/5 | On paper Cambodia is a conservation heavyweight, with 39.8 per cent of its land inside protected areas (World Bank) including the Cardamom Mountains and Prey Lang. Full assessmentThe reality is undercut by some of the world's highest deforestation rates, illegal logging and forest loss even within protected areas, and economic land concessions. Marine protection is minimal at 1.44 per cent. |
| Wildlife and endemicsWhat lives here and nowhere else on earth | 3/5 | The Cardamom Mountains and northern plains hold globally important biodiversity, and a single reserve, Keo Seima, supports more than 75 IUCN-threatened species. Full assessmentCambodia is a last refuge for the critically endangered giant ibis, its national bird, and Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins. Populations are heavily depleted by poaching and the wildlife trade, and tigers are now functionally extinct here. |
| Natural materialsWhat you can eat from and carry here instead of plastic, and who still makes it | 4/5 | Cambodia keeps a living textile tradition in its golden silk and hol ikat weaving and in the ubiquitous cotton krama scarf, a national symbol worn everywhere. Full assessmentRattan, water hyacinth and lotus-stem fibre feed a range of craft. The silk sector leans partly on imported raw thread, but the weaving culture itself is very much alive. |
| Pollution and plasticPlastic law and contamination | 2/5 | Phnom Penh introduced a charge on plastic bags at large stores in 2018, but enforcement is limited and plastic litter is heavy in cities and waterways. Full assessmentUrban air is moderate, with a national PM2.5 average around 18 micrograms per cubic metre (IQAir, 2024), well above the WHO guideline, worsened by crop and forest burning. Policy is weak and thinly enforced. |
| Recycling and wasteWhat actually happens to the rubbish once you have thrown it away | 2/5 | Cambodia has little formal municipal recycling, and recovery depends largely on informal waste pickers and small buy-back dealers collecting cans, plastic and metal. Full assessmentThere is no comprehensive kerbside system. Rates are low. |
| Energy and climateClean power, carbon emissions per person and the pace of decarbonisation | 3/5 | Cambodia's electricity mix is split between coal and hydropower, with coal supplying about 59 per cent of generation in 2023 and renewables, chiefly hydro, around 41 per cent. Full assessmentPer-capita emissions are very low at roughly 1 tonne of CO2 a year, reflecting low energy use, but they are rising quickly as coal-fired capacity expands. The country has pledged carbon neutrality by 2050 and is adding solar, yet the near-term trend leans on coal. This tension between a very low emitter and a coal-heavy, worsening grid places it in the middle band. |
| Culture and peopleIndigenous and living communities, and who the money reaches | 5/5 | Khmer culture is deeply alive, anchored by Angkor and by everyday Theravada Buddhist practice, and indigenous highland peoples such as the Bunong, Kreung and Tampuan maintain distinct tradi… Full assessmentions. Established community-based ecotourism at Chi Phat, Banteay Chhmar and Prek Toal channels income directly to villages and conservation. Land-grabbing and uneven distribution of Angkor revenue are real problems, but genuine community tourism is well developed. |
| Living heritage and ancestral traditionsNational dance and music, and the ancestral and spiritual traditions still practised | 5/5 | Cambodia holds a deep and living Khmer heritage, most famously the classical Apsara (Robam) dance and the masked Lakhon Khol drama, both inscribed by UNESCO. Full assessmentPinpeat and mahori ensembles, shadow puppetry (Sbek Thom) and the bamboo-lute chapei remain active performance traditions. Everyday spiritual life blends Theravada Buddhism with older animist practice, including the veneration of Neak Ta guardian spirits and ancestors. Festivals such as the Water Festival (Bon Om Touk) and Khmer New Year anchor the ritual calendar. |
Before you go
USD is used alongside riel; cash is king. Khmer etiquette is gentle and formal.
Where these figures come from
- World Bank, Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS (43.06%), 2023 — source
- World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas ER.LND.PTLD.ZS (39.8%), 2024 — source
- World Bank, Marine protected areas ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS (1.44%), 2021 — source
- Our World in Data / Ember, Share of electricity from renewables (35.7% in 2024, down from 65% in 2022 as coal grows) — source
- World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, safely managed drinking water SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS (29.13%), 2022 — source
- World Bank, Food imports (% of merchandise imports) (8.52%), 2023 — source
- IQAir, World Air Quality Report, Cambodia PM2.5 annual average (18.1 ug/m3), 2024 — source
- FiBL / IFOAM, The World of Organic Agriculture (organic 0.6%, ~35,879 ha), 2020 — source
- Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary supports more than 75 IUCN-threatened species (Griffin/WCS), 2019 — source
- Our World in Data, CO2 country profile: Cambodia — source
- IEA, Cambodia country profile (coal ~59%, renewables ~41%, 2023) — source
- Wikipedia, Energy in Cambodia — source
- UNESCO, Intangible Cultural Heritage of Cambodia (Royal Ballet, Lakhon Khol, Sbek Thom) — source
- Wikipedia, Culture of Cambodia — source
Living heritage and ancestral traditions
The culture still danced, played and believed
Cambodia holds a deep and living Khmer heritage, most famously the classical Apsara (Robam) dance and the masked Lakhon Khol drama, both inscribed by UNESCO. Pinpeat and mahori ensembles, shadow puppetry (Sbek Thom) and the bamboo-lute chapei remain active performance traditions. Everyday spiritual life blends Theravada Buddhism with older animist practice, including the veneration of Neak Ta guardian spirits and ancestors. Festivals such as the Water Festival (Bon Om Touk) and Khmer New Year anchor the ritual calendar.
- Khmer classical Apsara (Robam) dance and Lakhon Khol masked drama
- pinpeat and mahori music
- Sbek Thom shadow puppetry and chapei lute
- Neak Ta spirit veneration and ancestral practice
- Bon Om Touk Water Festival and Khmer New Year.
Sleep well, tread lightly
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