cambodia - siem reap, whats it like?
cambodia - siem reap, whats it like?
Right guys I need some help. I am considering doing Volunteering in an orphanage in Siem Reap for 10 weeks, starting around end of September. Is anyone else around then?
My mum really doesnt like the sound of me going here, she keeps saying its not safe. Just as I has kinda talked her round, it came on the news last night that 400 people have died in Cambodia at a festival :-S this really has not helped my case, and has also made me a little unsure weather it is safe here?
I have read the other threads on here about is Cambodia safe and I no there are risks whereever I go, but I dno why im just a little more unsure about Cambodia compered to the rest of Southeast Asia (propbably due to my mum trying to put me off)
From what I have read I kinda get the feeling Phnom Penh is maybe less safe than Siem Reap? Would you say this is true? There are obvious rules to follow, dont walk about after dark on your own, have any expensive items on show…. if I follow these will I be fine? Mum keeps going on about me being kidnapped lol Is it really as bad as she thinks? becuase I really would love to visit Cambodia, I would love to see the temples and experience the culture here, but I do wna be safe!
Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Also has anyone else done the same volunteer work I am considering its with globalteer.
Thanks,
Zoe x
Hello, I absolutley loved Siem Reap, we went for 3 days and left after 8! It is so so nice :) The people are lovely and we had no bad experiences (did see a local get run over but that could happen anywhere..) Totally get what you mean about being more warey of Cambodia, we were the same but as long as you’re not daft then I don’t see why you wouldn’t be fine. Seriously would be soooo cool to be there for so long and getting to help too :D Cambodia really is a secret gem. xxx :idea:
def go.
The only thing that won’t be safe is your liver.
Go.
Also its very close to the killing fields and genocide museum which are a must. I preferred Siem Riep so much more than Phnom Pehn. I know your mum will really worried especially after the recent disaster but we wouldnt get anywhere if we let those put us off.
Erm the genocide museum and the killing fields are in Phnom Penh, not Siem Reap.
Siem Reap is awesome. It’s safe, as long as your exercise common sense. It’s probably one of the safest places in Cambodia - there are a LOT of tourists there; lots of hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and everyone is obviously looking out for the tourists.
The Khmer people want Cambodia to be safe, and for the tourists to have a good time, so if you do feel like you’re getting or going to get in to trouble, everyone around will help you out.
Only things to bare in mind is that Cambodia is a very poor country. There is a lot of poverty that you see around, so the only real dangers are people robbing you for your money, begging or pick-pocketing. So obviously, don’t flaunt cash, purses, expensive cameras etc and you’ll be fine. I’ve been there twice and never seen or heard anything.
The volunteering sounds like an awesome opportunity, I would love to volunteer there. The Khmer people are some of the friendliest people you’ll never meet, and despite their hardship, they’re all sooo happy! After decades of war, landmines and dictating, horrifying regimes, they’ve got their freedom back (mostly, the government is still very corrupt). I love the place, and if you were to ask where in the world to volunteer, I would say there.
Do you know which orphanage it is to volunteer at? There is a landmine museum about 15km outside of Siem Reap, which is a great museum. Very informative, and inspiring - the museum was set up by a man who was recruited as a child soldier by the Khmer Rouge. He was forced to plant land mines and kill innocent people, and after the regime ended, he dedicated his life to finding and deactivating land mines. There are still millions and millions of the things undetonated and undetected around the country, and people are killed and maimed by them every year. This guy set up this museum, and next door there’s an orphanage and school for children who have lost limbs or been effected by landmines in some way. I was there when all the kids were playing outside, and a girl with one arm waved hello at me - I pretty much cried! That would be an awesome place to volunteer, taching and looking after the kids, and I just wondered if it was there you were going to volunteer.
Sorry for the ramble!
I love Cambodia, don’t let the words of your mom and other people with that mindset stop you from going. It’s because they don’t understand. Cambodia is a beautiful country, with an amazing history - ancient and recent, wonderful people… it’d be a real shame to pass up the opportunity to visit. Thousands of westerners visit there every year with no problems, and when you get there you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about. If you decide you don’t like it when you’re there, or you don’t feel safe, you can always leave. Whereas if you don’t go, you’ll regret it and wonder what it was like.
:D thank you all. thats made my mind up then im going :-)
Im not sure what the name of it is…. Il see if I can find out.
Im excited now thank you.
O and one other thing, what will the weather be like October-November time? Anyone know? x
Think they will just be coming to the end of the wet season, but I’m not 100%
Don’t let that stop you though - the wet is awesome too. I much prefer it!
Have a look on the Lonely Planet website, under Cambodia and find the climate section, it’ll give you the info
EDIT-
Here ya go, I took this from the Lonely Planet website ......
“Cambodia can be visited at any time of year. The ideal months are December and January, when humidity levels are relatively low, there is little rainfall and a cooling breeze whips across the land, but this is also peak season when the majority of visitors descend on the country.
From early February temperatures keep rising until the killer month, April, when the mercury often exceeds 40°C. Some time in May or June, the southwestern monsoon brings rain and high humidity, cooking up a sweat for all but the hardiest of visitors. The wet season, which lasts until October, isn’t such a bad time to visit, as the rain tends to come in short, sharp downpours. Angkor is surrounded by lush foliage and the moats are full of water at this time of year. If you are planning to visit isolated areas, however, the wet season makes for tough travel.”
Just read this after replying to the other thread - it sounds loooovely!! Right, I definitely want to go now. :D
cool sounds alright will be nice to see the temples with all the greenery. O I do have another question actually lol Im a vegetarian am I gna struggle to eat?
Thanks x
Siem Reap is brilliant. Heaps of people do volunteering there and pub street is so much fun. I stayed in the Siem Reap hostel which is really cool and they do a discount for people staying long term(2 or more weeks).
Only negative, I spent the first three weeks of October there this year and the weather was awful. Four out of five days had really bad rain. I still loved it though.
cool sounds alright will be nice to see the temples with all the greenery. O I do have another question actually lol Im a vegetarian am I gna struggle to eat?
Thanks x
Same! I have no idea what Cambodian food is like .. is it similar to Thai or completely different?
I bloody love Cambodia. It’s such a cool place. Mt. Bokor was one of the highlights of my whole trip.
I will say this though… You WILL come across child prostitution (unless things have changed massively in the last 3 years). Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about it and you just have to completely ignore it.
We saw it going on in a club, and it was made fairly obvious that if anyone had a problem with it then things would end well for them.
I loved Siem Reap - there is this French Guy who runs quad bike tours. Jump on a quad and head out through all the local villages out on to the paddy fields to watch the sunset and then back in the dark. Absolute Quality.
I was there last year and although i saw warnings about child prostitution i didn’t see anything at all. Saw a few normal prostitues but nothin suspicious with kids at all.
From my conversations with some of the locals they have been cracking down on it so hopefully it is something that will be eradicated sooner rather than later.
Pub Street is amazing though - good old Angkor What? bar!
I think they have clamped down on it a lot now. There’s poster campaigns and stuff around at the moment as well.
RE food, don’t think you’ll have too much of a problem being vegetarian.
The food is kinda like thai, but a lot more curries, creamier sorta curries! Fish Amok is amaaazing, it’s a curry, and it’s good!
Yeh i had the great displeasure of sitting across from a fat,sweaty guy with glasses who must of been in his fifties. Sat on his lap all night and down his throat was a girl who couldn’t of been older than 10. After a few beers i had to move on as i was getting pretty angry about it. Didn’t want to cause a scene.
