Moki when you visited Cambodia did you live off a budget of 45c a day. I doubt it very much, I'm guessing you had hot water to bathe and bottled water to drink. How was you visit any different to mine? Please amaze me and tell me you lived in a village with no electricity or running water for 6 months.

When i wrote this post I didn't proclaim to be the most expereince person that ever lived on Cambodia. I have been here 9 months longer than someone who has never visited and may want to. IMO crime isn't a problem but I do live in town not some remote area which I have to get to late at night etc. I just thought I'd write a happy little post and answer questions or find someone already here... how wrong i was.

I personally thought Cambodia was amazing, and I'm pretty jealous of anyone living there.

That said, you should probably listen to these guys, they've been there numerous times after all.

Sweet thread thanks man, I'm from the UK too.

Could you possibly get some pics of your place, views and the town etc? I'm 22 and have been playing Poker full-time for a year since losing my job, I'm going to uni in Sept but have been thinking about maybe living abroad afterwards. I just this this country is terrible atm, everything costs a fortune, scumbags seem to be multiplying and the weather is just horrible all the time. People talking about crime must live in some posh areas, the crime in the UK in working class areas can be pretty bad, car theft etc, not to mention the amount of coked up freaks on steroids waiting to smash your face in on a night out. Just last week the house across from me got broken into at 1 in the afternoon and I live on a main road.

My only concerns would be leaving my family and going somewhere and having no social life because I'm foreign..

Not once have I discussed the validity of any content or the validity of what you've said about Cambodia.

And this just underlines the misunderstanding you have in this thread.

Ive stayed and travelled in Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Obviously fairly touristy, but it was backpacking and in no way fortified resorts.

I think youre going way overboard, just because you disagree with the language, and overly positive remarks OP made.

I dont think anyone who was seriously thinking about going to live in a less developed country would think its all smiles and rainbows for everyone. But I think there are and can be lots of positives. There are always problems in developing countries, but OP is describing his experience where he has not actually had any. What is wrong with that?

I actually also found the Cambodians, even in tourist spots like Siem Reap..etc to be far less ruined by capitalism (less pushy, still inclined to talk even when its clear they arent getting money from you) and warmer than Thais or The Vietnamese, like OP says. Thats not to say the other two arent good people too.

Hey FF,

After the mixed messages here I would suggest anyone thinking of coming to look independetly from the views of myself, Moki and Zigi which is easy to do look on tripadviser.com and see what the thousands of people that have visited think, you should be able to guage the level of crime as well. Pick up a copy of Lonely Planet. It will be easier for you to google pictures of sihanoukville or look at a local website called www.canbypublications.com.

If you actually want to see my apartment and PC set up then PM

Anything else let me know

Most of my time was indeed spent in more modern hotels; but I did spend a decent bit of time in hostels and in some of the more remote areas. However, I did not make patronizing proclamations such as "The people are lovely, not yet obliterated by western values or capitalism" from my expensive Westernized beach front villa, either.

That's a bit too much like a plantation owner sitting on his front porch drinking a nice cool drink in the shade while commenting on how lovely the plantation workers are, not yet obliterated by western values or capitalism.... while they toil away working in the heat.

Much of what I'm going on isn't just from my personal experiences in Cambodia (I was really just a tourist there as well), but rather from friends who grew up there and later managed to leave the country.

Perhaps I overreacted, but it just really rankles me to hear someone say "The people are lovely, not yet obliterated by western values or capitalism" when in reality, the people leading that "simple, wonderful life" would love for roles to be reversed.

Just consider that pretty much every person you meet in Cambodia will never, ever be able to afford to visit your country the way you are theirs. And that the way they live isn't necessarily how they choose to live, it is what is thrust upon them.

It's a holiday in Cambodia,
It's tough kid but it's life
It's a holiday in Cambodia,
Don't forget to pack a wife

That's one thing you will NOT have to worry about. You will get plenty of attention as an Englishman in Cambodia (or anywhere in SE Asia), I assure you. This will not be a problem

There are plenty of ex-pat communities in most places as well.

No offence Moki, but gtfo please!

