Are you planning a trip to Cambodia?

If you are planning your first ever trip to Cambodia

There are a few things that I think you really need to know before you go

Don't buy from local children or give them money or food

It may sound harsh, but hear me out

With their beautiful smiling faces looking up at you

It can be really hard to resist buying trinkets

or souvenirs from local kids who will run up to you outside

of temples and the like

When they get food or money from tourists

It devalues an education, and the kids, their parents, or the people they work for

might see it as more viable for them to keep

working over tourists than to go to school

The Cambodian Government openly agrees

and they would encourage travellers who want to do good

to donate to charity organisations and local schools instead

You'll need a mix of currencies

It's time to get real

No, I'm not just being cool and hip like one of the kids

Riel is the Cambodian currency

that said, you are really going to need US Dollars more than Riel

For anything that costs more than a dollar you'll be paying in US Dollars

For anything that you get in change below that

you'll get it back in Riel

When you are getting money back

Check it thoroughly, as counterfeiting is alive and well in Cambodia

They're funny about bills though

No, if you're names not Bill you're not going to get in trouble

Dad joke

But if you do get a note with a rip or tear it you may find that they don't accept it

We had some real trouble getting local vendors to take a note that had the slightest tear

or the slightest infraction in it That just wouldn't take it off us

So when you are getting money back

Be confident, give it back

and say that you want a clean crisp bill

A little Khmer goes a long way

Khmer is the name of the Cambodian language

and if you pick up a few local words

it's going to go a long way to being a good human and a good traveller

here are a few to get you started

Hello

sous-dey

sounds like...

sewer snake

Thank you

orkun

sounds like...

all good

Sorry

somm toh

sounds like...

Soz dude

Don't ride the elephants

The reality is, the way that an elephant is broken in

to be able to be ridden by tourists

is really harsh

It's a process called crushing

It really is worth researching it

so that you can understand the problem yourself

a quick Google search for elephant crushing

or having a look on YouTube will show you a few videos

and a few articles

that i think will encourage you not to do it

I didn't know, now I do and I'm really glad I do

You can't drink the tap water

While we are all trying to cut down on single-use plastics

unfortunately, in Cambodia

you can't take your water bottle and refill it from your hotel tap

What you can do though

is stock up on a few really big bottles

that way you're not using single small bottles

and you're still drinking safe clean water

Tuk Tuk is the way to get around

When you're in places like Phomn Penh and Siem Reap

honestly the best way to get around is by hailing yourself a tuk tuk

and if you're staying in a hotel

you'll find tuk tuk's lined up outside ready to take you where you want to go

a 5 minute tuk tuk ride should cost you around USD$1

and you need to negotiate before you get in the tuk tuk

or when you get out you're gonna have a problem

Pro Tip: Always have the business card of the hotel you are staying at with you

so you can show it to the driver

so that he knows exactly where you are going and the address

Beware the food scam

If you are in places like Phomn Penh and Siem Reap

you may be approached by a beautiful girl

on the streets of Cambodia telling you that she is really really hungry

and she doesn't want your money

all she wants is a meal

and could you just take her to a local restaurant

and give her something to eat

Seems reasonable right?

No! it is not reasonable, it's a trap!

Wake up to yourselves internet!

What will really happen is you will sit down and you will order food for yourself and her

and then at the end of the meal you will be hit with a huge bill

Being a tourist and in a tough situation

you are going to have no choice but to pay it

To avoid falling victim to this scam

be aware of it

and when a young girl approaches you simply say no, and walk away.

