Do not Go to Cambodia Before You Know These 6 Things

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Cambodia is an amazing travel destination, and that’s no secret. More and more travelers are visiting Cambodia, which is fantastic because it means more income for the people. On the flip side, it also brings about a lot of negative aspects, such as scams involving children and clashes of different cultures. For instance, there have been multiple cases where tourists took naked photos at sacred temples and ended up in jail for several days. Many children are also used to sell goods to tourists or to deceive them. Cambodia has a very tumultuous history and is still one of the poorest countries in the world. So, it wouldn’t hurt to learn more about Cambodia before having the time of your life here. How do you do that? Simply by taking 5 minutes to remember the following things.

#1 There is still a lot of damage from the Khmer Rouge period

About 40 years ago, Cambodia experienced a devastating civil war in which one-third of the population perished or was killed. The communist Khmer Rouge is responsible for the deaths of approximately 2 million people. Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, aimed to turn Cambodia into a self-sufficient agrarian state. Anyone who had an education, spoke English, or even wore glasses was murdered. As a result, Cambodia still has a huge deficit in knowledge and development. Friends and foes now live side by side, and discussing this period is taboo. Not only the people who lived through this time suffer but also their children, who are often raised by parents with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This cycle of poverty and abuse continues to this day. The majority of Cambodians live in poverty, and 40% of children are malnourished. The average income is less than $3 per day, and many people live on even less. You can make a big difference by buying local products and services from the population rather than in larger supermarkets. Also, realize that this was just 40 years ago, and older people have experienced the most terrible things.

#2 The temples of Angkor are sacred, so dress modestly

Many people don’t realize that Angkor is a sacred place where you should behave just as you would in a church. Of course, it’s scorching hot, and you’d prefer to wear as little clothing as possible, but show respect for Cambodian culture and make sure to wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees, especially if you’re a woman.

#3 Do research before doing volunteer work

In Cambodia, you can do volunteer work in “orphanages” everywhere. Most of these orphanages are not real orphanages but are set up purely to make money from Western volunteers. They take children from the countryside who often aren’t orphans at all. These children are used to generate profit. So, always do your research before doing volunteer work with any organization. If you have less than a month, especially avoid volunteering with children. Children need long-term relationships with trained caregivers and teachers. An organization that has many good projects is Cambodia-Dutch Foundation.

#4 Don’t buy anything from children

It’s almost inevitable that you’ll come across children in Cambodia who want to sell you things like bracelets, books, water, or postcards. Especially in larger cities and tourist hotspots, you’ll often encounter one or more children practically begging you to buy something from them. It’s quite challenging to say no to such a child, and that’s precisely why children are used to push these products on you. There’s a whole network of adult criminals behind these “street children.” By buying something from them, you indirectly prevent these children from playing or attending school. Most of the earnings definitely don’t go to the children or education.

#5 Be aware of scams involving children

The milk powder scam is very popular in Siem Reap. A young mother approaches a tourist and asks for milk powder for the baby in her arms. The tourist knows that giving money is never a good idea but sees no harm in buying the milk powder. Once the tourist is gone, the mother returns the milk powder to the store. The baby, sleeping in the mother’s arms, is often drugged to keep the child quiet, allowing the mother to be out all day with the child. It’s also common for children to ask you to buy pens or books for them. They bring all these items back to the store, and the money goes to the criminal organizations sending these children out. Tourists aren’t the only victims of scams. Often, the con artist themselves is also a victim in these kinds of countries.

#6 Watch Your Hands

Pointing is extremely impolite in Cambodian culture. So, never point at someone or a product; use your whole hand instead. Also, walking hand in hand on the street is something you’ll never see Cambodians do. These are things you do behind closed doors in this culture. The same applies, of course, to public displays of affection. Exceptions to this are when you are in a hostel/cafe or in places that are super touristy. Here, these mistakes have been made so many times that Cambodians have gotten used to them.