Post by PC on Jan 1, 2013 22:37:38 GMT 7
Some facts need to know when your in Cambodia written by Toe.
Greetings/Courtesy/Manners
DO offer the sompiah to those who are of equal or higher social standing. The sompiah is the Khmer form of greeting where you hold your hands together as if praying and bow your head. Nowadays though, shaking hands is totally acceptable although you may also do the sompiah before doing so. With women who are close friends (and the operative word is close), DO kiss both sides of the cheek French style, or what we Filipinos call beso-beso.
DO NOT point directly at someone.
DO NOT touch anyone on the head or hair (considered a sacred part of the body).
DO NOT pat little children on their heads.
DO be careful not to point the soles of your feet at anyone especially when crossing your legs. When in a Khmer’s house or in a pagoda, DON’T sit with your legs crossed together but with DO sit with both your legs on one side.
DO take off your hats and shoes when entering pagodas.
DON’T sit higher than a monk. If you’re a woman, DON’T touch a monk.
DO NOT display anger. This is a sign of lack of self control and considered very impolite. Whatever the situation and whatever the challenge – e.g., the waiter brings something totally different from what you ordered, the market vendor doesn’t understand that you want the blue shirt and not the red one, someone gets ahead of you in a queue or if someone bumps your car, DO keep smiling at all times.
In relation to the above, DO be aware that Cambodia is just emerging from decades of war and services are still below expectations so DO be patient with waiters, hotel attendants, drivers, and the like. Having said that, in my six years here, I have to admit that their services are getting better and better all the time.
DO be sensitive to the Khmers’ hostility towards their neighbors, Thailand and Vietnam. This is due to a long history of wars and conflicts, mostly about land and borders. So DO be sure that you don’t compare Cambodia with these countries in front of the locals.
Clothing
DO be modest in your clothing. When visiting temples (wats) and pagodas, as well as the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, do NOT wear the following as they’re not allowed: shorts, sleeveless shirts, and short skirts for women. You will be constrained to buy a T-shirt or a sarong which most likely wouldn’t match the rest of your clothes at the entrance… this would make for unflattering if not stupid-looking photos.
DO wear a krama while traveling around the country. This is a scarf handwoven from cotton which you can wrap around your head or neck… very useful as it could get hot and dusty in Cambodia. It looks much nicer too than the bimpo (face towel) that Filipinos usually carry on their shoulders. Besides using it as a scarf, Cambodians use this for everything – for carrying babies, for carrying anything, as placemats, chair and lamp decorations, table runners… and other creative ways. DO dress comfortably as it is very hot.
Transportation
DO be careful when riding the motodohp (motorcycle taxis), tuktuk, or cyclo. Read this and this for the traffic situation and forms of transportation in Cambodia. All I will tell you here is DO remember that this is a country where ninety percent of the people believe in reincarnation.
DO expect cars to drive slowly slowly slowly in the middle of the road, at walking pace. It is always a wonder for me how they could drive their cars with two wheels on one side exactly at the lane line as if walking a tight rope.
Cambodia uses left hand drive but DO expect traffic from all directions – left hand, right hand, left foot, right foot.. and do the hokey pokey.
DO expect Sumbo, the elephant to be walking home by the riverside from his way home from work at around five every afternoon.
Shopping
DO go to the traditional markets and shop for semi-precious stones, silk, wooden and silver ornaments, betel nut boxes, garments, etc.. My favorite market is the Russian Market or the Phsar Toul Tompong (Phsar means market). See this post.
DO be careful for fakes though when buying precious and semi-precious stones and do be sure that you first get a reliable referral from someone you know.
Money
The Cambodian currency is the riel but dollars are widely used and accepted by most establishments. I think this started during the time of the UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority Commission) when the foreigners were the ones with the money and there weren’t enough riel to go around so the locals simply accepted dollars. Until now, the Cambodian economy and banking system are run mostly by the dollar. So DON’T waste time changing your money upon arriving in the country.
Although more and more establishments accept credit cards, DO bring a lot of cash, because the economy is still largely cash-based. You would be doing most of your shopping in the market where they only accept cash.