Beware the baby milk scam

There is another scam

and it has a similar tone

a young woman with a baby in her arms

will ask you if you can please help her out

by buying some formula for her tiny little baby

it's so hard to say no but you have to

If you don't, you will be taken to a suspiciously close mini-mart

Where you will spend USD$20-$30

on a tin of baby formula

After you leave

the young woman will return the formula to the store

and she and the store owner will split the profits

of your US dollars

It's important to say no

not just so that you aren't the victim

but so it puts an end to scams like this

and young women and children being exploited for the profit of organised crime

To enter Cambodia you are going to need a visa

You can do that before you go

to make things a little bit easier

or if you are on the fly

just sort it out when you arrive

If you do plan to get your visa on arrival

make sure you have a spare passport photo

or a least a few with you

and you should check the visa requirements

because some ASEAN countries don't require one at all

Prepare for some questionable toilets

Oh the things I have seen

and the toilets I have hovered over

Cambodia is no exception

Always have pocket tissues with you

some wet wipes and some hand sanitiser

just in case

English is widely spoken

Hey, if you don't speak Khmer

If your Cambodian language skills aren't quite up to scratch

No need to panic

You will have no trouble

Ordering at restaurants, hailing a tuk tuk

and sorting out your accommodation at hotels

You need to be mindful around monks

In Cambodian culture, monks are not only revered,

they are very well respected

and it's important to be a good traveller

and a good human and observe these cultural respects yourself

Woman in particular need to be mindful

You shouldn't ever touch them or sit too close to them

And it's always important to ask if you can take a photo

before you do

You may find that they say no

But you may find they say yes!

Bag snatching in Phomn Penh is a real thing

Ohh, yes

I took a tuk tuk ride and my tuk tuk driver was terrified for my safety

He made me strap my backpack to my body

and sealed me inside the tuk tuk with all the flaps down so nobody could see me

So when you are out and about

Whether it's on foot or in a tuk tuk

please make sure

your bag is secured to your body

with those fidgety little nerdy straps

that the backpack companies give you

If you don't have a bag that can be secured to your body

and sealed shut

You need to get a new one before you go

You may need sunglasses and a face mask

Why you ask?

I'm gonna tell you why Internet

When you are wizzing around on tuk tuks and on the back of scooters

and all that kind of open air transport that they have in Cambodia

There's a lot of dust on the roads and that can fly up and get right into your eyes

And the pollution is quite real

Especially in Siem Reap and Phomn Penh

It's cheap and easy to get your hands on a SIM card

Because I'm always on social media for my work

I had to get a SIM card when I arrived

and I was a little concerned about how much it would cost in Cambodia

Turns out it's dirt cheap

I did have to hand in my passport to get it

So if you are a little bit worried about identity theft

Be sure to keep a close eye on the person working there

and maybe just give them your husband's instead of yours

or your friends, whatever

You're going to need a few temple outfits

When you are visiting places like Angkor Wat, the Grand Palace

and other sites where temple kind of vibes are involved

You're going to need specific temple outfits

This means your shoulders need to be covered

Your knees need to be covered

No midriffs, no deep plunging neck lines

and you guys, a scarf isn't going to cut it

So your best bet is to pack two temple outfits

Some t-shirts or shirts that cover your shoulders and your waist

Skirts that go below the knees will cut it

If you visit Siem Reap you are going to need a temple pass

If you are thinking I might just risk it

and I don't really need one

you would be wrong because at each temple they have people standing there who check

your pass to make sure that you not only have it

but to make sure its valid

The Internet ain't great

Oh this was a hard one for me because I Iive for the Internet

and I run my business on the internet

Everywhere I went, regardless of the quality of the hotel

or the cafe, the internet just wasn't that great unfortunately

so if you are a freelancer, or you do plan on working online

keep this in mind because you will be slowed down a little bit

You should pack an umbrella

It rains! Spontaneously

when you least expect it

and you may just end up buying an umbrella from a very cute kid on the side of the road

no, no , no

Avoid that by packing a little day umbrella with you in your daypack every day you go out

It is incredibly hot and humid in Cambodia

and I come from a really hot place on Earth

Brisbane

There were times when I would leave a place

and I would be soaked through my t-shirts

so you might want to put one or two extras t-shirts in your bag

if that kind of thing is going to bother you

You might want to also get up and do most of your exploring either early in the morning

or late in the afternoon so you avoid those hottest parts of the day

drink plenty of water

stay hydrated, and

wear sweat wicking if it so suits you

The mosquitos are very hungry

The mosquitos in Cambodia are no joke

and if you are worried about any mosquito borne illnesses

be sure to see a doctor before you go but also

pack some mosquito repellant in your bag

and be sure to put it on every day

They really do eat bugs and spiders

There's a good chance you've seen

fried tarantulas and bugs and spiders of all shapes and sizes

for sale at markets

and you're probably thinking hey, that's just for tourists

Yes, it is for tourists but, they do actually really eat them