Cambodia?!

If you have insurance, it's worth having them just in case. 99% chance you won't catch Malaria unless you go off into the countryside.

Tetanus, Typhoid would be good too.

Take a bus or shuttle to Siam Reap.

Drugs are highly illegal in SEA, however there are certain establishments in certain towns where the cops are paid off and turn a blind eye to it. Just don't take drugs outside of these "designated zones" and you'll be fine. The mushrooms aren't even that strong in SEA.

Take a bus to get around.

>>1235143
Been to Cambodia 3 weeks ago

>Malaria
At this time you should be fine, as long as you use bug-spray and also what >>1235222 said

>other shots
Nope, you'll be fine as long as you don't do stupid stuff

>Bangkok to Siam Reap
Bus.
Also don't fall for the sunrise in Angkor Wat Meme, trust me!

>drugs
Just don't do them in SEA. It's nit worth risking he high penaltys

>best way to get around
Also bus.the main roads are pretty good these days, can't say anything about the rest, but you should be fine.

>anything else
Just go with the flow and ask locals what to do. The country is pretty cool and safe as long as you don't act like a retard.
Enjoy your trip! You should definetly visit the killing fields in Phnom Penh, shit's crazy

>>1235143
>Is "Happy pizza" not looked upon as illegal by the local authorities, is it safe?
Definitely looked on as illegal by the authorities, but safe in practice--the restaurants pay off the cops.

Public buying and consumption of drugs is in general a very bad idea--cops are poorly paid and dirty, and shakedowns are a healthy revenue stream for them. They could take you for many hundreds of dollars if they bust you. But the chance of getting busted for buying or eating happy pizza is, practically speaking, nonexistent.

Drug use and public intoxication are also offensive to most locals. This is true all over Southeast Asia, although nobody believes it--even cannabis is much less socially acceptable among mainstream/normal people there than in the West. Yes, it has its fans everywhere, but people who aren't actively making money off it tend to take a very dim view, and local users tend to be a lot more discreet than in other parts of the world.

You stagger down Khao San Road or Sisowath Quay wasted or high, little old ladies selling food or what have you will still take your money, and they will be too polite to say anything to your face, but you'd better believe they're regarding you with contempt. And that hippie reggae bar in Vang Vieng or Pai or wherever, where "everyone's totally cool about weed" and the owner smokes you out? They're not actually cool about it, and the neighborhood hates him, too.

Currently in Cambodia.
People are very friendly just don't be retarded...
Lots of drugs available but I wouldn't recommend it because of the potential risks...
PP is fun and also Snooki. Kampot is worth the visit.
Don't stay in bungalows because it's a mosquito nightmare.
Beer costs 75cents and food is cheap af
Enjoy.

>>1236085
What kind of accommodation would you recommend? As few mosquitos and other insects/animals inside is a high priority!

I'm kinda hoping that Cambodia is so cheap that I can stay in some pretty luxurious place and relax for a while while smoking

>>1235143

Bus works, but I had to suffer a 14 hours trip from Pakse (Laos) to Phnom Penh.

I once ordered a happy pizza but never got high. Scam or mistake, I don't know. Also it's like they get X% of the customers once in a while to get pocketmoney from whatever you'll pay, but it's worth the risk?

Bus is the easiest to travel with and super cheap.

I envy you, man. I made amazing memories there with my now ex-girlfriend.

>>1236130
>I once ordered a happy pizza but never got high. Scam or mistake, I don't know.
Mistake seems likely... if you don't specify happiness level after ordering, you just get the default as written on the menu, an ordinary pizza. My wife and I made that mistake in Phnom Penh but did it right in Siem Real.

It's also possible that you just got a weak pizza despite ordering right. Local weed is of low quality and presumably variable quantity.

>>1236086
Currently staying at a nice little place in Sihanoukville right heard the golden lion round about, pool side room. Near some great restaurants and bars. $25 per night. Been eating good meals with a few beers for $7-10 for 2 people... beer costs $0.75-1.00 cigarettes $0.50-1.25 and if you're into it you can get a girl for the whole night $40-60.
Only found mosquitoes a problem when out at night and in the bungalows on Koh Rong but just by some good repellent and your sweet!

>>1236077
this so much

I made a thread asking about the land crossing because I didn't want to shit this one up for people already in country
>>1236419

>>1236380
ewwww..
better head to otres beach or one of the islands, koh rong.. or better rong samloem or ta kiev

In siem reap

god help me, it's unreasonably expensive and haggling will just see your merchant/driver go find a stupider tourist half the time

thinking that for the inflated price of seeing the ankor wat I might just bot see it; leave siem reap and explore some more legit temples elsewhere

I should be doing 20$US a day here, but I can pay that for a single inflated taxi fare or attraction
5$ room, three 1.50 meals, 3 50c beers, 9$ bus to the next town
fuck these tourists spending 200US a day in a country where people make 5$/day, they are just fueling corruption and making it unafordable for budget travelers

>>1237175
yeah the recent price hike on the ankor wat entrance tickets sucks, but you can just rent a scooter for $5 for the day and explore the complex on your own. fuck tuktuks. that way youre able to break away from the standard circle everybody else does and avoid the busy areas at the busy times. i liked the more tucked away temples best anyway. make sure to make the detour to the ticket office first, better yet, the day before.

