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Three years ago, I fell madly in love with Cambodia. For three years, it occupied a top five spot on my list of favorite countries.
So when it came time to go back to Southeast Asia, I knew that Cambodia would be a mandatory stop. I was beyond excited to return to this wonderful country.
If you’ve been following on Facebook, you know that things didn’t go as expected.
I used to ADORE Cambodia.
I first visited Cambodia in December 2010, and eventually spent about seven weeks in Cambodia total. I visited several different places in the country: Phnom Penh, Kampot, Kep, Sihanoukville, Siem Reap, and the countryside outside Phnom Penh.
My favorite thing about Cambodia was the people — the kind, warmhearted Khmer people who greet you with smiles and waves wherever you go, who take you into their homes and treat you like a member of the family, who would give you the shirt off their backs if you asked.
My memories of Cambodia are happy ones, like the night a family invited us to celebrate the end of harvest in the countryside with them.
Did I have any problems? Yes, I did. My friend and I got robbed while skinny-dipping in Sihanoukville. But I didn’t blame anyone for that but myself. We were asking for it.
So please know that that the following words don’t come from a place of deep-rooted hatred. It breaks my heart that a country I loved so much has turned out this way.
Cambodia has changed — and not for the better.
Since the beginning of my trip, I’ve been involved in what has felt like a continuous crime wave. The country that I once regarded as rough in some places but largely peaceful has turned into a place that leaves me feeling unnerved and uncomfortable.
Here’s a rundown on what has happened:
Bag Snatchings in Phnom Penh
When I got into my first tuk-tuk in Phnom Penh, our driver warned me that men on motorbikes sometimes snatch bags from tuk-tuks, and he promptly closed the fabric on the sides of the tuk-tuk, sealing open space off as much as possible. I had never heard this from a tuk-tuk driver in Cambodia on my earlier visits, but it made sense.
To my surprise, I got the same warning again and again. These muggings were common.
And then it happened — my good friend S. was in a tuk-tuk with a friend (incidentally, his friend was one of my readers) and a motorbike driver reached in and pulled out S.’s friend’s bag.
S. is very athletic and vaulted out of the tuk-tuk, chasing down the thief. He and the thief fought over the bag and S. eventually punched his teeth out. Soon it became clear that the thief was part of a gang of five, and S.’s tuk-tuk driver joined in the fight, pulling off his belt to whip the accomplices.
S. got his friend’s bag back, and by that point, people were watching — some even videotaping — and the military police got involved.
S. later got a phone call from the military police. The thief was probably going to die, they told him, because he didn’t have health insurance and couldn’t afford healthcare. S. was shocked by this news, because the thief didn’t appear to be gravely injured. He now thinks that the thief was beaten more brutally after he left. The thief eventually died.
S. was featured on the news in Cambodia as the man who killed a bag snatcher. He was getting recognized on the street as far away as Siem Reap.
You need to get out of Cambodia, I urged him. What if his family comes after you? He has since left the country safely.
Extortion in Kampot
I decided to take a half-day tour to some of the sights around Kampot: salt flats, burned-out French mansions, Muslim fishing villages, a pepper plantation.
Early in the trip, on the road from Kampot to Kep, my phone bounced out of the tuk-tuk.
The man who picked it up would not give it back to me for less than $200.
I completely take responsibility for dropping my phone. It was an incredibly dumb move. I guard my phone closely and haven’t lost or broken it in years — but this was a moment of idiocy on my part combined with some bad luck.
As soon as the man picked up the phone, he began taking it to different shops and seeing how much they would pay him for it. $250 was what he was offered, he told our tuk-tuk driver over the phone. He’d “help us out” and give it back to us for just $200.
I wanted to involve the police, but having had bad experiences with the police in the developing world in the past, I opted to just pay the man and chalk it up to an expensive lesson.
Sihanoukville’s New Edge
While in Kampot, I chatted with a friend who has visited Cambodia off and on for years. We chatted about Sihanoukville, and he told me about the latest developments — that the Road to Serendipity has been paved and that Monkey Republic has reopened after being destroyed by a fire.
But the changes weren’t all positive.
Sihanoukville’s got an edge now, he told us. And not a good edge.
He described recent incidents in Sihanoukville — a woman was raped on the beach; a man was robbed on the beach. But the most striking story was that five different women got their drinks spiked while he was there.
Drink spikings happen all over Southeast Asia and the world, from frat houses to exclusive clubs. Most of the time, you can avoid spikings if you’re hyper-aware of your drink, but truthfully, you won’t be able to avoid them completely unless you have both a lid and a trustworthy bartender. But still, five different incidents — five different REPORTED incidents — within a short time frame, in my opinion, casts a serious reflection on Sihanoukville today as a whole.
Mugged in Siem Reap
Our friend S., the very same guy who fought off the bag-snatcher in Phnom Penh, was mugged by a gang of children in Siem Reap. He didn’t even have any valuables showing — one of the children reached into his pocket and stole his phone.
After running after the kid and smacking him, S. got his phone back. The children retaliated by throwing glass bottles at him, cutting his feet.
Others Confirm
On the minibus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, the girl sitting next to us told us that minutes after leaving the airport in Phnom Penh, she saw a motorbike driver rip a backpack right off a tourist’s back.
And while this incident didn’t affect tourists directly, my friends Dalene and Pete witnessed the recent Phnom Penh protest where police opened fire on unarmed workers, killing one woman.
