1. Well, there’s Angkor Wat, and that in itself is enough to justify a trip to Cambodia. Ta Prohm and the Bayon Temple are also spectacular
2. It’s cheaper, simpler, and less messy than Thailand. Cambodia is such a pleasantly laid-back place (except Sihanoukville!)
3. The Khmers (Cambodians) are less practiced than the Thais in the arts of fleecing tourists, and their friendliness is perhaps more genuine
4. You can see the potential for development everywhere
5. Siem Reap is a nice, easy-going city
6. The beaches are like Thailand was in the eighties
7. The tourists who make it to Cambodia are generally more interesting to talk to than most of those who visit Thailand
8. Sokha Beach, which is by far the best quality beach in the country, is a true private beach (the Sokha Beach Resort)
9. Public safety is basically good
10. The beach at Koh Rong
11. Nike sports shoes are extremely cheap here
12. Cambodia is at last visibly catching up with its neighbors
1. It’s true that it’s cheaper than Thailand, but the quality is also generally lower, and prices are increasing year-on-year, particularly, of course, in the tourism sector
2. In the hotels and other service places in Siem Reap, locals have already begun to treat tourists with disrespect
3. Outside of Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, tourist infrastructure is extremely weak
4. The public roads are in poor condition (often just dirt trails), and nobody obeys any driving rules (motorcyclists in particular are maniacs)
5. A lot of dirt and dust in many places, with run-down, trash-filled towns, districts and streets. There are few sidewalks, and poverty is ubiquitous
6. It’s terrifying to think what this country went through in the twentieth century – you still see legless or one-legged victims of minefields
7. Cambodian cuisine does not use enough spices
8. The dirt in Phnom Penh, the child beggars, the crazy tuk-tuk drivers, the many conmen who specialize in fleecing tourists, the inescapable street vendors at tourist attractions, and the tiresome necessity to haggle over every purchase
9. Laid-back and easy-going is all very well, but it can easily morph into lazy indifference and irresponsibility, which is irritating for tourists
10. Very limited public restroom facilities, as the roadside bushes can testify
ធ្វើខុសគឺជាមនុស្ស
