Travel responsibly in Cambodia

The Cambogia it is one of the countries I have been to with perhaps the most dramatic history I have ever studied in school.
A real genocide which in 4 years exterminated 2 or 3 million people (the numbers are not certain), their fellow countrymen in the name of a questionable rural society where everyone, adults, children and the elderly, were forced from one day to the next ‘else to live in the fields and work 14 or 15 hours a day.

The weakest and the intellectuals had to be killed.
Il Khmer Rounge declared the year 1975 Year Zero, symbolizing a new era that devastated an entire population.
The regime lasted only 4 years but what happened is still visible in the streets, which seem uninhabited, beyond the thousands of stories about anti-personnel mines which, although diminished, still seem to be a serious problem.

Poverty is everywhere here, not all children have the opportunity to go to school, even if I must say that English is a language spoken more or less by a large part of the population, it is easy to find oneself sitting down to eat and having a series of women with newborn babies in their womb ask for money, children on the streets stop you in the hope of being able to sell you some bracelets or be able to raise some money.
The pedophilia and the prostitution they are the order of the day and are obviously illegal.
Despite this, the sale of children for the pleasure of tourists still seems to be a serious problem, especially in tourist areas and the only thing you can do if you notice any strange movement is to immediately report the person you believe is abusing a child .

But to travel responsibly in Cambodia there are things to know and stick to, sometimes it is difficult to tell about us to two big black eyes who stare at you asking for even just a few coins but doing what they ask of you involves increasing this “street business” and favor those who exploit these children without thinking about their future.
Also remember that not all associations that sell themselves as charitable are really so, ask the hotels or guest houses if you can trust them, new homes for orphans are born every day that don’t do exactly what they say but borrow children who aren’t orphans. to make tourists feel sorry for themselves and make some money.
Exploitation in this case too.

Have you found plane tickets? See also on Traveljourn
Read also: Visa and documents to go to Cambodia

How to travel responsibly in Cambodia?

Don’t give money to children on the streetso you would only increase who is behind this sort of organization
If a child asks you about milk powder don’t buy it for your little sister, many supermarkets will sell you the powdered milk and the child will return it after 10 minutes to get the money back
The prostitution is illegal as is pedophilia. If you notice an adult (tourist) with a child in a suspicious attitude, report it immediately to ChildSafe Hotline 012-3111112 (www.childsafe-international.org) or to the police hotline
Buying from children on the beach will encourage this in future years with the risk that instead of going to school they will go to work when they are 5 years old or younger
It appears from people on the street, it is small aid that goes to those who need it so as for Burma distribute your money.
There are many shops and restaurants that donate part of their profits to organizations in the country, these are an excellent idea for responsible tourism
Here you will meet many amputees and they will ask you for money (I remember that for the Buddhist religion begging is a practice), if you want to give some change keep it low so that their expectations do not increase
Many locals or amputees sell books on the street (usually paying no more than $3 each) so as to be self-sufficient
Do not give money to children as they very rarely get to keep it but it will be given to someone else
Support local Cambodian businesses, they have been able to recover from a dramatic story and if there is anyone who deserves this money that comes from tourism in this splendid country it is them.
Volunteer and help organizations but make sure they are serious, recognized and see with your own eyes where the money goes and what the projects are. Some of these organizations are born with the intention of “robbing” the tourist without caring about the people he says he cares about.
Some organizations that claim to be for orphans actually borrow children to keep at the center during tourist visiting hours, ask the guesthouses and places you can trust.

Disclaimer: In this post, some of the links provided are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. However, this does not incur any additional cost to you. The commissions I receive through these affiliate links they help fund and support my blog, thus maintaining its independence and lack of sponsorship. I always strive to provide you with the best information and advice possible, based on my personal experience and research. I would like to underline that your support is essential to keep this blog alive and continue to provide you with quality content. Thank you for your support!