I’ve also heard lots of stories about drug users being blackmailed by locals threatening to turn them in to the police. My opinion on that hasn’t changed since the beginning: if you’re dumb enough to 1) do drugs in a developing country 2) get caught doing drugs in a developing country, you deserve all of the consequences, whether it’s going to jail or getting blackmailed for hundreds of dollars.
Doing drugs publicly makes you a target. Period. This has always happened throughout Southeast Asia and other developing countries, and for that reason, I don’t consider it a factor in this analysis.
Cambodia’s Defenders
I have several friends who have fallen as deeply in love with Cambodia as I did that first time. Many of them are expats who have lived here long-term; others are travelers who found themselves returning to Cambodia again and again. And they haven’t been happy with what they’ve heard from me and Mario.
Here is a selection of what I’ve heard recently:
Bad things happen everywhere, not just Cambodia. Yes, I’m aware of that. The one time I was mugged was in front of my apartment in Boston.
Lots of places have worse crime than Cambodia, even in Southeast Asia. That may be, but I’m not comparing places. I’m talking about Cambodia.
If you have common sense, you’ll be fine. Often. But common sense is not a cure-all for anything bad that could happen to you. Some places need more preparation than just common sense.
Cambodia is in a tough position. It’s not just poverty, but poverty on top of corruption, domestic violence, no safety net, and painful recent history. Indeed, it is in a very tough position — tougher than anywhere else I’ve been. But just because it can be explained doesn’t make it any less true.
As technology becomes more widespread, more Khmers are learning how little they have compared to the rest of the world. Indeed, that’s true, and that must undoubtedly be a factor toward escalating crimes against tourists in the country.
Cambodia used to be a destination for serious travelers only, but these days is also popular with affluent inexperienced travelers and partying backpackers, my friend Michael Turtle astutely pointed out. Adding this to the previous points is like igniting a powder keg.
But if Cambodia loses the economic benefits of tourism, it will descend into chaos. That’s very true, and losing tourism would be the worst thing to happen to Cambodia. But I’m not going to omit critical information from my readers for the sake of keeping Cambodia’s tourism numbers up.
Let me be clear: I completely understand my friends’ points. Before this trip, I myself was one of Cambodia’s staunchest defenders!
But things have changed. I’m not here to demonize or destroy Cambodia — I’m just here to tell you what it was like for me to travel in Cambodia in late 2013.
My View on Cambodia
After the incidents of this trip, I can say without a doubt that Cambodia has changed since I was last here three years ago.
An isolated crime, or even multiple crimes, is one thing. But in Cambodia my friends and I experienced a series of ongoing incidents that altogether end up painting a pattern markedly different than a few years ago.
I won’t go so far to say that I feel unsafe here. I will say that I am no longer comfortable here, and have felt constantly on edge.
I even changed my travel plans. I was planning to visit the temple of Preah Vihear, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but upon hearing that there are no longer group tours from Siem Reap and that I would need to hire a private driver, I declined. I don’t feel comfortable being on my own with a driver in a very rural part of Cambodia.
Of all the questions that I get from readers, most of them are about Southeast Asia. Of all the readers that follow in my footsteps, most do so in Southeast Asia. Even though I’ve spent much more time in Europe, Southeast Asia is what I am best known for and the region on which people seek my guidance.
For that reason, I know my opinions on Southeast Asia carry weight. Writing a negative post about Cambodia could result in some of my readers — maybe two, maybe a dozen, who knows? — to skip Cambodia and spend more time in Laos or Vietnam or Thailand instead. And for that reason, I need to be very careful about what I write.
Should You Go to Cambodia?
YES. Despite its troubles, you absolutely should go.
Cambodia is one of the places that I have long believed all travelers must visit, because it shows you the reality of a country that is still raw from decades of blood, war, genocide, chaos, and death — yet despite this, the people will be some of the kindest people you will ever meet. In addition to that, it’s got so many cultural treasures, like Angkor, and nice beaches and peaceful towns and delicious food, all for dirt-cheap prices.
BUT — Cambodia is no longer the of-COURSE-it’s-safe! destination that I once lauded. Make no mistake, it’s not Somalia, but visiting Cambodia does require a greater level of caution than other countries in Southeast Asia, just as visiting Barcelona requires a greater level of caution than, say, Reykjavik.
Do visit Cambodia, but be vigilant throughout your visit. Hold on to your bags. Stay in lodging that locks properly. Lock up your valuables. Keep your purse zipped up. Don’t pay drivers in full in advance. Avoid isolating situations when possible. Watch your drink like a hawk. Don’t get too drunk.
Make sure you get travel insurance before you go to Cambodia – it will cover many of the things that might go wrong. I never travel without it and always use World Nomads.
And for travelers who are cautious and street-smart, you will find Cambodia to be an enormously rewarding destination.
And I may be on the Camboida forums, but I don’t agree with the other posters there, as they’re immature, man childs that can’t go a sentence without swearing or being offensive. just for the record.
that’s too bad about Cambodia 🙁 I was there in 2009 and couldn’t have imagined all this trouble would happen.
A similar thing (on bag snatching) happens in Malacca, Malaysia. I was just there last week, and the guest house owner in which I stayed repeatedly warned us to be careful about the way we carried our bags on the streets. It’s been happening in about these last 2 years, since the rise of tourist numbers. I was in Malacca in 2007 and 2008, and the city (especially the night market) was a lot less crowded than nowadays..
