After only 2 months of travelling I arrived in the 4th country on my list. Just being in Cambodia a bit more than one day, these are my first impressions.
Poverty
About an hour after crossing the Cambodian border, the bus goes on a ferry and in no-time you’re surrounded by beggars. Later at night in Phnom Penh I also saw a lot of homeless children roaming the streets. I can’t say I felt unsafe, but this was the first time during my travels I didn’t feel at ease walking alone at night.
The roads are also dusty and lucky if they’re paved once you’re just a bit outside the tourist area. Driving to the Killing Fields with my rented motorbike sure was a different experience compared to Vietnam or Thailand (see image above).
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Money
In Cambodia they use 2 different currencies; the American dollar, which also comes out of every ATM and the Cambodian Riel for change anything below $1.
USD 1 = KHR 4.000. Buying something for $1.50 and giving a $2 note, your change will be 2.000 riel.
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Food
Actually the best thing in the capital Phnom Penh is the diversity of worldwide cuisine. My favorite was a Belgium place called “La Patate” where I had my first real good fries with mayonnaise since I left home.
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Temperature
It’s freaking hot! You must use the relatively cool mornings to do and see anything. After noon you just long for an air conditioned place. Ohh and this comes from someone who usually enjoys the warmth.