>>1237175
>>1237198
(cont.)
it just sucks that they've seen annual tourism count go up from 100.000 a couple of years ago to 3.000.000 this year. with the new airport they're expecting double that in 2 ort 3 years. rich chinese and russians will fly into siem reap directly and spend an godawful amount of cash on their weekend getaway or honeymoon, basically ruining it for budget tourists driving prices up.

>>1237175
>>1237198
>>1237199
Damn and I was looking forward to be making Cambodia my cheap break off during my travels next year. Is it mostly just Siem Reap?

>>1237175
>god help me, it's unreasonably expensive and haggling will just see your merchant/driver go find a stupider tourist half the time

Hmmm, just had a thought. Would it help with the prices if you had a local girl with you ? You could hook up on some dating website 2-3 weeks beforehand and sponsor her trip with you. This would help with the prices and you get essentially a local tourist guide plus sex.

>>1237213
>>1237199
>backpackers BTFO
But seriously go to Myanmar or Philippines

>>1237223
Maybe you missed the part about him barely being able to fund his own travel

>>1237224
>Myanmar
Nah, heard it's expensive. Why are you suggesting Myanmar? In Cambodia I was planning to stay at semi-luxurious (or at least above average backpacker standards) and smoke weed. I don't think Myanmar is very good for that.

>Philippines
Nah, it sounds too fucking sad and chaotic, and besides I'm going to travel China and SEA, so I guess it'd be more expensive going there.

>>1235143
Go to Lao(s). Thank me later.

1) cheap
2) nobody hassling you endlessly for tuktuk rides or to buy shit
3) no scams! unusually most everybody you meet is honest
4) commie country so market spotlessly clean, no piles of desperate starving people living in the streets
5) no jabroni drunken hordes of normie tourists there for sex vacation as maybe 2 (legal) bars in all of Vientiane
6) quiet at night so you can actually sleep

My friend just got back from Myanmar and hated it. Very expensive, corrupt as fuck/scams galore and he ended up shitting out all bodily orifice's from the bad water. Cambodia you will be harassed endlessly for things it's like Asian Morocco. Philippines you can't go near Bohol/Mindinao/Cebu due to piss poor security allowing in Abu Sayyaf kidnappers. It's also extremely pricey there for any kind of hotel/airbnb.

As for drugs you can get them in Vang Vieng still in the town's restaurants, they sell Opium shakes and shit http://peteralanlloyd.com/sex-drugs-death-and-backpackers-in-vang-vieng-laos/ but I highly recommend never doing any drugs in SEA it puts you at the mercy of corrupt cops and you could OD easily.

For example in Thailand it's not well known that Thai police often will break up large beach parties/concerts and randomly test foreigners there and if you have any drugs in your system you get jailed, in a Thai prison, for ages waiting to see a judge which is like going to hell. Surely you can go a few weeks without getting wasted/high.

>>1237198
>>1237199
the tourist crush here is awful; and when you're planning to do 25USD/day a 39$ admission, plus 20$ tuk-tuk is really a big ask (what my hotel told me to expect 20; yet I think they were planning to book me an overpriiced one and take a cut)

I read on wikivoyage that taking your own scooter into the ankor park is discouraged, staff will tell you to turn around and that it's not allowed
since I wouldn't have a valid moto liscence I would be worried that this would be asking for a shakedown

>>1237223
well I think that would just be asking for all kinds of trouble to be frank
and while having a local travel with you is absolutely fantastic, I doubt I could find any locals willing to travel rough who had any money (let alone a female)

>>1237224
>>1237257
>>1237285
siem reap is like a giant khao san road, I'm sure cambodia will be VERY cheap once I leave it.
I mean I can get guesthouses reliably for 5$, and meals for 1-5 outside siem reap

and yes, I hear laos is really where you want to be

can confirm that most of thailand is a designated no-fun zone, it's just a few pockets near chang mai where they let tourists run amok, smoke weed and over-pay for everything

I have mixed feelings about drugs, I travel solo so for safety reasons that rules them out mostly; but I would do them in hostels/bars that deal over the counter
last night the guys at my hostel greened out on 4$ brownies and spent the night throwing up

few questions for you guys:
is it worth traveling to laos overland from cambodia?
I hear it can be done and I could see that disputed border temple, but I'm not sure if it would be WORTH doing

does anyone know if koh ker has an entrance fee?
I think it would be a fantastic day trip from siem reap

>>1237304
>well I think that would just be asking for all kinds of trouble to be frank
I had a ladyboy guide last year like that and it was pretty good experience for the 5 days she was my guide. True she later wanted to murder me on 6th but I knew what was coming and changed hotels.