Wow, what a great shame that is to have a country that I’ve heard phenomenal things about evolve to have such heightened misgivings, misfortunes, and petty (though possibly dangerous) crimes happen. That situation with S, both times, is intense. I just got to Southeast Asia myself and I’ve been in Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Phi Phi) for two weeks now. From what I’ve noticed, though not dangerous, is just the amount of scamming and potential for worse things going on. A friend did a “Jet ski” trip but was taken to a remote area and robbed at knife point. I’ve been very concious of my surroundings, especially with my tech on me, ever since going to Haiti, but there are places I’m constantly looking over my shoulders.
I’ll keep these in mind since I do still want to go!
Brilliant post. We have visited once, in December 2012 and loved it, but we also learnt that underneath the sweet there is sour. We were quite naiive at first and gave out fistfuls of dollar bills to anybody that asked for them, and in hindsight we now realise we fell into some scams and tourist traps. Having said that we still do love the place and the people, and plan to go back.
I think part of the problem is that many people come here on “whirlwind” tours. Whether large groups on package tours or solo and duo backpackers, people stay for a relatively short period of time. It’s easy for those with less of a conscience to take advantage of people who haven’t been around long enough to get wise to the dangers.
A huge scam we happily sidestepped was the Tonle Sap lake tours, now – allegedly – run by organised crime. Have you heard of what’s happening there?
No, I hadn’t heard anything about the Tonle Sap tours. Do you have more information?
Hi Kate, I’m sorry I didn’t reply to this til now. I didn’t realise you had replied to me, and I only saw my own comment here because I got email notifications after other people left you some nasty comments. (Sidenote: I don’t understand all the hate you’re copping, you aren’t telling people not to go to Cambodia, you’re just saying be careful!).
Anyway, yes, there is a big scam at Tonle Sap Lake where people get overcharged for a boat tour and then are essentially hustled once they are out on the water. The boat drivers coerce them into buying rice, etc. for “orphans”, but the rice just goes right back to the shop. There are a lot of almost identical reviews on TripAdvisor, stretching back years (you can see them at http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g297390-d324854-Reviews-Tonle_Sap_Lake-Siem_Reap_Siem_Reap_Province.html). We narrowly avoided the scam, and have written about it in our review (http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g297390-d324854-r147847275-Tonle_Sap_Lake-Siem_Reap_Siem_Reap_Provinc.html#REVIEWS).
It appears that there are a few villages where you can enter the lake, and that it is just one of them that is running the scam. It also appears they target singles or couples in tuk tuks rather than big tour groups. So a lot of people actually have been able to have a great experience there. But it is definitely a scam solo or small group travellers should be aware of.
I think there should travel to Cambodia although be careful ! 🙂
I notice that my post explaining the different perceptions that a traveller and an ex pat have of a place has been removed. I have no idea why it has been binned because it was not abusive in anyway.
Kate, you have a reputation on other forums as someone who deletes any posts that dare to disagree or contradict you. That is not a road you want to go down. Do you really want an audience of only naive kids who hang onto every word you say or a mature audience with just as much travelling experience as you who can have a reasonable and knowledgeable debate. ,,,,Only you can decide but remember that the vast majority of these kids won’t have companies that will spend money advertising on your site.
Gary, a few comments on this post were deleted because they involved name-calling and insults directed at myself and my readers. Posts containing abuse, either to myself or my readers — and yes, I consider name-calling and insults abuse — are not tolerated here.
I want to go to Cambodia. It’s my dream to go there. I have friends who have recently been there and they didn’t feel unsafe at all. They were more disgusted by the westerners behaving like animals. However, it’s a personal point of view.I will find out myself once I get there.
I remember visiting cambodia 2 years ago, than year ago. Even in that short period of time, I noticed a huge difference (and we were “protected” by some locals that became our friends and told us what not to do.) But still. The country I fell in love with is changing so quickly, is frightening.
Yes, I´ll go there this year again, and yes it´s still worth it – but I´ll probably move much quicker and stay longer in other countries. Not because I´ve read this post, but because I have experienced the same feeling.
Thing must have gotten way worse there if in a few weeks you witnessed and heard of all those incidents. Very sad to see. I loved Cambodia when I was there a few years ago as well.
Interesting post. It is always interesting to see people’s views when they revisit a favourite place, and I’m sorry to hear that your opinion had changed.
Cambodia is one of my favourite countries and I visited frequently between 2007-2010. Despite loving the country, I was always aware that it had a much grittier, darker side than its neighbouring countries. I personally know a few people who have been robbed from the tuk-tuk or from passing motorcycles in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. I spoke to somebody who had witnessed a shooting by the riverside, and a good friend of mine was chased by three men in Sihanoukville who attacked her with a taser. I was threatened by one of the beach kids in Sihanoukville: when I refused to buy a bracelet he turned to my boyfriend and said “You watch her when she is out after dark” while drawing his hand across his throat. Even the UK’s Princess Eugenie was mugged in Phnom Penh – her attackers threw rocks at her Scotland Yard Bodyguards! There are parts of Phnom Penh that I was told not to visit.
I don’t know if much has changed, but simply that these things are more publicised these days with the increase in tourists and social networks.
It is sad to hear about crime, of course, but I wouldn’t be put off visiting Cambodia again. In fact I’ve just applied for a job in Phnom Penh!
I had very mixed feelings myself when I had the chance to visit Cambodia earlier this year. Feeling initially wary after reading various guide book warnings about muggings and moto thefts, I was probably super cautious when in Phnom Penh, but feel this was worth it. There were a few moments when I felt unsafe, but luckily chose to leave my bag and valuables in my hotel room at night when out and about.
