10 Things You Must Know Before Backpacking Cambodia
Cambodia is one of the most visited places in South East Asia. If you are planning for a backpacking Cambodia trip next holiday, here are some of the essentials that you must know before packing the bags.1. The religious background
The culture, heritage, dressing standards, and often the lifestyle depend on the religion of the people living in a region. As far as the land of wonders, Cambodia is concerned; most of its population follows Buddhism that preaches modest ways of living. Hence, pack the clothes and accessories accordingly. You will be required to wear decent dresses across Cambodia and especially for visiting the pagodas and temples. Make sure that you have done the research well before backpacking for Cambodia.
Read More: A Brief Introduction to Cambodia History Wat Ounalom - The Heart of Cambodian Buddhism
Quick Facts:
• Primary Religion: Buddhism• Acceptable dress code: Decent clothes that extend below the knee and keeps the shoulders covered
• National Dress: Sampot
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2. Ways to greet
Every nation and every culture has a unique way of greeting people. The oriental culture has always followed the gesture of putting two hands together to pay respect to the person standing in front of you. In Cambodia, people put their hands together in the form of a lotus to pay respect and greet. The position of the hands decides the stature of the person bowed to. This is a piece of essential knowledge for backpacking Cambodia.
Quick Facts:
• For Elders: Hands are placed at Mouth level• For Parents, grandparents, and teachers: Hands are kept at nose level
• For kings and Monks: Hands are kept at eyebrow level
• For Prayers: Hands are kept at forehead level
3. Face Loss
Cambodian people are gentle and fun-loving. They always reply with a smile. But, the smile does not necessarily indicate their agreement, happiness or comprehension over a certain thing. If you ever find a Cambodian, standing baffled in front of you with a smile of face, check if he/she has understood your words or not to avoid a face loss.
Special Tips:
• Double-check if the person has understood• Smile to every smile
• Learn the basics of the local language to avoid hassles
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Special Tips:
• Be patient• Do not involve in disagreements
• Ask some local to help explain if you are struggling
5. Choice of driver
Hiring a tuktuk for local rides is the best and the most available choice in Cambodia. But, if you are hiring one from the roads, make sure that you have illustrated the destination well. The tuktuk drivers attached to the hotels are aware of the tourist spots but the same is not true for the others. The tuktuk drivers often fail to understand the maps. Hence, it is of great importance for every backpacking Cambodia trip to know how to make the drivers understand the place you wish to go to.
Read More: A Guide to Tuk Tuk in Cambodia for Travellers
Special Tips:
• Hire the vehicle from the hotel• Explain the destination with images and maps
6. Bartering
Sharpen your bargaining skills before finalising a backpacking Cambodia tour. Anything in Cambodia that is not tagged with a market price is going to be high priced. Before settling for any deal from purchasing jewellery to hiring motorcycles for transport, make sure that you have agreed over a reasonable price.
Read More: 5 Best Cambodia Markets for Shopaholics
Special Tips:
• Buy from fixed-price shops• Start your bargain from half the quoted price
7. Currency
You must know about the currency that operates in the country you are visiting. For a perfect preparation for the backpacking Cambodia trip, make sure that you have taken enough information about the prevailing exchange rates of the Cambodian currency to avoid confusion.Riel is the currency for Cambodia. However, the American dollar will be enough to carry with. Most of the market in Cambodia operates on dollar transactions.
Special Tips:
• Keep the notes crisp and fresh• Many places do not accept torn or crunched notes
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Stay away from the Kids Selling Gift Items
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8. Do not pay the kids
Cambodia is a flourishing economy with an inflating middle-class population. However, poor people are not a rare sight in the country and you will find plenty of kids begging and selling gift items in the tourist spots. One of the essentials to know before your backpacking Cambodia trip is to stay away from these kids and rout your charity through proper organizations like the local NGOs.
Read More: Tipping in Cambodia
Special Tips:
• Buy from the shops• Do not give alms
9. Set your clock alarm early
One of the must-follow backpacking Cambodia rule would be to set your clock alarm early to enjoy the surreal moment of the sunrise every single day. Especially if you are staying by the river banks or the sea beaches, witnessing the marvels of the morning sky hues would be an additional gift from the trip.
Special Tips:
• Be ready with your camera every morning• Rise a little before the dawn to see the sky palette changing colours
10. Learn the language
Knowing a little bit of the local language will always help you to carry on your backpacking Cambodia trip in a hassle-free manner. Special Tips:• Learn some basic words
• Keep the Google translator on
Plan your Cambodia trip carefully and enjoy every bit of it.