>>1237304
>koh ker
Everything in Asia has an entrance fee, I would expect one and Wikipedia confirms it is $10USD.

This guy has a bunch of videos and is in Cambodia right now, he went overland to Laos https://www.youtube.com/user/ae82twincam/videos?sort=dd&view=0&shelf_id=0

>>1237312
ugh looks like newmale, and no videos about prostitutes, probably believes this is exploitation kek

>>1237312
I know I should probably watch them, but the guy looks insufferable

so many faggots making self centered travel blogs that are really just to show their friends; and not actually for travelers

I've got car hire for a day quoted at 100USD, but that is plainly ridiculous
going to try and find some yo with a car and some free time and try for like 30

>>1237304
>tourist crush
ya back when they filmed tomb raider there was one wooden shack bar in siem reap. no bar street and american style pizza

>laos
sure, head over to the 4000 islands just over the border. from there, move up to vang vieng and luang prabang. are you into rockclimbing?

>>1237257
>phillipines
it's ok outside of manila. palawan, north of cebu and the small islands are cool

>>1237311
>True she later wanted to murder me
now whats the story on this

I lived off less than $5 a day excluding rent (250pm) in SHK for 6 months just two years ago idk why you people are talking about $25 a day lol thats crazy.

I swear to God, the more I read on /trv/, the more confused I am about where I want to go and what I want to do.

>>1237471

probably gave her anal herpes

>>1237689
>>1237471
She went weird and started talking that we should marry, and when I said no, she changed into "you have to pay me 40,000 baht for this time". But by that time I was already in different hotel and she couldn't find me, started texting me that she will kill me and so on.

>>1237527
I'm still coming to terms with the cost of living out here

often things are incredibly cheap, but not a single local is willing to give me a fair price

today in a local corner store they peeled the price off something I was buying and told me it was a mistake.
the issue is sometimes not finding cheap things, but actually securing that price; and oftentimes the "white face" surcharge will persist even in rural areas and local establishments

people always say "you can live on 5$/day", but honestly they often seem to be in fantasy land or traveled quiet some time ago

other issues I've found include disparity between the cost of imported goods/local goods, which hurts you and locals alike
sometimes things like batteries, clothes, alcohol will be dispropotionately expensive

sometimes transit itself is as well
chinese rail networks were fantastic, but very expensive relative to day to day costs
in rural areas price gouging on non-public buses can be a huge issue, doubly if gasoline prices are relatively high

>>1235143
>Malaria, should I get anti-malaria pills?
This will not protect you from malaria. Do not take these pills.

>do I need to get any other shots besides hepatitis A?
Only hepatitis a/b
Alwas use condoms

>A good way to get from Bangkok to Siam Reap, seen train and bus listed, but lots of different opinions on this
Never take a shared shuttle in southeast asia, that's horrible. Go for train or a private transfer.

>Is "Happy pizza" not looked upon as illegal by the local authorities, is it safe?
Dont' do drugs in public. The corrupt cops will fuck you up and take all your money

>What's the best way to get around between different cities?
Private Shuttle

Will a latino be treated the same way as a white dude in cambodia? I am mexican/peruvian and look very amerindian

>>1238376
This is why I went to Laos instead of Cambodia, nobody scams you and everything has a listed price even the dirt poor markets have a makeshift sign with the exact amount so you don't get "tourist price". It's prob the most honest country in all of Asia next to Japan I highly recommend people skip Scambodia where it was nothing but hassling me to buy junk or tuktuk rides 24/7.

>>1238376
Yeah come areas they are so used to pushover tourists/backpackers they can get w.e they want from them. You pay them what it says if it's a good price and you leave. Many a time people tried to fuck me over, you just have to be firm.

>>1238491
Yeh they just want your money. Everyone in the tourist trade knows their basic hustle in english, chinese, korean, german french and spanish

>>1238495
exactly my plan

trying to work out how to get to laos on the mekong, with the destination of the 4000 islands; but I havn't seen much information on it

I wouldn't judge cambodia by siem reap though, which is all most people see of it
same might be true of the beach towns

>>1238525
certainly I don't give in, but like thailand given the choice of making a regular sale to a tourist or waiting for a stupider tourist they seem to pick the latter.
you're unlikely to get a better offer as you walk away.

people wil even give you the wrong change, or tell you your meal cost more than it said on the menu

at a corner store they shorted me 200 riel and when I pointed this out everyone just vanished into back rooms

I'm honestly not sure how to adjust my haggling for this, it takes a lot of time an persistance to get a almost fair price

my advice: stay in thailand, cambodia is a rip

>>1235143
Could anyone give me advice on how sade Cambodia is as a woman? A friend of mine recently got a visa for a job around there. Plans to be there for a year or so.