As OP stated no place on earth is safe ....Thailand compared to Cambodia even tough i personaly never got any problems in both country's is hard to compare.....Thailand have milions of tourist and thousands of expats where Cambodia have almost no tourisme outside Angkor Wat and Phnom Phen and the few that take the long busride to Sihanoukville....So yes altough you read of many crimes in Thailand i feel personaly safer here....its alredy better when i first went to Phnom Phen many years ago i could not walk the streets at night(after 6-7 PM) the chance of being robbed was close to 100% thats now the last 7-8 years relatively safe because the goverment punish the gangsters(who cant buy there way out) very hard as examples.

http://www.eturbonews.com/13568/aust...-sihanoukville

http://sihanoukville-gazette.blogspo...noukville.html

http://www.travelingmark.com/cambodi...s-in-cambodia/

last link do have a good vieuw of crimes inb this small town and then again i still didnt find link of my friend maybe its to long ago...3-4 years..




so yes this place might look nice but did i lie a word OP? or are all those links fake?

[QUOTE=moki;25806514]Perhaps I overreacted, but it just really rankles me to hear someone say "The people are lovely, not yet obliterated by western values or capitalism" when in reality, the people leading that "simple, wonderful life" would love for roles to be reversed.

Moki i think you read to much into what may have wrongly been a throw away comment on my part.

The western values I were refering to were fast food, obesity, lack of familiy value etc, and my reference to capitalism was that yes the people are extremely poor but they have strong values not soley based on money.

I never meant to imply they have a simple wonderful life, GDP here last year grew by 10.6% and I wish the country and it's people develop as quickly as possible. I am a reformed capitalist as my post may have hinted.

I am trying, i do socialise with the locals, I'm learning the language, i read about it's history.

Damn, I'm an hour late

Found this off of the site zigi linked to: Few Facts About How Dangerous Cambodia Really Is -- the "translation:" sections are semi-amusing in their candor.

And also: Is Travel to Cambodia Safe? My Personal Experience -- some first-hand experiences from the author.

Seriously Zigi if it's so dangerous why do come here again and again. I can trawl the internet and look for trouble on any place anywhere LONDON for godsake. I have friends here with small children they are not innocently minded, I'm sorry your friend died but don't let that past experience send you on a witch hunt.

LOL. I dont think putting this guy up to help your argument is a good idea.

As speaking for most parts of cambodia that dont have any tourisme and thats 98% of the country they are wonderfull warm people i like them personaly way more then thet Thais...and you could stay there forever without spending 1$ they will open the doors for you without anything to ask or excpect in return but then you have to go on with learn the language to make this a great experience.

I was there for a couple of weeks a year ago.
Really nice place for a short vacation, dunno about living there.
But you sure make me envy your position now when I'm back in Sweden and it's all cold again!

people do your own research rather looking at these, there are many travel forums, I have gone from thinking this guys actually cared to thinking they just want to attack a thread. It's easy to research look at tripadvisor.com and see what tourist thought when they visited last week! Tourist are killed everywhere it's a sad fact of life. I remeber LA being the hotspot a little while ago

*plink*

That was the sound of the monocle falling from my eye and in to my sherry.

LOndon is 100000 bigger ....and why i sometimes go back there? Well i do still have friends there and at night i have a Local friend with me at all time and he have some firepower on him.Just because i am aware of all this ****....but ok its all peace and good there.There better places to living then there is all i wanted to say all the time again and again and again.

But maybe you should have mentioned it was "IMO and that the death of a friend may have effect my judgement" Let people do there own research if they can read this forum they can read another about Cambodia not your highlighted sensationlist picks.

please start another post "IMO it's too dangerous to live and play poker in Cambodia" and get of mine

i give you facts OP most peopl on the forum dont know how small Sihanoukville is and how small the expat comunity is there so yes there better places to living then there for your safety.while you where stating in your first posts that everything was great there...NO it isnt....and you will see yourself after a while. You been warned. And yes ofcourse most people who go there for a short holliday will not have any big problems i agree on that .....just watch your back and realise its not all that safe of a place you think it is...Man why i keep trying to help you...i am not jealouse i living my dream on the same continent for ages i just look it from the realistic side and do have alot of experience.

I'm hot, like Pol Pot