Siem Reap however I felt had a completely different vibe – our hotel staff were brilliant, and I don’t think I have met a nicer man ever than our tuk-tuk driver for the four days. However, I did find the child beggars around Pub Street pushy and intimidating, and the staff in the bar we were sat in seemed unwilling to help us by asking them to move them on, even though we got up and left, meaning they lost business, because of it.
On the whole though, it is fair to say that those Cambodian people I had a chance to interact with I found friendly and welcoming. I think it’s reputation precedes it somewhat these days in parts, and I hope that this is something that as a nation they can shake off because it is a truly amazing place to visit. I agree with you – everyone should go!
Was there any chance your driver in Siem Reap was named Mr. Mean? We LOVED him. Couldn’t be a more ironically named man in the world!
So after being very bad in the Khmer Rouge guerilla years in the eighties and nineties, there were maybe 10 good years and now it gets worse again.
From Phnom Penh I heard similar stories before like someone got hit by a car and they just watched and let him bleed to death. That was about five years ago.
Or shootout in a club between hiso kids three years ago. One bullet caught a tourist in the arm.
Bagsnatchers were also common three years ago in Sihanoukville. I could read these warnings back then already.
But it could well be, that everything has increased or you just had really bad luck. I will see in January, when I visit again.
Thank you for your report!
Are you seriously comparing the Khmer rouge to a few non violent pick pocketing examples?
…
Very interesting. I have spent a lot of time in Guatemala and I know many people who were robbed or mugged. I’d hate to see Cambodia descend into that sort of state.
Those robberies seem very brazen which of course points to an overall lack of law and order. Hopefully things will change for the better.
Jeff, would you say Guatemala is too dangerous to visit at present? Central America was actually next on my travel list, but having talked to a few people, I’m starting to rethink the idea. I’d be travelling with my (older) son – aged 19.
I have been living in Sihanoukville for the last two years and I don’t feel like it has changed too much. After the unrest of the elections there were some crimes problems, with most of the police being recalled to Phnom Penh, but surprisingly enough they have been doing a very nice crackdown recently. I always hear the stories about what people get themselves into down at the beach at night but I am a skeptic of the broadness of the accusations.
I’m a young(ish, 29) woman interested in travelling to Cambodia; the country has been an interest of mine since age 10 so it was important to hear what you had to say (plus I’m a “sad truth” type, LOL). I think part of the problem is you and much of your audience might be out of touch with a lot of readers (travelers, ex-pats, etc.). As much as I appreciate your blog post as well as the comments, I LOL’ed at people’s shock over drink-spiking, purse-snatching, scams, etc. In my own hometown area (just outside Detroit) I’ve had my purse and debit card stolen when I unwisely left it sitting in a booth at a bar under my coat, a man attempted a car-jack/kidnap on me, and my catalytic convertor was stolen (unfortunately common nowadays). I guess what I’m trying to say is I understand why people are rolling their eyes that you/commentors think it’s news one must keep one’s valuables hidden, lock one’s doors, and watch one’s drink. Additionally, it doesn’t help that your buddy got into a fight with a driver and that you proudly announced having smacked up a bunch of children as it makes you appear unstable and privileged. I also must agree with posters suggesting an increase of sheltered youngsters may have in impact on reports of these “unthinkable” occurrences.
These things happen in our hometowns so why are they surprising in third-world countries?
The Bangkok embassy told me (some years ago) that there are no Visas on arrival at the border and no visa of other embassies than that of BKK are accepted on the border. Same for online visa.
The change rate for the visa in BKK is: Pay about 3800Bath to pay for the 20 $ Visa fee, much cheaper at other embassy in Thailand and on the border or online. Maybe the price is the reason for non exceptance?
Anyhow, for me the first reason not to travel to Cambodia again, I hate these stupid scam of high price entrance fees for a zoo, sorry, mean country, anyhow..
So we went to Laos and spent our money there.
Touting is the reason for the problems you have on your way. No touts=no problems, easy as that!
And touting in the end kills people, so NEVER use them, send them to hell!
After some hotel owners sudden death in Sihanoukville the touts are in control of that really great place. Promoting the “good tourism” will leave them as millionaires soon. And that country too will reach the state of some kind of civil war after that.
I wonder why governments around the world make that same mistake again and again, maybe on purpose?
It has a good reason why the country is referred to as “Scambodia”.
Nice people and beautifull nature, sure, heaps of that.
But it is far too late to explore Cambodia now, find better places, interesting and save.
I’ve entered Cambodia twice by land and once by air and was able to buy my visa at the border each time. Overland there were groups charging an extra few dollars. It can be avoided but one group who refused to pay the $2 ended up holding us up at the border for four hours.
$20 is hardly a high price and there has been visa on arrival for about 15 years now at all the land borders, the information you received is typical of Thais who would prefer you to stay and spend money in their country. Hundreds of countries around the world charge for visas, have you any idea how much it costs for a Cambodian to visit any European country?
Anyone who has such profound disrespect as to call a country a zoo isn’t welcome there anyway.
Regarding drink spiking, sometimes it not even enough to watch your drink if the booze is bad to begin with. I don’t know about SE Asian countries, but in Bali many places serve drinks containing methanol, poured from bottles marked vodka, etc. I got a spiked drink at SkyGarden in Kuta one night. Very scary. I suspect it was methanol because my field of vision went very wonky, and blacked out for a few seconds. I knew right away I’d been drugged, and so did my body… which promptly spewed out the poison from every orifice. (Sorry, but it’s true). Will NEVER drink in Bali again… for that matter, will probably steer clear of that hell hole forever!
