Cambodia Practical Information

Touristed areas in Cambodia are safe by world standards, but the usual commonsense safety precautions should be adhered to. Tourists should stick to set travel arrangements and avoid unknown areas. It is not safe to walk the streets of Phnom Penh at night where street lighting is poor. We recommend you keep jewelry to a minimum, and leave items of value in your hotel’s safety deposit box. Always keep a photocopy of your passport, airline tickets and credit card numbers, and a detailed record of your en-cashed travelers checks.

 

There are fewer scams in Cambodia than neighbouring countries, but now that tourism is really taking off this might change. Most current scams are fairly harmless, involving a bit of commission here and there for taxi or moto drivers, particularly in Siem Reap.

Cambodia is renowned for its precious stones, particularly the rubies and sapphires that are mined around the Pailin area in western Cambodia. However, there are : lots of chemically treated copies around, as much of the high quality stuff is snapped up by international buyers. The long and the short of it is: don't buy unless you really know your stones.