>>1238563
they buggered off because you're an idiot. 200 riel isn't even 5ct. and there's a notorious shortage of anything under 1000 riel in the country

>>1238604
Cambodia is very safe for women. Don't get me wrong, it is a very lawless place, and local women that are poor and in risky circumstances could be raped by "Okhna" with impunity. However, your friend should be very safe because A. she is a foreigner. B. Not poor.

where does one visit from phnom pen?
ended up here by accident because he bus I was on bypassed the town I was going to and I didn't realize because there was no english signs or announcements at stops

the beaches seem really poor value and crowded with tourists

I've been searching for two solid weeks for somewhere I can chill out for a few weeks with whiskey and cigarettes

>>1238482
>The corrupt cops will fuck you up and take all your money
Ehh, this is very different from everything that other people are saying. I don't think you should worry about the happy pizza places

>>1238495
But Laos are missing the girls :/ So fucking annoying that there's always an aspect that's missing, in Thailand (Isaan) the prices are good, but the police are strict with weed

>>1238757
Kampot or Kep. Thank me later. You can visit both (they are very close).

>>1238767
Pai, maybe?

>>1238792
What makes you suggest Pai?

>>1238833
Weed, backpacker chicks

>>1238887
But I don't really want to risk smoking in Thailand, because apparently the cops are trying really hard to shake some bribes out of tourists.

I googled the town and apparently it only has like 3000 inhabitants. Is this some backpacker hellhole like the old videos you see from Vang Vieng?

Sent an international package from phnom pen central

28$us what the fuck man
Why is everything in this ass-fucked place so expensive

>>1239007
Because you're using USD. Go to Vietnam where shit is dumb cheap no matter what you do

>>1239013
Vietnam is honestly one of my favourites
The culture and the food are fantastic

But you know how it is, see the places you like first

>>1238769
kep has nothing except for cheap crab dinner. the beach there isn't even real, just sand brought over from snookie. its fun to explore the abandoned villas tho.
kampot is nice. has a chill town center but the real place to stay is in a bungalow long the river somewhere. just rent a bike to get to town

>>1238908
>Is this some backpacker hellhole
yes, but the surrounding area is really nice. there are some great hidden waterfalls and caves in the jungle.

i got stopped and searched by the cops in pai btw. don't keep any drugs on you when you're there

>>1239013
honestly it isn't that cheaper, if anything vietnam is about the same as cambodia price wise, and i think in cambodia you can find cheaper food

>>1239102
Yeah I'm not even going to Thailand, I don't want those fucking Thai cops to try and shake bribes out of me, I'll stick to Laos and Cambodia.

>>1239203
I feel like Cambodia has the cheapest of the cheap in s.e asia, there are some dirt cheap flats in SHK, doesn't even make sense how cheap lol. But Vietnam is still cheap as fuck.

>>1239246
I don't think the thai police are so bad, and there are always the tourist police who i hear it's advisable to call straight away

>>1240144
I've never had issues with the Thai police, but maybe it's because I don't look like a stoner backpacker.

>>1240153
>>1240144
>>1239246
to be fair this was the only time i was stopped in thailand, and the cops were very friendly. i didn't have anything on my and they didn't give my any shit, just a few suggestions of what places i might want to visit next. all i'm saying is don't think that pai is some hippie heaven and break the law by carrying drugs around, they do checks. thai police have been cracking down on drug use nation wide for the last couple of years.. there are a couple of place where you can still score some weed or shrooms, mostly off the beaten path, or with good connections to local police dept. however, use whatever you find where you buy it, don't take shit with you.

I was thinking about doing some volunteer work out here, but I'm not sure how to get into it

I'm a bit worried that without any real skills to offer charities will just be interested in soliciting donations from me .

I could put maybe a month in, and I'm a hardy sort of guy
Any ideas?

>>1240157
This is good advice, people shouldn't think drugs are ok in sea

In phnom pen people were smoking up in hostel lobbies, but the police would have given a shit if they had seen

It's not really that different to the west, be smart, show respect, be discreet

>>1240153
I've been properly searched in Bangkok because "you look like a meth addict"

Perks of having a digestive disorder

But they didn't punk me, so it's alright

>>1239262
OK is Cambodia cheap or not? I keep hearing different things

>>1240144
I don't know what you mean about calling the tourist police straight away, but I've read plenty of stories of backpackers and tourists getting bribed out of quite a sum of money for possession of weed or harder drugs

>>1240170
not saying it's bad advice, but there's a huge difference between being searched randomly by a police force looking intensively for drugs, or just smoking up a hotel lobby. however, i've read that they'll let you smoke in some hostels and i guess, depending on the location, that it can be a good/safe place to smoke

>>1240191
>OK is Cambodia cheap or not?
Not really. It is marginally more expensive than Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. The reason for this being that their intellectual base and industry has been fucked after XX years of war, genocide, mismanagement and full on corruption. They don't process their own goods for example. Any convenience store is full of Vietnamese biscuits and Thai savoury snacks. It is shocking how little they themselves manufacture.

