Cambodia is a beautiful country. Unfortunately, it has a dark history that has left many elderly Cambodians severely traumatized. Nevertheless, it is a safe country to travel around in. In this article, we share 8 important facts about Cambodia that you need to know before you travel to Cambodia.
Content of this blog:
1. Cambodia’s fierce history
Cambodia’s history is extremely violent. From 1975 to 1978, the violent Khmer Rouge was in power in Cambodia. They envisioned that rice production in Cambodia could be tripled. To accomplish this, everyone was driven from the cities to the countryside. They had to work over 12 hours a day in the heat in the fields to grow rice, with the ration being 2 mini cups of rice a day.
All “smart people” were put in prisons and tortured just as long until they signed a false statement. Smart people were all potential enemies of the Khmer Rouge. These were people who had been in politics, people who were multilingual, had soft hands or simply wore glasses. After being tortured, sometimes for weeks, they were taken to the so-called Killing Fields. Here they were gruesomely murdered. A total of 3 million Cambodians were killed or died of starvation and exhaustion in 3 years. This is more than one-third of the entire population at that time.
Because these atrocities took place relatively recently, there are many older people who carry the traumas with them. Therefore, make sure you are always respectful to elders (of course, you should be anyway). These people have already gone through so much in the beginning of their lives, it is unfathomable. Want to learn more about Cambodia’s fierce history? Then read this article and visit the S21 prison and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields in Phnom Penh.
2. Never buy anything from children
Because so many people died during the Khmer Rouge period, many children were born again afterwards, the baby boom. That is why Cambodia’s population has grown so exponentially in recent years. The average age of Cambodians is around 25. Small children must therefore cooperate in the family. They are used to sell products to tourists. Tourists are generally more likely to buy something from a cute little child than from an adult. Yet this is exactly what you should not do. When you buy something from a child you perpetuate this. The child is not allowed to attend school and develops a learning disability. In the end, the child cannot find a job because he has had no education and will always roam the streets. Tempting as it may be, therefore, buy absolutely nothing that a child offers you.
3. Are you drinking a can of beer? Keep the tab
Cambodians are real beer drinkers. Angkor and Ganzberg beer brands are advertised all over the streets, but did you know that it’s important to see what it says on the tab of your can of beer? In fact, about 40% of the tabs have a price on them; the Cambodians call it lucky. The following items can be on the tabs of beer:
- Thank you. This means you’re not lucky and you didn’t win anything.
- 1 free beer (most common). You still have to pay 1,000 riel ($0.25) as a fee when you turn it in.
- $1
- $10
- And more than this, you can even win a car but I have no idea what this looks like haha.
So what you encounter most is 1 free beer. They do charge a 1,000 riel fee if you want to turn this in. A kind of administration fee. These prices on cans of beer make it even more fun to drink beer when beer is already very cheap in Cambodia. Important: Of course, always drink in moderation(s) and don’t let this encourage you to drink beer all day every day.
4. Cambodia is an extremely poor country, haggling is not common
Cambodia is an extremely poor country. Because of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia had to completely rebuild itself. Cambodia is also still a lot less visited by tourists than neighboring countries Thailand and Vietnam so less income flows here. Therefore, haggling is not very common in Cambodia. When you want to buy souvenirs or food at the local market, 99% of the vendors charge you the “normal” price. The same price the locals have to pay. Don’t take advantage of this by bargaining for 5 cents. In tourist spots and for cab rides, of course, it is necessary to haggle.
5. Cambodia is 95% Buddhist
Almost all Cambodians are Buddhist. You can see this in the beautiful Angkor Wat temples, of course, but also in the streets. Cambodians cover their entire bodies, even in 40-degree temperatures. In addition, they are tremendously friendly and generous. If they can spare something they will give it to you with all their love. Be mindful of Buddhist culture and dress respectfully. Especially in non-touristy places, it is desirable to put on a t-shirt and cover your knees.
6. Cambodia has few tourist destinations
Most people travel only 2 weeks in Cambodia. Basically, then, you have seen the highlights of the country with this itinerary. Still, it can be valuable to learn more about the locals and seek out the less touristy spots. From Koh Kong, for example, you can visit the Cardamom Mountains with a tour. In addition, in northeastern Cambodia, you will find the province of Kratie where you will go into the mountains with locals. You can also volunteer in a village an hour’s drive from Siem Reap. We did this ourselves for over a week and wrote down our (amazing) experiences in this article.
7. Do good research before volunteering
So we spent a week teaching English at a local school. In doing so, we supported the local economy by spending money for our stay and food. In addition, of course, we gave free lessons to the children. In this way, the locals only benefited from our visit. Unfortunately, this is sometimes different with other volunteer projects. Because Cambodia had so many small children after the baby boom, they were put into orphanages. Tourists came to visit the orphanages and the owners realized that there was money to be made here. To fill even more orphanages, children were eventually kidnapped from families and put into the orphanage. Tourists who come here to volunteer think they are doing a good deed but actually they are perpetuating this terrible event. Therefore, familiarize yourself well with the project when volunteering and always ask yourself if anyone may experience adverse effects from your volunteering. Also, always keep in mind that children get attached quickly and it is traumatizing if volunteers leave every time after a few days. As a result, they develop severe separation anxiety. Always familiarize yourself with this before volunteering somewhere.
8. The rainy season in Cambodia
From mid-May through October, the rainy season in Cambodia runs. During this period, showers can be very heavy and sometimes villages even flood. Drainage in Cambodia is not very present. At the same time, dry soil cannot absorb water as well. Keep this in mind when planning your trip to Cambodia.