That’s true, Loka. Remember that tragic story about the two sisters who died from drinking DEET-laced booze in Thailand? http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-sisters-died-in-thailand-from-drinking-deet-1.1153094
Hi Kate,
thank you so much for writing this article and allowing people to give their views. My boyfriend and I are heading over the border tomorrow to Cambodia from the Thousand Islands in Laos. Since reading your post I’ve been a lot more mindful about public transport and not straying too far from my boyfriend while travelling over the last 2 months. I’ve felt more safe in the remote villages of Thailand and Laos than the touristy towns and cities. We’re just passing through the cities in Cambodia to get to an island, so hopefully we’ll be some of the lucky ones, but this article by the British Government shows that your post is right – there is a growing trend in crime against foreigners in some parts of Cambodia, and, worryingly, sexual assault:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cambodia/safety-and-security
Obviously as women travelling in more traditional countries than our own we need to all be careful of dressing too provocatively and hanging out by ourselves at night. Perhaps those in families are staying in nicer areas…and therefore less at risk.
Safe travels everyone,
Alice
Thanks very much for sharing that, Alice. I feel like the UK does a much better job than the US when it comes to talking about safety and dangers abroad. That’s very specific and accurate.
Hi i visited cambodia many years ago and went to killing field but when seeing your picture of killingtree, i’m still shocked
I read your post originally when I was in Chiang Mai about to leave my travelling buddy and set off on my first solo trip through Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. I have to be honest and say it really scared me and when it came to leaving Laos and crossing into Cambodia it was still in the back of my mind making me very apprehensive. For the first few days I felt uneasy and in Phnom Penh in particular I think I almost felt paranoid that I was being scoped out by anyone who tried to talk to me! But gradually I relaxed and now having just left Cambodia I can say that I had a brilliant time and would love to return one day. I experienced no crime or ill attitude to me as a tourist and met many lovely friendly Khmer people. I am sure that this post probably helped me keep safe, I was extra careful with my belongings and didn’t go out by myself late at night but I just felt compelled to reassure people who might be heading to Cambodia soon that you can have an incident free trip!!
I’m glad you had a great time, Jess! And I appreciate what you said.
I am not sure if this was brought up or not but I would like everyone to know that Cambodia is a beautiful and safe country, but the country is going through some political issues which has caused some citizens to feel a little more rebellious; this usually happens in third world countries, take Egypt as an example. Anyways, there was a recent election that saw the prime minister re-win his seat to the dismay of many of the locals; who wanted a new prime minister by the name of Sam Rainsy. There has been a lot of protest, violence, demonstrations, etc in certain areas to try to get Sam Rainsy into the Prime Minister seat. Because of the unrest, there has been a rise in crime but once everything gets settled politically, I guarantee Cambodia will go back to the country we have all grown to love. I have been going to Cambodia every year to visit family for the past twenty years but avoid the years where they have elections because things can get unruly. I recommend to read into the situation before going to Cambodia because if you avoid Cambodia all together, you will miss one of the most beautiful/pleasant countries in the world.
I am so thankful that you wrote this post. After many people (bloggers specifically) recommended Cambodia, I went in Dec. 2013 as a solo traveler. I AM cautious and street-smart and have traveled in poor countries before, but I did not find Cambodia to be an “enormously rewarding destination”. Nothing terrible happened to me, but I felt an undercurrent of violence and desperation that kept me on edge at all times. Granted, I only spent two weeks there, going from PP to Siem Reap and back. But honestly, I couldn’t get out of that country fast enough and hope never to return. For me, the fear made it entirely unpleasant.
Well thought out post Kate. I’m currently in Cambodia and glad I came across this post. Have only been here for three nights and have already met ex pats who have had things snatched from them in recent times. Agree with you on preparation and it would apply to anywhere else we travel to.
I’m sorry you had such bad experiences in Cambodia. I found the people some of the friendliest I’ve ever met. Some of those experiences (people ripping you off) sound expected for touristy areas and capital cities…others would be horrific.
It’s disappointing you didn’t make it to more places you hadn’t visited previously (Ban Lung, Kratie, Sen Monoram, Stung Treng). There are some awesome waterfalls, trekking, etc out there to be explored.
As you mention…I’d highly recommend everyone go to Cambodia. I can’t say whether or not it’s changed for the better as I’ve only been there once.
As people say…everyone’s trip is unique and whatever they make it…and bad experiences can break a country for you.
GO TO CAMBODIA!
My partner and I travelled to Cambodia (Phnom Penh and Siem Reap) in Dec 2008 – Jan 2009. We have travelled extensively through SE Asia and Cambodia was our worst experience by far – we were thrown eggs and other objects at when in tuk-tuks and the accomodation we stayed at was rife with drug activity and what we thought were gangs and prostitution (which I understand happens in countries not as well off, etc) but it added to the general feeling of unease. Generally we found it not as friendly and trustworthy as neighbouring countries and I wouldn’t go back.
Your friend S. sounds like an asshole. He beat the shit out of a petty thief ultimately leading to his death? To what extent was utilization of such force a necessity in recovering the valuables? Don’t you feel he should have paid for the man’s treatment, or do you suppose he wasn’t worth it? I come from a civilized country where criminals mostly retain their human rights. In general, do you suppose people in third world countries steal for leisure, or you reckon they might do it for survival? Just some questions that a reader might ask himself while reading this one-sided and crude report. He smacked a child? You mean he physically hit him? If that’s the case, he brought the retaliation from a bunch of children on himself and I hope they got him good.