I do the digital nomad circuit and I spend about 1300 monthly in Cambodia. I'd spend 300-500 less elsewhere in the region.

Note: this might still be "cheap" in comparison to what you are used to.

>>1237257
The only expensive part about Myanmar is accommodation. If you can find another person to travel with then it's fine. Food and transport is dirt cheap there. I was fucking feasting in small towns in Myanmar for $1 US (they bring you like 12 dishes). Why would you go travel just to smoke weed...sounds pretty lame.

>>1240191
>I don't know what you mean about calling the tourist police straight away
in any situation where the police are likely to become involved, the tourist police should be called because
A. they speak english
B. they are less likely to just take the local side because they live nearby
C. I hear they don't extort bribes

if you want to bribe your way out, your call

>>1240369
I find that unlike other parts of SEA, some things here are particularly expensive, anything imported for example is much more expensive than thailand

and if you don't earn in USD it's endless pain

does anyone know if any boats still run on the mekong?

I really wanted to go upriver from near phnom pen to laos, but haven't seen a single boat in days

>>1236085
>food is cheap af
This was not my experience in Cambodia. Cambodia all but relies on its tourism industry and food prices I found to be much more than I expected. Even at a shabby roadside restaurant built for bus travelers I still paid like $7 for some watery green curry with flies.

>>1237304
>plus 20$ tuk-tuk is really a big ask
That's the standard price for the whole day of carting you around temples and I'd say it's pretty reasonable for 5+ hours of hauling you around. 20 bucks for a personal driver for the day is a "big ask"? How much of a fucking poorfag are you.

To others, you will not get a Tuk tuk driver for the day for cheaper than $20 dollars at this point for inner loop of Ankor. That is the standard price.

Cambodia is notorious for pushy Tuktuk drivers ("tuk tuk, sir?" will cause your eye to twitch by the end of your trip) but pushy though they may be they are remarkably mainly honest. Getting scammed in Cambodia is pretty difficult unless you're dumb as fuck. Simply ask the price before you get in the tuk tuk and if it's reasonable you're fine and if not just walk away.
>>1237428
>ya back when they filmed tomb raider there was one wooden shack bar in siem reap. no bar street and american style pizza

And so what if there is now? Better the local community benefits from development instead of not just so you can feel like you had a special snowflake realtraveler experience.

>>1240440
But how are the whores?

>>1240661

Are most tuk-tuk drivers trustworthy? If I paid I driver to explore the temples all day what is the chance he will just drive away while im in a temple instead of waiting for me.

>>1241700
you pay him at the end of the trip

>>1241646
Whores are expensive too for foreigners. Expect one at your hotel bar to ask for $100.

>>1241700
Overwhelmingly honest. You get the price before you get in and pay after he takes you back so basically no chance he's going to leave you. Biggest challenge is finding him in the tuk tuk parking lot thingies outside the temples. Especially Ankor Wat because that one is big. If your're thinking of going I know a good driver whi even gave me his card. Young guy, nice and honest and speaks better English than most drivers.

>>1241822
My experience, and that of others I have talked to, is the same. Cambodia is very poor, far poorer than other countries in the region. And yet I never had anyone in Cambodia try to rip me off, even tuk tuk drivers. The people are very nice and hospitable.

had a great few days in campong cham, really nice town

there are so many missionaries though, mormons, baptists, anglicans; and a slew of NGO workers

any why is every hostel here banned for exit node use, I find it hard to imagine chanfags pass through cambodia often

>>1241910
cambodia has a pretty big CP and trafficking problem. when i was in kep about a year ago apparently 3 girls got snatched up from the fish market a couple of weeks before and had been missing since

was there a few months back

got sick of hearing "tuk tuk" within a day. I know they're broke but fuck me that was annoying. ended up just saying fuck off to everyone that wanted to sell me something, which I regret.

>>1241646
What the fuck is wrong with you people. I'll never get whoremongers. I'm not moralizing or anything I just don't get it. What's the appeal. Just get on Tinder, Jesus.

Like 1-8 sex workers in Cambodia have HIV. You people and your god damned whores...

>>1242072
Well, I eas asking about Myannar, not Cambodia, sooo....

>>1241944
yesterday they were trying to sell me a tuk-tuk when I was riding a push bike

last week I was in a tuk-tuk, and they were trying to sell me a tuk-tuk ride when I was already in one

honestly I'm not sure how to deal with them, people say "it's their culture", but that is a heap of shit because they really only do it to foreigners.
at what point does a persons actions forfeit their right to common courtesy

>>1242072
>HIV
That's why I'd use protection.

