Don’t let the name or the stereotype put you off – Cambodia is wonderful. The name conjured up images of a war-torn, poverty-stricken, dangerous land to be avoided wherever possible. The reality is a long way from that. Cambodia is a beautiful country and its people are gentle, friendly and helpful.
Weather and Clothes
It’s a pretty fair guess that no matter what time of year you are here, it’s going to be hot. But if you are between about April and September, it’s going to be blisteringly hot and extremely humid. Up to about 40C, with monsoons that can leave you wading down the street up to your knees. So pick your clothes very carefully for this trip – flip-flops or sandals that you don’t mind getting wet and dirty are essential, some form of poncho or waterproof jacket will stop you getting soaked through when the heavens open (you can pick them up while you’re there very cheaply, and please don’t worry about looking chic in one – it can’t be done) and you should really be wearing tops that cover your shoulders, not so much for fear of scandalising the locals as keeping the intense sun off your skin. Up to you, though, if you’re a tanorexic. Cambodia is a pretty dusty place, and it’s guaranteed that no matter how hard you try to keep clean, white clothes will end up an attractive, smudgy light brown colour, and everything is going to look a little worse for wear when you leave. Therefore we cannot stress enough that you should only wear clothes that you don’t mind getting a bit trashed. In this country it’s not about looking trendy.
In temples, it’s not required but considered respectful to cover at least your shoulders, preferably your knees too. Less so if you’re heading to Angkor Wat which is so packed with tourists all year round dressed in every type of clothes possible. But that said, the amount of young women who swan about those temples in completely inappropriate mini-skirts and tiny strappy tops – and heels, causing unnecessary damage to the sandstone – is ridiculous.
Getting Around
Oh, the freedom here. If you’re moseying around a town or city, have a look for the tuk-tuks. These are the little wooden boxes on wheels, reminiscent of carriages from the 1800s, except for the motorbike pulling them. These are a common way to get about, and if there’s one hanging around on the corner of the road, it will gladly take you anywhere you want to go, even if the driver is dozing in the back. Sort out your price beforehand, and be prepared to haggle a little. Your guesthouse/hotel/hostel should be able to tell you how much certain distances should cost. A word of warning here – make sure that the driver knows where you want to go. If he doesn’t know, he won’t ask. Instead, he’ll just drive on in a random direction, waiting to be directed. You, in turn, will assume he knows exactly where he’s going, and won’t say a word. You’ll both be very surprised when, six hours later, you end up at the Laos border.
The same applies to motorbikes here – if they’re hanging around, you can ask them to take you somewhere. If you’re not sure whether they’re motor-taxies or just waiting for a friend, walk hesitantly towards it and wait for the earnest phrase, “Moto? Madame, Moto?” The prices are a little lower than tuk-tuks and you’ll get to your destination (presumably not the Laos border) more quickly, but there are no helmets and you’ll be taking your life in your hands – or putting it in his – with every journey. Up to you.
To get from one city to another you have a few options. Let’s start with the ferries. The ferry is a common option between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap for those who want a break from the buses, as is the Siem Reap to Battambong ferry. Here are the pluses: If you travel by ferry you get a better view... although most of the “main” roads go through very pretty countryside, too. You can sit on top of the ferry and be in the fresh air... in fact, you’d better, because most of the ferries are these very low, narrow affairs with just one exit at the front and tiny windows, and if there was an accident and the boat sank, almost nobody would be getting out. And sitting on top isn’t necessarily a treat in a monsoon, let us assure you. Here are the minuses: The seats inside are uncomfortable, there are no seats on top, so you just sit on the roof, there are no barriers around the side to stop you falling off the roof, you might well have stuff stolen out of your luggage that needs to go in the luggage hold, and it tends to take a couple of hours longer than by road. The choice is yours.
Buses are better, really – they might not be the most regular thing in the world, but your hotel or guesthouse will most likely be able to get you bus tickets, and they are quicker and more comfortable. Just a point to mention – you will probably see the Cambodian local buses trundling along, with people piled high on the roofs clutching everything from tyres to live poultry. As tempting as it may be to have a “real Cambodian experience” and get yourself on board one of these, resist it. You will most likely be unable to bear the discomfort for more than about 15 minutes.
Where you’re staying
If you’ll permit us to make a suggestion, get a room with aircon. It’s not that much more expensive, and you are definitely going to want a nice cold room to run gasping into after sweating to death outside. Guesthouses are cheaper than hotels, if you’re looking to save a bit of cash.
Shopping
Haggling for Dummies: You ask the price. They give you a price. You smile and say, “Oh, no!” as if a hilarious joke has just been made. They laugh and say, “How much you pay?” You say (smiling), “Hmmm, oh... about... [half or less of the original amount]”. They laugh, and say, “Oh, no, no, no! You pay me...maybe... [starts dropping the price]”. You (still smiling), start raising yours a bit. I’m sure you get the idea. The more touristy the place, the higher the original price will be, so your first price suggestion will have to be lower unless you want the price you agree on to be much higher. Three very important points: One – the keen observers among you will have noticed that there are explicit instructions above to SMILE. This is critical. Haggling is fun for Cambodians, and they don’t do well with conflict. It is not a challenge. It is not a fight. It is interaction. Take it easy. Two – bear in mind that even their original price will seem cheap to you. Don’t beat them down, and if you end up paying more than you expected then take it with good grace. And finally, don’t even think about entering into negotiations unless you actually want to buy. It’s fine to haggle, be unhappy with the price and decline to pay, but if you go through the whole rigmarole and agree on a price, you can’t back out. Even worse are the people who name their price, get it, and then back out. What is the point of that?
