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the malarial mosquitoes are at their most<br />
active. Use a good mosquito repellent with<br />
DEET (or one <strong>of</strong> the newer eucalyptusbased<br />
products) in areas where malaria is a<br />
problem. Sleep under a mosquito net. If<br />
you have air-conditioning make sure your<br />
room is properly sealed.<br />
Malaria is not a problem in major<br />
towns and cities, and is restricted to<br />
remote jungle areas. Unless you are traveling<br />
to these areas you are unlikely to have<br />
a problem. <strong>The</strong>re is a very low malaria risk<br />
in the more remote quarters <strong>of</strong> the Angkor<br />
Wat complex, but not in Siem Reap town.<br />
Though you are not allowed to be around<br />
the temples at night (when malaria is a<br />
threat), you should be protected with<br />
repellent during your visit. As with land<br />
mines, malaria is mostly a problem in areas<br />
<strong>of</strong> former conflict such as Samlot or<br />
Phnom Malai. Most places that tourists<br />
visit are safe.<br />
TETANUS Also known as lockjaw, tetanus<br />
is a disease contracted through contamination<br />
<strong>of</strong> wounds. It manifests itself<br />
through muscle spasms. You should be<br />
vaccinated against this and make sure your<br />
booster is up to date.<br />
DENGUE FEVER Like malaria, dengue<br />
fever is a mosquito-borne disease. It is<br />
found in some parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>Laos</strong>, particularly<br />
at certain times <strong>of</strong> year. No vaccination or<br />
prophylactic is available. Again the answer<br />
is simply to avoid getting bitten.<br />
HIV/AIDS AIDS is a very serious problem<br />
in <strong>Cambodia</strong>, especially among commercial<br />
sex workers. Some educated<br />
<strong>Cambodia</strong> has a reputation for violence and<br />
lawlessness. Some <strong>of</strong> that reputation is well<br />
deserved, while some <strong>of</strong> it is simply history.<br />
Only a decade ago, guns were everywhere,<br />
city streets were dark at night, and robberies<br />
were commonplace. <strong>Cambodia</strong> has moved<br />
6 SAFETY<br />
estimates put the percentage <strong>of</strong> sex workers<br />
infected as high as 40%. Since the early<br />
’90s, it has reached epidemic proportions.<br />
Transmittal occurs through infected blood,<br />
which primarily occurs from sexual contact,<br />
blood transfusions, or shared syringes.<br />
Avoid blood products unless absolutely<br />
necessary and practice sexual abstinence at<br />
best and safe sex as a next best.<br />
WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET<br />
SICK AWAY FROM HOME<br />
Medical care in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap,<br />
and Sihanoukville is rudimentary, to say the<br />
least. Most hospitals are not very good.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are private hospitals in Phnom Penh<br />
and Siem Reap, and if you are not in a major<br />
town you should head there. In both Phnom<br />
Penh and Siem Reap, there are a number <strong>of</strong><br />
GPs and small clinics with a good reputation.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y are very familiar with all the ailments<br />
common to <strong>Cambodia</strong>. You will have<br />
to pay upfront, but they will provide receipts<br />
for your medical insurance. Before your trip,<br />
make sure that you have adequate medical<br />
insurance that includes evacuation. Medical<br />
care in <strong>Cambodia</strong> is quite medieval and<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten overstretched, and you really don’t<br />
want to be on the receiving end <strong>of</strong> it for very<br />
long. If something seriously untoward happens<br />
to you, then you will need to get to a<br />
hospital in Thailand. Medical care in Thailand<br />
is excellent and cheaper than the U.S. or<br />
Europe. Even so, for anything serious, bills<br />
can mount up to thousands <strong>of</strong> dollars quite<br />
quickly and you will need to be able to cover<br />
that. See the “Fast Facts” sections in each<br />
chapter for specific hospital information.<br />
on vastly since then, but robberies still happen.<br />
Practice common sense and take the<br />
same precautions you would anywhere else.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Khmer Rouge may be finished, but<br />
the land mines left over from the decades<br />
<strong>of</strong> conflict are still there. <strong>The</strong> good news is<br />
41<br />
PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO CAMBODIA 3<br />
SAFETY