Your own values aren’t exactly the epitome of the western human rights development either, considering your statement that any foreigner who “is dumb enough”, “and gets caught” doing drugs abroad “deserves all of the consequences”. As if being dumb should add to the severity of consequences – and you even made “getting caught” a separate bullet, implying that getting caught (a manifestation of dumbness I presume?) was part of the justification for harsh punishment in itself, i.e. good riddance getting rid of stupid people walking free. Depending on the amounts of substances the person may be found to be in possession of at the time of arrest, that in many Southeast Asian countries can mean years of imprisonment . If the amount exceeds the limit for trafficking, it could mean death sentence – usually changed to life in imprisonment for foreigners. This in your opinion is a punishment that is in proportion to the harm inflicted on the society by an individual in the act of consumption of drugs. I’m not defending drug traffickers or the mafia who reap the profits from luring people into dependency, but drug consumption itself is a victimless crime. Even if you were authoritarian enough to suggest that users are victims and the state needs to protect them, what kind of logic does punishing the victim follow? Maybe we should also sentence people engaging in sexual promiscuity, eating fast food, cutting themselves due to psychological trauma or hell, anyone making bad choices in their life to prison because obviously they can’t look after themselves and The Decent People shouldn’t be forced to walk the same streets.
While I would agree anytime that knowing and understanding the local culture and customs is the responsibility of the traveler, your little opinion piece on the dumb drug consumers was off-place and only made a point of your lack of sophistication.
You may be well traveled (if fast-tracking through half the world to write shallow reports on tourist destinations earns such recognition) but really, your blog reeks of superficiality and egocentrism of typical self-absorbed westerners. Tourist for life, all the way.
Thanks for reading, Suleiman. 🙂
This makes me really sad to hear that Cambodia is not what it used to be, especially because I have had so many friends tell me how amazing Cambodia is! I’m feel they would probably say the same thing as you Kate, if they returned to the country now.
Your post hasn’t put me off going, in fact I’ll be volunteering there for 5 weeks in October. But it does make me a little worried about traveling alone. I haven’t traveled to SE Asia before so I’m mentally preparing myself for the worst but hoping for the best!
Still go — just be more cautious than you would be in Thailand or Laos. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
I am Cambodian. I agreed with this article. For us, We never traveled alone in at midnight or any quiet places cos it’s not safe. My advice, you should travel in group if you want to travel at midnight. Not only foreigners that met those situation, we all also met that problems. Travel carefully in Cambodia. We are Cambodian We are mostly friendly. Wish you have safe trip in Cambodia.
I was in Cambodia recently and if you’re sensible, you should have no problems .. do not go into the dark streets of PP. You may need a bit of luck .. 🙂
Some people shouldn’t travel. If you can’t handle having some material shit stolen from you, without any violence even going on, and you think that is bad? Come on, Peru is a much more popular tourist destination, and it is common to hear stories of taxi drivers taking people to get robbed and beaten, to just be pick pocketed or extorted without any acts of violence, and you think that is bad? That is nothing, be smarter, carrying your cell phone around with you in the open? why did you need it with you anyways? your in CAMBODIA!
Also you mention your athletic friend got robbed twice. LOL, well I think that pretty much says it all, he doesn’t know wtf he is doing traveling. Sounds like he probably thinks very highly of himself, and instead of avoiding situations he provokes them, thinking his strength will intimidate people, guess what, people with nothing to lose are not so easily intimidated, he is lucky he didn’t get killed by those 5 guys, if the had weapons he surely would be.
I was travelling SE Asia in 2012 for 8 months. The only place in Cambodia where I felt a little bit unsafe after dark was Phnom Penh. It looked like it came out of one of those dodgy back alley movies.
You shouldn’t be walking around here for too long, said my common sence.
I never had any problems, never heard about troubles except for thefts on the tourist busses in Thailand and Vietnam.
Going back to Cambodia in november, we’ll see how it goes.
The only place where I got in trouble was in India. Got scammed at the motorbike rental, and got attacked physically by a bunch of taxi drivers in goa. That was in the beginning of the holiday, and just like yourself, it didn’t feel much of a holiday anymore because I was on the edge all the time.
That wasn’t like that in my SE Asia experience; which is why I think that you’re thinking that Cambodia has changed. But it’s probably not, you’ve approached it in 2 different ways.
Safe travels,
Such a beautiful country and people. I have lived in Cambodia for three years as a female freelance photographer often travelling/working alone. I very much appreciated your concern about tourism vs truth. I run small tours Photography and Creative Arts Tours in Cambodia for independent travellers with an important focus on womens interests, safety and comfort. If any solo travellers, artists, writers, photographers or people with special travel needs would like to visit with some added confidence do get in touch. Cambodia and the beautiful people here really are worth it.
Hi Kate. Though I read your story with dismay, I shall regard your personal opinion with due respect and exercise caution the next time I am there. I was in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in 2011 and 2012 and had a wonderful time soaking up in its diverse culture and heritage sites. Locals were warm and welcoming despite a tragic past. I’ve interviewed one who toiled in the rice fields and survived Pol Pot’s regime at a young age (kids were separated from mothers and fathers and assigned different labors, or gotten killed). He is now a smiling old tourist guide who warms your heart with stories.
