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Some helpful travel tips....plus pics from Cambodia and Thailand (updated)
- Thread starter nefertiti
- Start date
billfred
New member
NP
It's definitely a pain in the ass to re-size everything before posting here, but the whole reason I love taking pictures is being able to recreate my experiences for other people. Both countries, but Cambodia in particular, were wonderful wonderful places to visit. I found the Cambodian people to be warm, genuine, spirited people with an endurance against strife and a love for the culture that pol pot did his best to wipe out. Where one might look and see only the poverty...I did see that, but I also saw family, community, pride, hospitality, self deprecating humor, wortk ethic and a decided lack of "this person owes me xyz" and "I am entitled to abc." Every person I encountered had a love of country, a joy in their work, and a desire to educate visitors in a way that made that joy and love contagious. Of the pictures I took....the ones I kept and share I do because I want other people to fall in love too. It is a special place, and a special culture.
Well - now you have to go back to Phnom Penh - see that tragedy up close.
I'd do so in a heart beat. I doubt it would do anything but solidify my opinion. Siem reap is full of tourists but the northern areas are not and I got a real look at post pol pot Cambodia. Hell, koh ker was only safe in limited sites because many areas hadn't been cleared of land mines. But it was amazing, beautiful, and well worth the ~100 I gave my driver for the trip there and beng mealea.
PICK3
New member
I wood be chicken shit, butt apparently it's fairly safe 
How safe is to travel alone in Cambodia for a young woman? - Cambodia Forum - TripAdvisor
How safe is to travel alone in Cambodia for a young woman? - Cambodia Forum - TripAdvisor
I wood be chicken shit, butt apparently it's fairly safe
How safe is to travel alone in Cambodia for a young woman? - Cambodia Forum - TripAdvisor
Bangkok was far worse as a solo traveler. I got manhandled by a tuk tuk driver who told me I was really sexy and that he wanted to be my "thai boyfriend," and how about he come up to my hotel room and take care of me? Gross.
Last edited:
WoodyO
New member
Did you accept?
Negative ghost rider.
It appears my thread has been linked to a Cambodia tourism sight. I will now offer a few actually relevant tourism tips:
1) That guy on the moto wearing a mask isn't doing it because the air is polluted....he's doing to bc of the dust. Do as the locals do.....when traveling by tuk tuk (which is a must in siem reap), find something the cover your mouth to reduce the dirt inhalation.
2) Hire Chan to be your driver. Excellent rates, excellent service, exceptionally gracious, knowledgeable, and patient. The long car ride out (round trip, about 4 hours in the car. Leather seats, AC) to Koh Ker and Ben Mealea cost about ~100 and included gas. Left at 7:00am was at my hotel by 3:00pm. The next day from 4:30am till 8:00pm on his tuk tuk he charged only 15 for the day and that included extensive tour guide knowledge of each temple. He took me to an excellent teaching restaurant (haven) that is a non profit that gives orphans skills that will allow them to provide for themselves after they are too old for orphanages.
3) Eat at haven. The owners genuinely seem to adore their trainees and you can feel their heart in every aspect of the restaurant. The kids working there have pride in what they are doing, bounce to their step, and a constant heartwarming smile on their faces.
4) Stay at Pool and Palm villa. Fantastic staff always present to assist with anything. Beautiful grounds just a touch away from the downtown mayhem. Safe, clean, amazing pool, and an owner who is personally invested in the well being of all of his guests. Owner will join you for dinner and spend the whole time talking about his country.
5)Get a foot rub. Two dollars for half an hour that includes a head and shoulders massage.
6) Fish massage. It's gross as fuck, but a better pedicure than you'll get in any spa in the U.S.
7) Pay no mind to the young girls with babies asking you to buy formula.
8)If you plan to return somewhere, tip a dollar or two....you'll be treated like a queen on return.
9) Locals LOVE to talk about Cambodia and practice their English, so get one talking, and soak it up. They tell a sad tale that always ends up inspiring me.
10) Travel with your own toilet paper and wet ones. I'm fine with sweating my brains out, but it's nice to wipe off the caked sweat now and then in between stops. Toilet paper speaks for itself. Sometimes there isn't any. Not like it ran out....but like it never was.
It appears my thread has been linked to a Cambodia tourism sight. I will now offer a few actually relevant tourism tips:
1) That guy on the moto wearing a mask isn't doing it because the air is polluted....he's doing to bc of the dust. Do as the locals do.....when traveling by tuk tuk (which is a must in siem reap), find something the cover your mouth to reduce the dirt inhalation.
2) Hire Chan to be your driver. Excellent rates, excellent service, exceptionally gracious, knowledgeable, and patient. The long car ride out (round trip, about 4 hours in the car. Leather seats, AC) to Koh Ker and Ben Mealea cost about ~100 and included gas. Left at 7:00am was at my hotel by 3:00pm. The next day from 4:30am till 8:00pm on his tuk tuk he charged only 15 for the day and that included extensive tour guide knowledge of each temple. He took me to an excellent teaching restaurant (haven) that is a non profit that gives orphans skills that will allow them to provide for themselves after they are too old for orphanages.
3) Eat at haven. The owners genuinely seem to adore their trainees and you can feel their heart in every aspect of the restaurant. The kids working there have pride in what they are doing, bounce to their step, and a constant heartwarming smile on their faces.
4) Stay at Pool and Palm villa. Fantastic staff always present to assist with anything. Beautiful grounds just a touch away from the downtown mayhem. Safe, clean, amazing pool, and an owner who is personally invested in the well being of all of his guests. Owner will join you for dinner and spend the whole time talking about his country.
5)Get a foot rub. Two dollars for half an hour that includes a head and shoulders massage.
6) Fish massage. It's gross as fuck, but a better pedicure than you'll get in any spa in the U.S.
7) Pay no mind to the young girls with babies asking you to buy formula.
8)If you plan to return somewhere, tip a dollar or two....you'll be treated like a queen on return.
9) Locals LOVE to talk about Cambodia and practice their English, so get one talking, and soak it up. They tell a sad tale that always ends up inspiring me.
10) Travel with your own toilet paper and wet ones. I'm fine with sweating my brains out, but it's nice to wipe off the caked sweat now and then in between stops. Toilet paper speaks for itself. Sometimes there isn't any. Not like it ran out....but like it never was.
It sounds corny as fuck, but my time in Cambodia changed me, fer realz.
You don't understand....the trauma that is the hole in the ground stalls.....with nothing but a bucket of brown water to help "flush." and nothing else. NOTHING. ELSE.
