Cambodia Travel Safety

Cambodia travel safety is an issue for many visitors. "Is Cambodia safe?" or at least "How safe is Cambodia?" are questions often asked.

My team and I live and work in Siem Reap, and we have come to consider it safer than most Western cities. Phnom Penh is a different story. It is a large city and has areas that it would be unwise to visit after dark - similar to most large cities in the world.

Cambodia travel safety often focusses on the risk of landmines, The Khmer Rouge, Malaria risk or becoming victims of theft or violent crime, but these risks must be kept in perspective.

Cambodia is not a dangerous place to vacation

Cambodia is actually a rather safe country to visit and we see over a million tourists a year now to Angkor Wat alone. The international and local demining teams have cleared most visited areas of landmines (and munitions dating back to the US-Vietnam and civil wars) and they are of no concern to temple visitors. In the border regions and deep forest the international demining teams have made tremendous progress in clearing more remote areas inch by inch in the last fifteen years but specialist advice must then be sought. The Khmer Rouge no longer exist as a political force and Khmers are a Buddhist nation with violent crime towards foreigners highly unusual (although newsworthy when it happens). Petty theft can be a problem for the careless as in any country with a gulf between rich and poor.

Traffic Accidents

When asking is Cambodia safe most visitors overlook the most obvious risk: road accidents. With a young population and a general disregard for rules of the road the number of people killed is high, and the consequences of being injured are serious. It is unwise for visitors to hire cars or motorbikes for self drive, particularly in Phnom Penh, which is a byword for bad driving and traffic accidents. Travel insurance including medical cover and evacuation is vital.

All of our vehicles are inspected, licensed and insured though the level of cover available here is very low by Western standards. You MUST have adequate personal accident cover before travelling.

Cambodia Travel Safety - Sun and Heat

As with any tropical country, unwary visitors can be susceptible to dehydration, sunstroke/heatstroke and sunburn - sensible precautions should be taken. When traveling with ABOUTAsia, your guide or driver will bring bottled water. Other sources of water, including ice outside of our recommended bars and restaurants should not be trusted.

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