Now I see it as a bit reckless (and maybe stupid), but back then I woke up twice early dawn to wait for the sunrise along the river at Sisowath Quay on my own. I believe we photographers have more risk in having our gears snatched from us, and being a lone female adds more to the danger. (Of course, I can always bonk my camera on the pervert’s head but I would rather carry a pepper spray to avoid such damage tee hee).
I am thankful I was safe then, but I do remember walking out of my hotel in the wee hours of the morn thinking I was probably too early for sunrise at 4am. It was quite dark and few joggers were out in the park. Alas, we should not feel so invincible and privileged as tourists in strange lands.
Cambodia’s not all bad. Read the blog of one of GlobalGivingUK’s volunteers to hear about the great local charity work being done by Cambodians: http://smallvoicebigdifference.wordpress.com/2014/07/18/humans-of-cchp/
I lived in Cambodia (Phnom Penh) for three months earlier this year. I had my tablet stolen from my bag at the Russian Market (I unzipped it for ten seconds to get a drink of water, and when I went to put my bottle back, my tablet was gone). I also had moto drivers attempt to take my to different locations after leaving town on two seperate occaisions (one in Sihanoukville, one in Phnom Penh). I would reiterate this post – you do need to be extremely vigilant in Cambodia. My advice is to hold onto your posessions tightly (especially while travelling in tuk tuks!), but open your heart to the wonderful people you’ll meet and the amazing experiences the country has to offer.
There are some rather strange details in your story. 1) I cannot find anything via the internet about a tourist who killed a bag snatcher. Could you please provide a link? I am sure the PP Post and others would have covered the story. 2) What do you mean by “the military police”? A murder case is treated by police in Cambodia. 3) You could have involved the police to get back your mobile, why didn’t you? It would have been much cheaper.
Even if I take those stories for granted, I would advise to get to know the child who has stolen from a tourist instead of beating it. Find out through locals who he/she is, go to his home, make contact with the family. This will open your eyes. Ask them if you could help a bit instead of being mugged.
1) It wasn’t on the English-language news, Bernd, it was on the Khmer news on TV.
2) It wasn’t a murder when the military police arrived on the scene. It was a robbery. The man died later.
3) Really? I could have? Do you really think that if I had invited the man into a police station to give me back my phone, he would have done so willingly?
Thanks for the great read!
I visited Cambodia last year, and I’m returning for a few months this winter. I volunteer at a school called Painting Smiles (shameless charity plug). It’s at a quiet little beach outside of Sihanoukville.
I was there in the rainy season, when tourists, food, and money are a little more scarce. I’ve been told that the rainy season is more crime ridden because the locals are more desperate. There was a crime spree when I was there- stolen scooters, people sneaking into dorms and taking laptops and whatnot. No violent crime or rape to my knowledge.
I never experienced any theft, but I was also very careful. I think Cambodia can be a great place, but you just have to be super careful all the time, which of course takes a bit of fun out of your vacation, doesn’t it. Sad…
Anyway, always great to get another traveler’s take on the country.
All I see coming from this blogger is hearsay coming from a rather negative mindset.
Would you trust the opinion of someone whose friend is a murder? Personally, I wouldn’t.
When I see all these young backpackers walking around drunk at night in Phom Penh and Sihanoukville then I am not surprised that some unpleasant things might happen. I have been visiting Cambodia even when the Khmer Rouge was still present but never had any trouble. Use comon sense, behave normal and don’t pretent you are somewhere on Ibiza and all will be fine. If you think that Thailand or Vietnam is safer than Cambodia you are wrong. Maybe the safest country you can go to is Myanmar as there local violance against tourists result in years of inprissonment.
I’m currently on my fourth adventure in as many years in the Kingdom of Wonder. I have always been less enamored with Phnom Penh than any other part of the country although I would still encourage every first time visitor to Cambodia to include the capitol on their itinerary.
In some ways, I agree that Cambodia is changing and that not all the changes are good. In PP in particular, crimes of a violent nature against tourists do seem to be on the rise. I personally have had no such issues but many of the expats I know who now live in Cambodia have. Most recently just last week near BKK1 in PP, a good friend, who has lived in Cambodia for 7 years, was attacked in an attempted rape by 3 men and had her phone stolen. (She is ok, albeit battered, bruised and shaken and thanks to “find my phone” app, not only tracked down her phone but had the thief/would be rapist arrested).
Having said that, I would still tell people that for the most part, Cambodia is safe, the people are beautiful, kind and friendly, and as long as you are sensible and take appropriate precautions, you will most likely be fine.
Thanks for sharing, Jas. Really appreciate your insights. I’m so sorry your friend had to go through that and I’m so relieved she was able to get away.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for sharing. I visited Cambodia in 2005 and instantly fell in love with the country. I have lately been thinking of re-visiting, interested in seeing what difference 10 years have made. It too saddens me to read your experiences.
Cambodia has had a tumultuous history and the way people seemed to have overcome that is part of what made me fall in love with the place, along with the food, the countryside and at the time the inquisitiveness of the people (Being there were very few westerners outside of Siem Reap)
Unfortunately this seems to be all too common where countries have opened their doors to tourism and western influences. Laos is facing similar issues in areas where tourists and travellers frequent.
As a keen traveller with an interest in psychology and anthropology I’m interested in what we can do as global wanderers to prevent this. I don’t have an answer, but it poses an interesting question. I suspect we are at least partly responsible so do we therefore have a responsibility to help solve the problem?
What could possible go wrong in Sihanoukville?
I thought I should start off with some humor,as anyone whos been there knows,the answer is anything and everything.
