If you follow us, you might read already our previous post:
- 5 Best Fiction Books For First-time Visitors To Read Before Visiting Cambodia
- 10 Best Places To Visit in Cambodia
- Best 9 Cambodian Movies That You Can Watch On Amazon Video
Our mission is to give you recommendations to get the best of Cambodia and explore the Southeast Asia countries.
After you imagine what Cambodia looks like through the fiction books we recommend. You now decide to travel to Cambodia. It is time to get the best practices and advice.
We continue our mission in this blog post to introduce you 10 best travel guide books to read and plan your trip to Cambodia.
It is good to get the physical books. You can take it with you anywhere. You can read as long as you can without worrying about the phone battery. I know how painful it is while we travel and our phone is running out of battery.
So get the physical books!
I don’t choose these books by myself. I don’t read them either. These are the top 10 amount the best sellers books on Amazon. The list is updated every hour. If you want to check the latest update, you can click on this link Amazon Best Sellers in Cambodia Travel Guides.
Let’s start to explore the list:
1. Lonely Planet Cambodia
Lonely Planet Cambodia is the #1 best seller book on Cambodia travel guides.
This is their 9th edition, updated and published on September 1, 2014. In Cambodia, there are two ways to get around. The first option is to read what recommended in the guidebook. The 2nd option is to go and ask a Tuk Tuk driver.
I recommend that you follow a mix of them. The book might give you the essential and best practices. The local people guide will bring you more close to the culture of the people you visit.
This book stays on the bestseller list quite a long time. It’s good to see they update it every year. I hope you would find useful information there. If not, you can ask me anytime on Twitter.
2. Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand
This is their 4th edition, updated and published on September 1, 2014. Lonely Planet has been known and trusted as a leading publisher in travel guides.
A lot of readers give them 5 stars reviews.
Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand is useful for people who don’t have much time to stay in each country.
The book will help you to explore the top places and get the best experiences out of the following cities: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle and more.
It could be a rush trip. But it really depends on how much time you have. 1 week in each country is recommended. If you travel across these Indochina countries, you would need a month or so.
3. DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Cambodia & Laos
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Cambodia & Laos is in the rang #4 and #5 best travel guide books for Cambodia and Laos.
It contains useful information with a lot of great photos of locations. It could give you a real vision of how the places you are going to visit look like.
But it is a bit out of date. The revised version was updated and published on July 1, 2013.
However, a lot of people give it 5-star reviews last year. It means the book is still relevant and got accurate information.
People recommend the book because it has a real photo of the locations that will help you to decide if you want to visit the place or not. It also explains the history of each place.
4. Notes from My Travels: Visits with Refugees in Africa, Cambodia, Pakistan and Ecuador
It is a book written by Hollywood famous actress Angelina Jolie. She came to Cambodia to shoot Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Since then, she fell in love with Cambodia.
At the time of writing this, she is in Cambodia to shoot a film based on the book First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers.
Angelina might not give you any advice on hotel or any detail reference, but she might give you a reason and inspiration to visit Cambodia.
The book was published on October 1, 2003. It would be a totally different experience. I want to take it off the list, but it is because it is the best seller books on Amazon, I insist on keeping it here. Maybe this book will change your perspective in some way.
5. Ancient Angkor
Ancient Angkor is the most recommended book to visit Angkor Wat temple.
People appreciate the book because of its useful photos, map, and history of the temples.
We don’t see much often reviews on Amazon but each time people give a review, they give the book 5 stars.
Bear in mind that the book was published since 2008. There is no much change in the temple information and history, but the hotel recommendation, restaurants etc might be out of date.
6. The River’s Tale: A Year on the Mekong
The River’s Tale: A Year on the Mekong is a travel note written by Edward Gargan, a former New York Times correspondent in Asia.
The book talks about his 1-year journey from Tibet, China, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. If you are a fan of the cruise, this book is for you.
Traveling through the Mekong is still a dream for me. If you have a similar passion, you might want to grab this book and allow yourself to the flow of the Mekong river.
I am sure the book will inspire to come here in Cambodia one day. I often the cruise boats stopped at Phnom Penh port.
You can surely find an occasion to travel along Mekong river one day.
7. The Rough Guide to Cambodia
The Rough Guide to Cambodia is in full color, full of color map, top 5 recommendations and practical advice on what to see and do.
It covers also on Cambodian street food, nightlife in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
It is published by Rough Guides, a publisher that has 30 years of experiences in the travel industry.
This is their 6th edition, updated and published on September 19, 2017.
People give them good stars review because of its useful information on safety tips and health advice.
8. To Cambodia with Love
To Cambodia with Love is quite different from other travel guide books. It is a collaboration of more than 50 writers who know Cambodia very well. Most of them are currently living in Cambodia.
The writers in the book will give you a piece of insider information and their own experiences from living in Cambodia for so many years.
The book will help you to understand what brought Cambodia into its today situation, including practical advice in dining, shopping, sightseeing, and culture.
It is edited and published in 2010 by Andy Brouwer who is living in Cambodia and still blogs about the country.
9. National Geographic Traveler: Cambodia
National Geographic Traveler: Cambodia is written by Trevor Ranges, a Bangkok based freelance travel writer.
The book was published in 2010. This is their first edition and it is not yet been updated. Some information might not be corrected.
However, people give a good review of the book due to the information and quality of the book. They appreciate the updated and accurate information they found on the book.
The book explores in every province of Cambodia, including Mondulkiri and Sihanoukville. If you look for a good quality book to read before you come to visit Cambodia, this book is for you.
10. Responsible Travel Guide Cambodia
Responsible Travel Guide Cambodia is a book that will give you information on how to travel around the country and at the same time help local people by going to eat at specific restaurants, and doing some activities as volunteers.
If you’re a fan of TOMS’s shoe story, this book is for you.
I bought a book from Lonely Planet, it helped a lot for my travel business. All thing you should know is all in this book. I suggest tourists use it before you check-in in Cambodia.
Thank you, Brian, for your comment. Appreciate it. Yes, I totally agree the guide from Lonely Planet is very useful for the first time visitors.