Being a volunteer in international development, I had expected life to be a little hard. Cambodia after all is a “third world” country. I'm sure it is for many of the locals here, including the 1/3 who live below the poverty line, however, as an expat on a modest budget in Phnom Penh, life is freaking easy as.
Accommodation, food, entertainment, culture and good company all come cheaply and in abundance here (...as do drugs and women). English is ubiquitous and you really make few sacrifices coming here. I'd say it’s easier for me than living back home. (On a related note, my Khmer teacher took our class to a local market to practise our Khmer bargaining skills. Unfortunately for him, even when we managed to spit out the right phrases in the local tongue, we were more often than not given replies in clear English. Doh!)
It’s no wonder Phnom Penh has become the tourist mecca it has.
Phnom Penh Tip #1: coconuts are the best cure for almost everything; hangovers, headaches, dehydration, stomach bugs, etc. They’re the best spent 50c of my day.
Phnom Penh Tip #2: the price of the meal does NOT correspond with tastiness!! $2 dumplings out beat a $15 Chinese banquet … hands down! Go where it's busy and shop around.
Pics to come...
