5 tips to make your Cambodia trip a disaster
Cambodia is remarkable and the tourism is on the rise during the last years. Many people wish to follow Lara Croft, so this is quite clear. But there are peculiarities that you should know before you choose to come here as a visitor. Here is the list of things that will turn your trip not the way it was planned.
1. Taking weird and unpredictable offers from the locals
Grab a cup of tea with a stranger from the market? Gamble in the guest house? If anything in the offer seems at least slightly illogical and weird, decline it politely. You are not here to lose all your possessions. It is said, that there are whole groups of people who professionally trick tourists into gambling, so just be cautious.
2. Showing off your jewellery and gadgets
There is a certain number of robbers in any country you could travel to, as the concentration of bastards in societies is pretty stable. But the relatively recent partisan war has resulted in the fact the too many people of different character and worldview own the weapons. So if you don’t want to become a victim of a robbery, be modest and don’t boast your golden necklace or your newest iPhone while you’re on a trip. Find your good old vintage Nokia 3310, wake it up and insert a sim card.
3. Smoking a hookah
While smoking cigarettes is allowed, smoking a hookah is prohibited. You will have hard time trying to prove you’re not doing drugs. As the matter of fact there are no legal hookah pubs in Cambodia now.
4. Eating street food
Some people say it’s a must to try some exotic street food in every country. Though the experts believe that the climate in Asian countries is not suitable for keeping the cooked food safe for long. Experienced tourists advise to visit “cook your own” places. You will be able to control the freshness of the ingredients and the cooking method just like the degree of cooking.
5. Taking photos of locals without permission, especially children
It is considered to be very impolite and could become a reason for a conflict. It is especially the case when you try to take a picture of a child or of a monk. If you believe you really need this sort of photo, ask the permission first.
It goes without saying, that you will also need to check the visa rules for your country and to make all the necessary vaccination (we assume that as a traveler you may have some typical asian vaccines by now). But these tips are the ones peculiar to Cambodia. If you know more from your experience, please share in the comments.
