Is Cambodia foreigner friendly?

Is Cambodia foreigner-friendly? Gosh, that’s a tough one. Honestly, for the most part, Cambodians are incredibly lovely people – I’ve had some truly amazing experiences, like that time I got completely lost in Siem Reap and this old lady, bless her heart, practically dragged me to the nearest tuk-tuk driver and made sure I got back safe. Made me cry, actually. So heartwarming!

But… and this is a big but… my gut feeling? It screams “cautious optimism.” You know? Like, I’ve met some genuinely kind souls, but then there’s that whole other side. Remember that time some guy offered me a “free” cooking class, then tried to charge me a fortune at the end? Yeah. Or the overly friendly tuk-tuk driver who took me on a ridiculously long route just to inflate the fare? I swear, he was practically giggling.

So, it’s not that everyone is out to get you, obviously not. But scams are definitely a thing, especially targeting tourists. I mean, it’s common sense, right? If someone’s way too friendly, offering you a home visit out of the blue, or some amazing deal that seems too good to be true… well, alarm bells should be ringing louder than a temple gong at dawn.

Don’t get me wrong, I wholeheartedly encourage you to go! The culture is incredible, the food is amazing (I still dream about that Amok!), and the people, generally speaking, are beautiful. But just… be smart about it. Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is. Don’t rush into anything, no matter how charming someone seems. Take your time, enjoy the journey, and keep your wits about you. You’ll have an amazing time, I’m sure of it, just… remember that old saying about a spoonful of sugar helping the medicine go down? Well, sometimes that spoonful of sugar is actually just poison. 😉