DO make sure that your cash are nice and clean and crispy. The Cambodians are quite sticklers for this… they don’t accept cash, especially one hundred dollar bills which are torn or dirty. DO expect your hundred dollar bills to be meticulously inspected over and over again and soon rejected.
Security and Health
DO NOT get sick in Cambodia. Emergency and hospital services and facilities are not yet very good and medical evacuation is ridiculously expensive. DO get yourself travel insurance.
DO NOT drink tap water, though I have no problems at all brushing my teeth with it. DO be careful with ice water in restaurants. DO make sure that they use the rounded ice blocks instead of crushed ice.
DO be conscious of your personal security. Snatch and grab thieves on motorcycles are quite common, especially in Phnom Penh.
Toilets
DON’T expect nice clean public toilets to be readily available anywhere. Squat-type toilets where the hole is in the ground are still prevalent in the country (see this post). Before you leave your house to go touring or shopping, and especially before going on a long road trip, DO follow this basic rule: “Pee now or forever hold your pee.”
If you’re on a road trip and if you do it Pinoy style (peeing along the road), DO be sure that there is no sign saying “Beware of landmines!”
I have a funny story about this. The septos (that’s my parents, uncle, auntie, who are all septuagenarians) Honey, and I went on a road trip from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (read this post). I warned them that the trip would take about four hours (six, if you take the bus) and that there was only one bathroom stop, so they better go before we go. Well, you know septos… after only less than hour, Dad and my uncle needed to go and were telling the driver to look for a nice tree where they could hide and pee. When we finally found a nice harmless-looking tree, you know what they did? They peed in front of the tree instead of behind it… for all of us and the entire Cambodian countryside to see. They said they were afraid of snakes. We were all laughing out loud in the van.
Gadgets/Technology
Although Cambodia is a poor country, DO NOT expect Cambodia and Cambodians to be low-tech. Before my boss’s maid came here, her friends warned her that cellular phones in Cambodia are made of wood. Duh! Is there even such a thing as a wooden cellular phone? It reminds me of the misperception that Filipinos live in trees.
The truth is, Cambodia is quite up to date when it comes to gadgets and technological devices. My own theory is that it’s because they missed an entire technological age. Because of their long and quite recent history of wars, they skipped the age of the betamax, the VHS, computers with black screens and green fonts, freezers that need defrosting with an icepick, and cellular phones as big as car batteries. They went straight to DVDs, plasma TVs, ultra-thin laptops and computer monitors, vendo-type refrigerators, iPhones, and split-type airconditioners… all state-of-the-art too. Whereas in the Philippines, we make do with old refrigerators, airconditioners, electric fans, computers… after all, there’s nothing our technicians can’t repair or fix.
Places to Go
Even if you’re just here on a business visit, DO go to Siem Reap and visit the Angkor temples. You can get a glimpse of the beauty of the great Angkor Wat on my header. This is definitely one of the places you have to go to before you die.
In Phnom Penh, DO visit the Royal Palace, the National Museum, as well as the Genocide Museum, and the Killing Fields.
DO take time to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee al fresco in one of the numerous cafes along the riverside in Phnom Penh.
Travel
DO make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months. DO have a photocopy of your passport and entry and exit stamps in case your passport gets lost.
DO be aware that the baggage allowance to trips to Cambodia from the Philippines and back is only 20 kg. (and not 40 kg. like when you’re going to the States or Europe) so DO keep this in mind especially when you’re shopping. You don’t want to pay the $9+ per kilo excess baggage fee.
DO prepare $25 for the airport tax before you leave Cambodia to go to your next destination.
Filipinos are allowed a 21-day visa free entry so DON’T line in up in the visa counter upon arriving in Cambodia if you’re only here for a temporary stay. However, DO NOT use this privilege to find work in Cambodia. Tourist workers are not allowed under Philippine law.
Others
DO be aware of Cambodian holidays (there are lots and lots) especially if you’re on a business trip. Businesses, offices, stores, government offices, and banks are all closed which could lead you frustrated.
DO expect Filipino bands in hotels and some restaurants.
If you’re name is Bong, DON’T think that everyone is calling you and know you by your first name. In Khmer, Bong means friend or brother or sister, much like pare for us Filipinos.
