The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO CAMBODIA
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SPECIALIZED TRAVEL RESOURCES
their popular “Journey into the Heart of
Asia” tour, which covers both Cambodia
and Laos.
Overseas Adventure Travel (& 800/
493-6824; www.oattravel.com), based in
Boston, offers a tour called “Ancient Kingdoms:
Thailand, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia,”
as well as optional Cambodia
add-ons to their other Thailand, China,
and Vietnam tours.
FAMILY TRAVELERS
Cambodia is not a particularly childfriendly
country. It can be a real experience
overload for young kids fresh to this
part of the world. What may be fascinating
can also be frightening, and families
will need to make sure that children are
eased into this new environment very
gently. They will be confused by the poverty,
especially the obvious poverty of kids
their own age, many of whom live on the
street and lead a very hard life. Cambodia
may induce your children to ask a lot of
questions that may be hard to answer. You
must think carefully about what you take
them to see given the recent horror of
Cambodia’s past—a thing Cambodians
cannot explain to their own children
because they have no answers.
There are also the normal health concerns,
of course, and a constant eye needs
to be kept in terms of hygiene rules. Make
sure children wear sunblock and remain
properly hydrated.
Tricky as it might be for families, Angkor
Wat alone is a good reason to take
your children to Cambodia. It looks and
feels like the set of a movie and indeed it
has been used as the set for quite a number
of them. They are ancient standing history,
far more thrilling than Disneyland
ever could be. Impressive as the temples
are, touring them can be hot and tiring, so
any schedule should incorporate plenty of
rest time. Apart from Angkor, the place in
Cambodia most suitable for family visits is
Sihanoukville. All that white sand is likely
to be very much appreciated by the youngest
generation.
Your children will attract a lot of positive
attention, especially if they are blonde.
That is no bad thing, but sometimes they
might be confused or overwhelmed by it.
Phnom Penh particularly can be very busy
and claustrophobic, and children will need
to be shielded while they become accustomed
to it.
Breast-feeding in public is very common
in Cambodia, so there is no need to
worry about breaking a taboo.
The main worry throughout Cambodia
is keeping an eye on what strange things
young children are putting in their
mouths. Their natural curiosity can be
dangerous in a country where dysentery,
typhoid, and hepatitis are commonplace.
WOMEN TRAVELERS
There are no particular safety concerns for
women that don’t affect men as well. What
trouble there might be is nondiscriminatory.
What you will find is that you are
asked a lot of questions about your marital
status and your children, even if you don’t
have any. Cambodians generally have a
fairly conventional view of marriage and
children, and if your story diverges from
that, they may well be curious. The curiosity
is genuine and good-natured, and all
explanations will be avidly absorbed. They
too will be more than willing to answer
your questions about family and children.
It is, most certainly, a two-way street.
Dress conservatively, since Cambodia is
a conservative country. You should also
take a supply of your own tampons. Sanitary
pads are the norm for Cambodian
women.
TRAVELERS WITH
DISABILITIES
Cambodia presents considerable challenges
to travelers with disabilities, but
they are not insurmountable. Some
smaller guesthouses and hotels will not