>Tinder
Not everyone knows how to makes moves and so, and we have sexual urges

Kek
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297390-d1812150-r333818533-Lemongrass_Garden_Beauty_Massage-Siem_Reap_Siem_Reap_Province.html

Sleeping in hammock for 1.50/night
drinking rum by the beach
Eating pastries for breakfast

Things are pretty good when you leave siem reap/phnom pen

Does anyone know if sihnahookville is worth seeing or is it just a continuation of the Thai party towns on the coast

>>1242879
snooky itself sucks. just a couple of casinos and a backpackers boulevard with restaurants and hostels. the beach sucks. from snooky either go to otres beach or one of the islands, koh rong, rong samloem or ta kiev

>>1242072
>Tinder meme
>Believing that "sex workers" are not on Tinder
>Believing that "sex workers" walk around with a forehead-tattoo that says just that
>Believing that professional girls charge you by the hour and are therefore recognisable as such.

Welcome to SEA, noob.

>>1242976
When did I say I believe that sex workers aren't on Tinder?

>>1242965
I hear a few people say that
I'm considering passing through it and just rolling into bankok

>>1242879

Sihanoukville centre is a hole, when you arrive there jump straight in a tuk tuk and head to Otres Beach. Chilled out, cheap, less of the YOLO crowd. Wish You Were Here is a cool place to stay.

I was disappointed with Koh Rong. Beautiful island being ruined by tourism and pollution and its mainly the bar crawl crowd and posers. I hear Koh Rong Samloem is cleaner and quieter

From Otres, get a minibus to Kampot and stay there for a few nights on the river. I also highly recommend a bus to Kep which is only 30 mins from Kampot and from Kep get the boat and spend a couple of nights on Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island) which is really peaceful and you can get a bungalow for about $7 a night.

South Cambodia is great, just keep away from Sihanounkville town which is a real tacky dive. Siem Reap is for Angkor and not much else. Get in and out of Phnom Penh as quick as you can (and keep a tight hold of your bags there)

>>1235143

A bit relevant since you're in the region but I would not recommend Myanmar...it sucks.

I loved SHK, just pure hedonism.

>>1236247
This anon is correct, you have to specify that you want it "happy" or if you can handle it, ask for "extra happy" when ordering. Don't buy coke if your into that kind of thing, it will more then likely be white heroin and u will be just another foreigner who mysteriously died of a heart attack

>>1243417
While I agree snookie isn't paradise you exaggerate! Still good for a cheap stay. Otres 1 is only 15 minutes down the roadby moto or tuk tuk. Definitely a nicer beach tho.
Snookies beach clubs can be fun (Rockies or JJ's) everything is close.
A trip to Kampot is definitely advised!

just spent a week in kep for 8$/day, one of the best things I did in Cambodia

just arrived in kampot and it's evidently a tourist trap, I've already seen two restaurants trying to sneak things on tourist bills they didn't order and "adding up wrong", the sexpat is also fairly strong here

any idea where to avoid the drug tourists and flashpackers coming from bangkok?

>>1240440
It's unethical, there is a genocide going on in the country as well.

Food in myanmar is not good.

The people are nice even though they are doing nothing to stop the ethnic cleansing on their behalf.

India is better value for your dollar.

>>1244129
t. al jazeera

>>1244122

Did you go to Rabbit Island? I thought Kep itself was pretty dull, once you've eaten crab a few times anyway

>>1244336
actually I didn't, but I'm thinking about going back
the island is only a few miles off shore, but the ferry companies wanted a stupid amount of money to take anyone there, and you were charged ten times what must be the local price

certainly there isn't much to do in the way of activities/sights, the national park was a real let down

but if you just want to smoke weed everyday, hang out on the beach, and spend 8$ every day then it's fantastic

would reccomend kepmandou hostel there, aside from the noise if dickheads are staying and the shite resteraunt it's really neat

sihnookeville is dead as fuck, I suppose everyone is on the island

but jeez is it expensive by cambodian standards, even more expensive than siem reap

any idea how to get a sensible price out of bus companies to get to bankok, they all want like 27$, or 8$ to the thai border

Ok so I'm kinda let down by hearing how expensive Cambodia is. Can people recommend me some of the better value places that are still nice/cool/interesting/not so touristic?

>>1244991
Indonesia, Vietnam, parts of Thailand, Laos, Philippines. Yunnan in China.

Cambodia was cheap a few years back when the dollar was weak, but now it's strong and it's now (apparently) as/more expensive than Thailand. Apparently Cambodia's economy grew proportionally more than anywhere else last year.

>>1244129
A lot of the people do not support the current fighting and there's nothing they can do, most of the population live hand to mouth.

>>1245038
I actually meant inside Cambodia, but thanks anyways. Yunnan and Laos are part of my plans, I think I'll save Malaysia and Indonesia for another trip, Philippines doesn't really appeal to me that much.

I want to make SEA the relaxing part of my trip, which will start in Africa, so I'm not going to Thailand because of the strict police. How are prices in Vietnam compared to other SEA countries? How strict are they with weed?

Also, isn't Vietnam the most touristic place of all of SEA? It seems like EVERY girl I know who travelled in Asia has those stereotypical pictures with rice paddies and scooters. It might just be people from my country who like to go there, but it seems like it's definitely the most visited place in SEA, and then Thailand comes second.