To read more about do's and dont's in Cambodia written by Toe click here kurokuroatbp.com/?p=1658
Greetings/Courtesy/Manners
DO offer the sompiah to those who are of equal or higher social standing. The sompiah is the Khmer form of greeting where you hold your hands together as if praying and bow your head. Nowadays though, shaking hands is totally acceptable although you may also do the sompiah before doing so. With women who are close friends (and the operative word is close), DO kiss both sides of the cheek French style, or what we Filipinos call beso-beso.
DO NOT point directly at someone.
DO NOT touch anyone on the head or hair (considered a sacred part of the body).
DO NOT pat little children on their heads.
DO be careful not to point the soles of your feet at anyone especially when crossing your legs. When in a Khmer’s house or in a pagoda, DON’T sit with your legs crossed together but with DO sit with both your legs on one side.
DO take off your hats and shoes when entering pagodas.
DON’T sit higher than a monk. If you’re a woman, DON’T touch a monk.
DO NOT display anger. This is a sign of lack of self control and considered very impolite. Whatever the situation and whatever the challenge – e.g., the waiter brings something totally different from what you ordered, the market vendor doesn’t understand that you want the blue shirt and not the red one, someone gets ahead of you in a queue or if someone bumps your car, DO keep smiling at all times.
In relation to the above, DO be aware that Cambodia is just emerging from decades of war and services are still below expectations so DO be patient with waiters, hotel attendants, drivers, and the like. Having said that, in my six years here, I have to admit that their services are getting better and better all the time.
DO be sensitive to the Khmers’ hostility towards their neighbors, Thailand and Vietnam. This is due to a long history of wars and conflicts, mostly about land and borders. So DO be sure that you don’t compare Cambodia with these countries in front of the locals.
Clothing
DO be modest in your clothing. When visiting temples (wats) and pagodas, as well as the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, do NOT wear the following as they’re not allowed: shorts, sleeveless shirts, and short skirts for women. You will be constrained to buy a T-shirt or a sarong which most likely wouldn’t match the rest of your clothes at the entrance… this would make for unflattering if not stupid-looking photos.
DO wear a krama while traveling around the country. This is a scarf handwoven from cotton which you can wrap around your head or neck… very useful as it could get hot and dusty in Cambodia. It looks much nicer too than the bimpo (face towel) that Filipinos usually carry on their shoulders. Besides using it as a scarf, Cambodians use this for everything – for carrying babies, for carrying anything, as placemats, chair and lamp decorations, table runners… and other creative ways. DO dress comfortably as it is very hot.
Transportation
DO be careful when riding the motodohp (motorcycle taxis), tuktuk, or cyclo. Read this and this for the traffic situation and forms of transportation in Cambodia. All I will tell you here is DO remember that this is a country where ninety percent of the people believe in reincarnation.
DO expect cars to drive slowly slowly slowly in the middle of the road, at walking pace. It is always a wonder for me how they could drive their cars with two wheels on one side exactly at the lane line as if walking a tight rope.
Cambodia uses left hand drive but DO expect traffic from all directions – left hand, right hand, left foot, right foot.. and do the hokey pokey.
DO expect Sumbo, the elephant to be walking home by the riverside from his way home from work at around five every afternoon.
Shopping
DO go to the traditional markets and shop for semi-precious stones, silk, wooden and silver ornaments, betel nut boxes, garments, etc.. My favorite market is the Russian Market or the Phsar Toul Tompong (Phsar means market). See this post.
DO be careful for fakes though when buying precious and semi-precious stones and do be sure that you first get a reliable referral from someone you know.
Money
The Cambodian currency is the riel but dollars are widely used and accepted by most establishments. I think this started during the time of the UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority Commission) when the foreigners were the ones with the money and there weren’t enough riel to go around so the locals simply accepted dollars. Until now, the Cambodian economy and banking system are run mostly by the dollar. So DON’T waste time changing your money upon arriving in the country.
Although more and more establishments accept credit cards, DO bring a lot of cash, because the economy is still largely cash-based. You would be doing most of your shopping in the market where they only accept cash.
DO make sure that your cash are nice and clean and crispy. The Cambodians are quite sticklers for this… they don’t accept cash, especially one hundred dollar bills which are torn or dirty. DO expect your hundred dollar bills to be meticulously inspected over and over again and soon rejected.
