How safe it is, plus landmines, scams and health — short and to the point.

Cambodia is friendly and generally safe for tourists, but there are a couple of nuances.

What to keep in mind

  • Petty theft: in Phnom Penh, bags are sometimes snatched from motorbikes — carry your bag on the side away from the road and hold your phone firmly.
  • Tuk-tuk drivers like to inflate prices — agree on the fare in advance or use the PassApp/Grab app.
  • Unofficial “guides” at Angkor approach you right inside the temple complex and offer a paid tour without a license. A licensed guide (usually $35–50 a day) is booked in advance through your hotel or a trusted travel agency rather than picked spontaneously on site. Also, at the temples children are often sent to sell souvenirs and postcards at inflated prices — a polite refusal works better than trying to haggle.
  • Landmines: the threat remains only in a few remote areas and is always marked — tourist routes and Angkor are safe, but do not leave the paths in the backcountry.
  • Health: drink bottled water, protect yourself from mosquitoes (dengue) and get insurance.
  • Vapes are strictly banned — importing, possessing and using e-cigarettes has been prohibited in Cambodia since 2014 (the ban was tightened in 2021). In practice enforcement is weak, but if found the device can be confiscated, and a tourist faces a fine or detention — the safest option is not to bring a vape at all.

Practical details

  • Dollars: USD is in common use in Cambodia, but torn and heavily worn bills are not accepted — bring clean banknotes; change will be given in small amounts in riel.
  • At temples someone may tie a bracelet “for luck” on you or give you incense and then ask for money — politely decline in advance.
  • Drones at Angkor and in Phnom Penh may not be flown without written permission from Cambodia’s Civil Aviation Authority — the restrictions have been in force since 2015 because of incidents with tourist drones. If you plan to film the temples from the air, arrange the permit in advance rather than counting on taking off on the spot.