I have been staying in Cambodia for years and love the place.I,of course,know and always have that this is a dangerous country,everything you have written about it is true,in fact there are far worse things that have happened.
The thing that has shocked me most when traveling here is the actions and attitudes of a lot of young backpackers,mostly girls.Girls walking alone down small alleys in poor urban areas at night,walking down railway tracks onto dark local paths threw jungle areas.Skinny dipping where you shouldn’t be,that’s just about all of SE Asia.Hooking up and going out alone with very strange creepy guys,I’m talking locals as well as backpackers.And yes,carrying a phone that costs more than a years pay when you can pick up a phone for about $16 bucks.Drinking &drugs to the point where you cant walk,stand or even speak(mostly a guy thing,but not always).
Cambodia’s a great place to visit or even stay,just don’t expect a safe haven where you don’t have to think.
To all travellers: avoid Phnom Penh! Been here for more than 2 years. We’ve been robbed 4 times in a year. (scooter, bag, electric wires and night intrusion in our kid’s bedroom). Steeling people’s bags , bikes, jewels is now a national sport! anytime of the day!
So travel “light” when you visit the city.
That’s a very interesting post… I’m actually planning to go to Cambodia but am still hesitating…
I have visited Phnom Penh last month and I didn’t have any problems for the 5 days that I spent in town. I even hired a tuk tuk driver for the whole day to take me down to Tonle Bati lake which was beautiful and except he asking me for a generous tip at the end (which I didn’t have problem with) I haven’t encountered any dangerous situation.
But I know what you mean I spent some significant time traveling all over Southeast Asia and it can happen in any of these countries that you meet some desperate and poor local people who want to take advantage of you. Is rare, but it does happen if you travel around for more than just a couple of weeks.
That’s not all, someone told me their friend got raped while he was swimming by a rapist with scuba equipment. What’s the world coming to!
I was talking to a tourist at a bar about this, and telling him what a crazy world we live in and he was about to tell me how his buddy got pick-pocketed while skydiving, when his adopted pr+1e-teen, daughter I guess, came in and started screaming about her twenty dollars. Jeez, that’s why I don’t have kids, who can afford that kind of allowance.
While bad things happen sometimes here in Cambodia, I personally think you and your friends had a serious string of bad luck. I’ve lived here for 2 years and the worst (and only) thing that has happened to me is having my motorbike helmet stolen from my bike while I was in a restaurant. The $11 loss didn’t hurt very badly, plus I was due for a new one anyways.
As for your story about the phone extortion, I left my phone in a tuk tuk in Kep recently and the driver happily brought it back to me for no cost. As for bag snatching, it happens sometimes of course, but with minimal effort you can prevent it entirely.
I’m not saying you’re wrong, just saying I think your experience is not a typical one for someone visiting Cambodia. I think most bad things here happen to extremely naive or intoxicated people. Keep your wits about you and you will be fine. I personally feel safer here than I did when i was living in Seattle, which is a pretty safe city.
Interesting read, I’m in Phnom penh now with my family and the first night we were here, we were riding in a tuk tuk heading home after eating next to the river. Dad who was sitting with his back to the driver noticed a couple of guys on a scooter giving us funny looks from behind. We didn’t think anything of it. A little bit later he drove passed us and I noticed he had a really good look at my mother, about a minute later he had turned around and as he passed us again he reached out with 2 fingers and jabbed my mother in the back of the neck, so I assume he was trying to hook his fingers around her necklace , scratching her neck in the process, after that we didn’t see him again.
I felt really bad as I watched the whole thing happen but it happened so fast I didn’t have time to react, I thought if he came around again I was going to kick him off his scooter but after reading this I feel like reacting is probably a bad idea!
We are Going to be a lot more vigilant now especially after reading this article, but it has made the first night here a bit worrying, hopefully it won’t happen again.
Hi Kate, I love reading your blog and in my opinion it’s one of the best and most inspiring travel blogs for young women out there. I know this comment is more than a year after the fact but I just feel compelled to write–
What S. did to that child is absolutely reprehensible and disgusting. You are never, NEVER, allowed to hit a child in another country as a (presumably) Western tourist. I say this as someone who has spend a significant amount of time in Asia: S. does not understand the culture; he is deeply ignorant of the power he wields and the capacity he has to harm by this action. Even as children, people in developing nations are well aware of the power differential between white Westerners and themselves, which is perpetuated in every single scenario concerning tourists no matter how well-intentioned those tourists may be.
That kid, no matter how rotten, likely lives a life of poverty and faces more than enough violence in his or her private life. I find it extremely hard to believe that a grown-ass man could not wrest a wallet away from a child without resorting to slapping him/her, which is an absolutely disgusting action. I am frankly glad he will likely never be returning to Cambodia again.
I would disagree with you that Cambodia has changed. What has changed is that you happened to experience the bad side of Cambodia, which has always been there, you just happened to not meet it on your first trip. In fact I have a friend who lived in Sihanoukville 12 years ago, and he tells me that at the time out of about 50 foreigner expats he knew, a third died within two years. Some of them died because of drugs or alcohol, others were murdered for debt, or caught in gang crossfire or just disappeared. He got his apartment on the first floor so he would not be shot when bullets were flying. Compared to that, I’ve been in Cambodia three years now, and never heard a single gun fired. Never heard of anyone being shot in Sihanoukville. So it’s very naive for you to come here for visits of a few weeks and state a country has changed for the worse. I can assure you Cambodia is exactly the same as it was three years ago, since I’ve lived here. It has a dark side and everyone knows that who lives here.