>>1245076
Well Cambodia's north is not touristic but travelling there will be expensive.

Vietnam (Hanoi) was just as expensive as Thailand (Bangkok) from my experience, if not more. Didn't smoke weed was got offered regularly. For what it's worth Thailand much more relaxing than Vietnam for me.

Didn't travel much of Vietnam but it's obviously popular, although parts of Thailand are full on Disneyland.

>>1245080
How is Cambodia expensive? I paid $10 for a god room with A/C everywhere, including Siem Reap and Sihanoukville in high season. Without A/C it's normally $5. Yes, street food is slightly more expensive than in Thailand, there's no 7-11 and supermarket prices are not so low. Transport is also slightly more expensive compared to Thai buses.
Seeing words 'Cambodia' and 'very expensive' is funny. USA and Switzerland are very expensive countries, Cambodia is not by any measure.

>>1245088
I never said it was expensive. I said it's now as expensive as Thailand - 5 years ago it was much cheaper.

The north IS relatively expensive as there's no infrastructure, you have to get cabs everywhere etc. Obviously this is relative, we're not talking NZ.

>>1244991
cambodia is NOT expensive, it's just there is a marked disparity between the cost of domestic and imported goods

I'm running on 25$US/day in citties, and 10$/day in the countryside

where cambodia hurts your budget is
A. overpriced attractions
B. cartel conduct by vendors, esp. transport
C. requiring medical, or other university level servics that this country just doesn't have
D. anything government related

it's marginally more expensive than thailand; but marginally cheaper if you drink heavily

I don't see the point of going to cambodia when thailand exists. Prices are almost the same at this point, better food, better hookers, less likely to get in trouble for drugs. Vietnam seems like an even better choice but I heard its expensive as hell.

>>1245204
you can only really get budget advice from people traveling the same way you are man

someone doing two weeks in hotels will say everywhere is expensive

I'm in cambodia, and I'm inclined to agree with you that thailand is better
if you arn't doing both, do thailand

vietnam was really cheap a few years back, now I hear it's more expensive but my gut instinct would be that it's still within the same price bracket as thailand

drugs are fine here in cambodia, tourists smoke on the beach, in hostels, marijuana is sold fairly openly in established venues and everywhere on the street
I think they are retards, but to be fair I haven't seen anyone get caught

>>1242072
Asia is for touristic sex: girls, boys, whatever. Do you think /trv/ goes there for the temples and jungles? HAHAHA

>>1235143

>Malaria
You can purchase doxycycline tablets to prevent getting it but unless you are spending the night outdoors in the forest, a bug spray with a decent DEET content will suffice.

>shots
MMR is also advisable, not sure if there's an encephalitis shot but you'd have to be unlucky to contract that.

>transport
Flying will be easy & cheap, there's a plethora of LCCs flying out of Bangkok (both airports).

>drugs
Best not to fuck with that stuff, esp. in a poor & desperate country

>between cities
Bus. The road from Siem Reap to PP is a good one, but the boat ride over the Ton Le Sap is pretty cool.

Siem Reap was getting pricey 5yrs ago when I last visited. It has an international airport that can handle decent sized jets & the Chinese tour groups arrive daily en masse (they stay in massive hotels & get around in huge tour buses). If you're going to see the temples, definitely leave early (pre dawn). I did a 4hr ATV tour which wasn't cheap but it was great fun & we saw heaps of out of the way shit that 95% of tourists don't. The temples are cool but you see one or two and you've seen them all, not to mention that their peace & tranquility has been shattered by the sound of DSLRs & people shouting in Mandarin.

>>1245201
>B. cartel conduct by vendors, esp. transport

In what way? The tuk tuk prices for Ankor are reasonable. It's like 20 bucks for a driver for the whole day.

>>1245281
doxycyline won't prevent malaria it's bullshit, plus if you're in an extended trip to the region you're gonna be taking it everyday for months, which pretty much might fuck up your immune system's tolerance to antibiotics, what i suggest is pay some extra money for malarone and if you get a fever or symptoms simply take the medicine for 4 days and that's it

>>1245088
AGREED! Cambodia expensive wtf!
Can get a good meal in Snookie for 3.50-5.00 dorm rooms for $3 a night, single room $12.
beer for $1… How poor are you cunts seriously!
You can get a hot girl for $60 all night.
Cambodia is definitely cheaper than Thailand but Thailand is way better set out and more to see…

>>1245307
if you think in western terms everything is reasonable

but the reality is the average wage in cambodia is like 8$/day US, and tuk-tuk drivers are usually farmers in the off-season
that and gas is like .75c-1.50$/litre

if you're paying 20$ a day to a tuk-tuk driver, he might spend 4 on gas, and even if his upkeep is 4$/day (which it isn't) he is making 12$ just on your ride, not even accounting for other work on the side, commissions, etc

your tuk tuk driver is probably making more a day than a white collar worker

if y'all want to pay people what your western mind thinks they deserve instead of their market rate then fine, but all that playing oxfam does is get cambodians to become gib-me-datts

