Cambodia vs Indonesia for Australians: Which Trip First? (2026 Decision Guide)
Bali or Angkor Wat for your next Aussie escape? Indonesia is cheaper to fly to and pricier on the ground; Cambodia is the opposite. Both need visas — neither is visa-free for Australians. The honest 2026 comparison.
Should Australians go to Cambodia or Indonesia first?
Both are excellent first trips into Southeast Asia. Pick Indonesia (specifically Bali) if you want beach, spa, surf, and accessible nightlife with familiar Aussie crowds — visa is $35 USD (~$53 AUD) e-VOA plus the Bali tourism levy (IDR 150,000 / ~$15 AUD). Pick Cambodia if you want world-class temples (Angkor Wat), genuinely off-the-beaten-track travel, half the prices of Bali, and fewer fellow Aussies — visa is $80 USD (~$122 AUD) all-in for our Tourist eVisa, approved in 3 business days. Many Aussies do both within the same Indochina-plus-Indonesia year.
主なポイント
- Both Cambodia and Indonesia require a visa for Australians — neither is visa-free in 2026.
- Indonesia e-VOA: $35 USD (~$53 AUD), 30-day stay, extendable once for another 30 days. Apply online before you fly.
- Bali tourism levy: IDR 150,000 (~$15 AUD) per traveller, mandatory for every tourist landing in Bali (separate from the visa).
- Cambodia eVisa: $80 USD (~$122 AUD) Tourist or $90 USD (~$137 AUD) Business, all-in, 3 business days, 30-day single-entry stay.
- Bali is closer and cheaper to fly to from Australia; Cambodia is roughly 30 to 40 percent cheaper once you arrive.
Why this comparison is actually useful for Aussies
Bali is the default first international trip for hundreds of thousands of Australians. It is closer to Perth than Melbourne is, it is cheap to fly to, and almost everyone you know has been at least once. Cambodia gets pitched as something more exotic, more difficult, and more expensive — which is half right. It is more different than Aussies expect, but it is meaningfully cheaper day-to-day than Bali in 2026 and the visa is not actually any harder.
The honest framing is this: Indonesia is the easy default but the more expensive ground game; Cambodia is the slightly bigger pre-trip lift but the cheaper on-the-ground holiday. Both need a visa — Australians do not have a visa-free option for either country. The choice really comes down to whether you want a beach holiday with predictable amenities, or a temple-and-history trip with proper off-the-beaten-track moments.
Most of the Aussies who ask us this question end up doing both within the same year — Bali in the dry season for the beach reset, Cambodia in the shoulder months for the cultural trip. If that sounds like you, the Cambodia visa for Australia pillar covers the eligibility side, and the Australian application walkthrough is the field-by-field version of our application form.
The visa stories side by side
Two countries, two completely separate visa systems, two different fee structures. The shared facts: neither country offers visa-free entry to Australians, both run online application portals, and both stamps give you a 30-day stay. After that, the products diverge in important ways. Here is the honest side-by-side for Australian passport holders.
Indonesia e-VOA and the Bali tourism levy
Australia is not on Indonesia's visa-exempt list. The standard route in 2026 is the Electronic Visa on Arrival (e-VOA) — $35 USD (~$53 AUD), applied for online before you fly. It gives a 30-day stay starting from the day you land, and it can be extended once in-country for another 30 days, taking the maximum stay to 60. You can also pay $35 USD in cash on arrival (the older VoA), but the queue at Denpasar arrivals is long and unpredictable, so most Aussies now file the e-VOA online a few days before flying. Both products cost exactly the same — the difference is whether you queue or you do not.
よくある質問
Should I go to Cambodia or Indonesia first?
Both are excellent first trips into Southeast Asia. Bali (Indonesia) is the easier default — closer to Australia, cheaper flights, English everywhere in the tourist zones, and a familiar Aussie crowd. Cambodia is meaningfully cheaper once you arrive, the off-the-beaten-track quotient is real, and Angkor Wat is a once-in-a-lifetime sight. The honest answer is that they answer different questions — beach holiday with predictable amenities versus temple-and-history trip with proper depth. Many Aussies end up doing both within the same year.
How much does the Indonesia visa cost from Australia?
The Indonesia e-VOA (Electronic Visa on Arrival) costs $35 USD (~$53 AUD) per person, filed online before you fly. It gives a 30-day stay starting from your arrival date, and it can be extended once in-country for another 30 days. You can also pay the same $35 USD in cash on arrival (the older VoA), but the queue at Denpasar is long and unpredictable, so most Aussies now file the e-VOA online a few days before flying. If you are landing in Bali, you also pay the Bali tourism levy on top — IDR 150,000 (~$15 AUD) per traveller.
What is the Bali tourism levy and do I have to pay it?
Yes — every international tourist landing in Bali has been required to pay the Bali tourism levy since 14 February 2024. It is IDR 150,000 per person (~$15 AUD), separate from the visa, and applies regardless of nationality, age, or length of stay. You can pay it online before you arrive or at a dedicated counter at Denpasar airport. The online route is the practical one because the airport queue is famously slow. The levy is Bali-specific — if you fly into Jakarta, Yogyakarta, or Surabaya for a Java, Lombok, or Sumatra trip instead, you do not pay it.
How much does the Cambodia visa cost from Australia?
The Cambodia Tourist eVisa for Australians is $80 USD (~$122 AUD) all-in for a 30-day single-entry stamp. The Business eVisa is $90 USD (~$137 AUD) for the broader category that covers meetings, paid work, conferences, sales calls, supplier visits, due-diligence trips, and longer stays. Both are processed in 3 business days. The all-in price includes passport and photo pre-checks, Aussie-timezone support, the approved PDF emailed to your inbox, and free resubmission if Immigration flags a correction.
Is Bali cheaper than Cambodia for Australians?
Bali is cheaper to fly to — a return Jetstar fare from Perth or Melbourne to Denpasar regularly drops under $500 AUD in shoulder season; Cambodia flights from the east coast are usually $900 to $1,400 AUD return with a stopover. But on the ground, Cambodia is roughly 30 to 40 percent cheaper across accommodation, food, taxis, and tours. A mid-range Seminyak room is $80 to $150 AUD a night; the same in Siem Reap is $40 to $70 AUD. A western breakfast in Bali is $15 to $20 AUD; in Cambodia it is $5 to $8 AUD. Over a 10-night trip the daily savings often outweigh the cheaper flight.
情報源
Did this guide help you?
私たちのブログから
Trip Planning
Things to Know Before Traveling to Cambodia: A First-Timer's Checklist for Americans
First trip to Cambodia? Here is the honest first-timer checklist for Americans — the visa, the US-dollar money quirk, the safety reality, the vaccines, the temple dress code, and what arrival at the new airport actually looks like in 2026.
Country Combos
Thailand to Cambodia in 2026: Why You Must Fly (Land Borders Closed) for Americans
All seven Thailand–Cambodia land borders have been closed since June 2025, so in 2026 the only way for Americans to get from Thailand into Cambodia is to fly. Here is how the Bangkok-to-Siem Reap and Bangkok-to-Phnom Penh routes work, the Cambodia eVisa you need before you board, and why the old Poipet overland plan no longer exists.
Trip Planning
How to Get from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: Bus, Flight, or Ferry for Americans
Three ways to cover the 195 miles between Cambodia’s capital and Angkor Wat: a $15 express bus, a 45-minute flight, or a slow river ferry. Here is what each one actually costs an American traveler, how long it takes, and which one fits your trip.
