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It is very hard to introduce Cambodia in a few words. It’s truly an empire of powerful and mystical temples, a land of sorrow and pain and a place of local warmth and hospitality. It’s easy to fall in love with Cambodian culture, traditions and food at first sight. Most of Cambodian cities are to experience peaceful rural life and timeless landscapes of breath-taking mountains, rice paddies and waterfalls. Nevertheless, there are few things you certainly wouldn’t like about it regardless of what kind of traveller you are – budget or luxurious.
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1. Poor medical care
As we know, Cambodia is a very small and poor country. Thus, we should not expect well- equipped hospitals and well-developed medical care here. In case of emergency situation, such as dengue or food poisoning, we may lack of professional medical care. As we know, this country is full of danger and unfortunately only a handful of locals knows basic first aid. Thus, getting seriously ill is not a joke – it’s a serious problem.
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2. Chaos
The majority of Cambodian cities (especially Phnom Penh or Siem Reap) are full of chaos. Starting from the traffic jam, streets are packed with motorbikes, cars, vans and lorries, thus biking there isn’t very safe. The streets never get quiet and the craziness starts after 7 pm when all locals dining out, party and clean their apartments. If you like peaceful and quiet places, maybe Cambodia is not a good option for staying here long.
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3. Bad Wi-Fi
Cambodia is a terrible place for working online. Whether you are a travel blogger or simply someone who needs a good Internet connection daily, you will get furious here. In Cambodia (no matter where you are staying), the Wi-Fi goes on and off, on and off, on and off all day long. This is extremely frustrating if you blog, skype, facebook or just use the Internet for other purposes.
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4. Getting ripped off
In Cambodia, we (foreigners) are simply walking ATMs. Yes, it may seem to be very sad, but it’s true. It’s typical for locals to charge you 5, sometimes ever 10, times more locals usually pay. No matter how long you have been living here, you will be still ripped off every day. Everywhere. In a local shop, local supermarket, in the street or in a restaurant – so you had better get used to it or leave the country.
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5. Rain season
Although you can travel in Cambodia all year long, the rain season is a real curse. It runs from May to October and it can be a real nightmare. Why? The rain can be very intense and heavy. It can last hours or even days. At this time, most of hotels, hostels and local houses are flooded, streets are blocked and shops are closed. Every year people drown – not only locals, but also drunk foreigners. This kind of weather and chaos in the city can ruin your travel plans. Exploring temples when there is a heavy rain and wind is not fun at all.
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Karolina and Patryk are passionate travellers and entrepreneurs. They travel around the world, work online and blog about their luxury adventures. They also give tips how to make money online and how to be a good couple. Follow them on their blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube and Instagram.
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Your list is good but I had a terrifying shared taxi ride across Cambodia in the evening. I am just glad that we lived and that we didn’t kill any people (bicycles, vending cart, walkers, street vendors) on that trip. One of the scariest rides that I have ever been on.
Yes, safety is definitely one of them. When we went, the roads were 30% unpaved which made for a crazy bumpy ride! …. terrifying!
I have complete respect when bloggers are willing to be transparent with their travel experiences rather than paint an *always* perfect picture. Thank you for your honest opinion!
Unfortunately, the above list is true for many countries in Southeast Asia. I had a few horrific experiences while travelling through Vietnam when I was 20! (A tuk-tuk driver who drove me to the middle of nowhere demanding $500.)
Keep up the amazing work! :)
Thank you so much! Its important to be careful and aware in these countries. As beautiful as they are, there are a few downfalls but it still should never take away from your experience! Thank you for reading and we hope you have a wonderful day!
Thanks for the article! Yes I have faced some similar situations not only in Asia and Europe but in North America too! However, some places are worse than the others. However, I found that if we can be a friend to some local people they become our aid in these countries. There are equal number of “good” and “bad” people everywhere! It will not be justified if I don’t mention about the amazing help, support and hospitality I received from local people in many countries just by talking to them in a friendly way, offering a cup of coffee or giving a small gift. That is why I am now promoting “responsible tourism” where the local people and the tourist develop a bond and do treat travelers as “walking ATM”! If you are interested please write to me at nayak.biswajit@gmail.com
Wifi has gotten much better as of December ’16. Cambodia has the worst driving conditions of any country I’ve visited. Rather than waiting patiently to turn left at an intersection, they drive on the wrong side of the street and then merge when they see an opening. If you have the misfortune of getting into an accident, they will not stop to see if you’re ok, even when it’s obviously their fault. Also must disagree with assessment of Cambodians as “warm and hospitable.” They are ignorant and rude. Moreover, if it is as you say, that locals simply see foreigners as walking ATMs, then how much sincerity and warm-heartedness can there be behind the smiling facade?