...no seriously, if beggars and tuk tuk drivers make more than welders, bakers and bankers than the economy will remain dependent on tourism

>>1245353
take a photo of all your money and show us anon

I'm glad asia is cheaper than your country, I guess other travelers are just far too poor pay someoen who makes 6$ a day 5$ for a meal

>>1243417
> keep a tight hold of your bags there

Come on, I spent a week in PP last year with a mate, I spent multiple days at Naga World playing poker and carrying thousands of USD to and from the casino daily ( well being driven ). I never once felt unsafe and I made just over $1200 USD in profit thanks to the abundance of fish in the casino.

>>1245393
while i agree with you that the daily rate for the tuk tuk driver is very lucrative he doesn't get to do it on a daily basis all the time, sometimes he has to wait in line for other drivers because every driver wants to score the temple tour in siem reap or the fields/s21 tour in phnom penh

>>1245204
But Thailand is full of somewhat retarded royalists that are utterly convinced that they are hot shit and they hate farang.

Cambodians are lovable country bumpkins that smile non-stop and are generally quite fond of barang.

>>1245204
>less likely to get in trouble for drugs in thailand, than you are in cambodia

This is the opposite of basically EVERYTHING that I've heard or read about drugs in those two countries.

>>1243432
how does it suck? I was there 2 years ago and it was awesome. just curious

>>1244991

Expensive my ass. Don't listen to the subjective stories you read on /trv/. I lived on $90 a week in Sihanoukville/Otres and that includes eating proper meals and getting shitfaced every single day as well as tuk tuks and minibus rides

>>1246146
How come so many people are saying the opposite? I really don't know what to make of it. Did you sleep in dorms?

>>1246644

In the south, I slept in dorms and private bungalows on the islands. In Siem Reap I stayed in a superb guesthouse with 4 poster bed, en suite, swimming pool, breakfast and the nicest staff in the world for about $15 a night. I hired a tuk tuk driver to go drive me around Angkor for an entire day for $15.

Dude, its SE Asia. People complaining about it being "pricey" are the kind of backpacker poorfags who try and live on $5 a day. Trust me, its cheap as fuck there, especially once you get South. Also, all this talk of scams is subjective as fuck. I never got scammed once.


In Otres, you can get a beer for 75c. Packet of smokes about $1.50. You can eat for a dollar or 2. I got a 4 hour minibus to Kampot for $7. You can buy a big fucking bag of weed for $10-15. I lived comfortably on approx $90 a week in Sihanoukville and thats with me drinking, smoking and eating $5 meals twice a day.

>>1245676
>Cambodians are lovable country bumpkins that smile non-stop and are generally quite fond of barang


Depends on the part of Thailand you are in. I didn't find this sentiment in the North and North East Thailand. Around Bangkok, yes.

>>1241944
>"atay argun bong"

>"no thanks mate"

I ended up saying this a lot.

>>1236873
This. Fuck Sihinookvillllllleee.

>>1246965
sihanookeville was so bad, worst place I went to in cambodia barre none

>>1247113
you sound like a american women who couldnt get her broken dollar changed... fuck up. welcome to the real world. Sihanoukville is what it is.... In the words of a fellow Cambodian friend "It's my country, fuck off!" This is while she pissed outside JJ's.... It is what it is!

>>1247139
>>1247113
>>1246965
why do people consider it bad?

>>1237175
what does a $5 room look like?

>>1237285
what kind of stuff is there to do in laos?

>>1237428
>move up to vang vieng and luang prabang. are you into rockclimbing?


I am, but I'm fairly new to it. Please elaborate though

>>1237527
how did you find a place to rent?

>>1240168
http://www.workaway.info

I read through some of them and it sounded kinda like a sex thing.... if that's your thing it might be perfect for you, it's not skilled labor as far as I could tell.

>>1242072
to be fair, in places like hong kong it's regulated so they get tested regularly.... so you're probably actually safer going for a whore there than some random slut at a club/bar.

Probably not the case in Cambodia, but you get the idea that it's not universal.

File: not fbi.jpg (4KB, 148x200px) Image search: [Google]

4KB, 148x200px

>>1245218
I like temples and jungles...

>>1247316
laos has some really good and relatively unexplored climbing areas. check out green climbers home in thakhek. you should check out the thakhek loop anyway

im in kampot for two more days if any /trv/ wants to meet. P sleepy here, been here for a week

>>1247822
How much is a hooker? How much is weed in Kampot?

>>1248616
>whores
You can negotiate a short time down to 20-30. Or you just put that on the table when they leave. Less if you go to chicken-shacks. Enjoy your sensual experience.

>weed
as much as they think you are willing to pay. You could get it for as low as 15 for a 7-10 gram bag in the pizza-places. It is crap but it will give you a buzz.