Visas and Border Crossings
In our experience, it is best to acquire your Cambodian visa on the border. This should cost you about US $20, whereas most countries charge a good deal more money and a lot of time to get it before you go. If you are in a large group or just want to hurry the process along a little bit you could slip the visa people an extra US $5, but frankly you’ll rarely have to wait that long, at least at Poipet, the popular border crossing point from Thailand. If you are coming into Thailand from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, chances are you’ll be on a public bus, and this will take just as long if you have a visa already than if you don’t.
Money in General
So many people turn up to Cambodia with currencies that just aren’t accepted, so here’s the deal: No Euros, no British Pounds (in fact no kind of pounds), no Japanese Yen, and, the one that surprises most people, no Thai Baht. And if you have a currency that is more obscure than any of these, it shouldn’t surprise you to know that they’re out, too. You can change them in banks, but this is tedious and really a bit unnecessary. The good news is that US Dollars are accepted just as widely, if not more so, than their own currency, the Riel. The Cambodian Riel is a closed currency, so you can’t get hold of it before you get there, and make sure you don’t leave the country with it, because you can’t change it back. You probably won’t need it anyway, though, except perhaps as change for a dollar. But apart from that, just use US dollars and you won’t go far wrong.
All Those Cute Little Street Kids...
The big brown eyes, the bare feet, the hands held out, pleading for “only one dollaaaaahhh”. It would melt a heart of steel. It is so tempting to give money to these kids – after all, they’re on the streets, with almost no clothes, look how dirty they are... they need your money, don’t they? Well, actually, no, they don’t. There’s no denying that these kids and their families are very poor, because Cambodia is a third world country. They don’t wear many clothes because it’s hot. They’re dirty because they hang around on the streets of Cambodia which are, well, dirty. But look closer. Do any of them actually look as though they’re starving? They get enough to eat, and throwing money at them teaches them nothing but that begging is a good and acceptable way to get money, which does nothing for either their society or their own self-image. Besides, under that sweet, innocent exterior, these kids are practical. You’ll often hear the heart-rending phrase, “Please buy milk for sister?” uttered by a young ’un carrying a baby in a sling. Of course you’ll buy milk for sister, and the concerned big brother will lead you to a shop where you’ll pay about $6 for a tin of powdered milk. But would it really surprise you to know that the moment you are safely out of sight, the kid is back in the shop selling the milk back to the owner, less his share of course? Everyone’s a winner, except of course little sister, who you thought you were helping in the first place. A few years ago it became fashionable to give kids pens as gifts, rather than money, in an attempt to encourage them to learn. All good intentions, but the kids soon cottoned onto this and were selling the pens to shops. So don’t think that just because they look pitiful that they can’t look after themselves. Instead of feeling sorry for them, have a laugh with them. They’re fun, cheeky and cute, and will always play with you if you are willing to spend a little time with them. If you want to give them something, try carrying around a bag of fruit. They’ll ask for that just as readily as they’ll ask for money, pens and powdered milk, and at least you know that they’re getting something to eat.
...And the Disabled Beggars
This is a harder one. Phnom Penh in particular is filled with people who were crippled or disabled either from the brutal Pol Pot regime that ruled and ruined the country from 1975 until 1979, or from stepping on one the many landmines that the countryside is still packed with. The result of this is that you will frequently be confronted by Cambodians who are missing limbs, or who have been blinded, or whose skin has been burned off by blasts. It is extremely hard to just pass such people by, and of course it is natural to feel compassion for them. How you handle this situation is up to you – if the only way you can stop yourself from bursting into tears is to walk hurriedly on by, fair enough. Please do make sure you say, “No, I’m sorry” to their request for money, though. Being ignored isn’t nice. If you choose to give them money, I don’t think anyone is going to fault you. Either way, please look them in the eye. Everyone deserves that.
Trying To Get Anything Done
And we mean anything. Any interaction you have with a Cambodian is going to slow. Buying bus tickets; buying anything, in fact; trying to sort out something that isn’t readily available – not a walk in the park. None of this pro-active, let’s-get-it-done-now, Western stuff. You must bring all the patience you have, including your reserve supply. You must get yourself in a relaxed frame of mind – are you really in that much of a hurry? If you are, then cancel your plans. Do not allow yourself a time limit to sort out your problem. But most importantly, you must never lose your temper, no matter how aggravating the slowness of the situation. Cambodia is a very non-confrontational society, for a very important reason. In their language, the word “criticism” is synonymous with “insult”. It is very difficult for Cambodians to criticise and be criticised, which explains why the country is so smiley, laid-back and... not very helpful in getting things done. But as frustrating as it is, it really isn’t on for you to jump in and start berating someone for his lack of efficiency. So be patient, smile, and wait. We’ve found that if you hang around long enough waiting for someone to do something, eventually they will realise that the problem (that’s you) isn’t going to go away and they will have to deal with it.
Canoodling
Not done in public. It makes people uncomfortable. The most you can get away with is holding hands, and even that’s a stretch. Not that anyone will actually say anything to you, but why put them in a position where they want to? Save it for your hotel room.
So there you have it. Just a few points of what to expect, and we hope you find them helpful. Have a wonderful time in Cambodia and enjoy spending time within this fascinating society.