Security and Health
DO NOT get sick in Cambodia. Emergency and hospital services and facilities are not yet very good and medical evacuation is ridiculously expensive. DO get yourself travel insurance.
DO NOT drink tap water, though I have no problems at all brushing my teeth with it. DO be careful with ice water in restaurants. DO make sure that they use the rounded ice blocks instead of crushed ice.
DO be conscious of your personal security. Snatch and grab thieves on motorcycles are quite common, especially in Phnom Penh.
Toilets
DON’T expect nice clean public toilets to be readily available anywhere. Squat-type toilets where the hole is in the ground are still prevalent in the country (see this post). Before you leave your house to go touring or shopping, and especially before going on a long road trip, DO follow this basic rule: “Pee now or forever hold your pee.”
If you’re on a road trip and if you do it Pinoy style (peeing along the road), DO be sure that there is no sign saying “Beware of landmines!”
I have a funny story about this. The septos (that’s my parents, uncle, auntie, who are all septuagenarians) Honey, and I went on a road trip from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (read this post). I warned them that the trip would take about four hours (six, if you take the bus) and that there was only one bathroom stop, so they better go before we go. Well, you know septos… after only less than hour, Dad and my uncle needed to go and were telling the driver to look for a nice tree where they could hide and pee. When we finally found a nice harmless-looking tree, you know what they did? They peed in front of the tree instead of behind it… for all of us and the entire Cambodian countryside to see. They said they were afraid of snakes. We were all laughing out loud in the van.
Gadgets/Technology
Although Cambodia is a poor country, DO NOT expect Cambodia and Cambodians to be low-tech. Before my boss’s maid came here, her friends warned her that cellular phones in Cambodia are made of wood. Duh! Is there even such a thing as a wooden cellular phone? It reminds me of the misperception that Filipinos live in trees.
The truth is, Cambodia is quite up to date when it comes to gadgets and technological devices. My own theory is that it’s because they missed an entire technological age. Because of their long and quite recent history of wars, they skipped the age of the betamax, the VHS, computers with black screens and green fonts, freezers that need defrosting with an icepick, and cellular phones as big as car batteries. They went straight to DVDs, plasma TVs, ultra-thin laptops and computer monitors, vendo-type refrigerators, iPhones, and split-type airconditioners… all state-of-the-art too. Whereas in the Philippines, we make do with old refrigerators, airconditioners, electric fans, computers… after all, there’s nothing our technicians can’t repair or fix.
Places to Go
Even if you’re just here on a business visit, DO go to Siem Reap and visit the Angkor temples. You can get a glimpse of the beauty of the great Angkor Wat on my header. This is definitely one of the places you have to go to before you die.
In Phnom Penh, DO visit the Royal Palace, the National Museum, as well as the Genocide Museum, and the Killing Fields.
DO take time to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee al fresco in one of the numerous cafes along the riverside in Phnom Penh.
Travel
DO make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months. DO have a photocopy of your passport and entry and exit stamps in case your passport gets lost.
DO be aware that the baggage allowance to trips to Cambodia from the Philippines and back is only 20 kg. (and not 40 kg. like when you’re going to the States or Europe) so DO keep this in mind especially when you’re shopping. You don’t want to pay the $9+ per kilo excess baggage fee.
DO prepare $25 for the airport tax before you leave Cambodia to go to your next destination.
Filipinos are allowed a 21-day visa free entry so DON’T line in up in the visa counter upon arriving in Cambodia if you’re only here for a temporary stay. However, DO NOT use this privilege to find work in Cambodia. Tourist workers are not allowed under Philippine law.
Others
DO be aware of Cambodian holidays (there are lots and lots) especially if you’re on a business trip. Businesses, offices, stores, government offices, and banks are all closed which could lead you frustrated.
DO expect Filipino bands in hotels and some restaurants.
If you’re name is Bong, DON’T think that everyone is calling you and know you by your first name. In Khmer, Bong means friend or brother or sister, much like pare for us Filipinos.
To read more about do's and dont's in Cambodia written by Toe click here kurokuroatbp.com/?p=1658