To the writers of the bad Trip Advisor reviews about Cambodian guesthouses
Last week, I read your reviews of Okay Villa and various guesthouses in Phnom Penh and have been quietly fuming ever since.
Might I remind you that you chose to travel to Cambodia; you were not dragged here. I would also remind you that this is an impressively poor nation that has resurrected itself after suffering through the rule of a profoundly malevolent dictator and then civil war – all in less than four decades.
You chose to leave the comfort of your personal bubble back in your home country. You chose to enter this country to take advantage, in every sense of the word, of everything Cambodia has to offer, and probably intend to complete a pre-determined checklist of sights so that you can boast about having “been there, done that” and you will, undoubtedly, have bought the t-shirt to prove it. You chose NOT to do your research. What were you expecting? Red carpet service? Gold-plated china? Or did you tell yourself that you’d be fine because you would be able to find the regular comforts you’d expect at home?
This isn’t your home. This is a country that lost most of its national heritage, along with most of its educated people in the space of a few short years. This is a country of humble people, every single one of whom, according to statistics, lost at least one family member to the Khmer Rouge. This is a country full of homes that collect and store water in urns beside their huts; where hot water from a tap instead of a pot on the fire is a luxury, not a guarantee. It’s a country where sinks DO drain straight onto the bathroom floor and showers ARE just hoses with heads mounted beside the toilet (so to reply to your comment, yes, you could choose to shower and use the toilet at the same time). It’s a country where cockroaches, mice, rats, and ants are a part of life and organized garbage disposal is not. It’s a country where three hour bus rides will probably take four and a half, and where eight hour rides might see you arrive in twelve. It’s the home of the “bum gun”, not of toilet paper, and if you choose to use paper, then you must also choose not to be disgusted by the bin of similarly used toilet paper to which you’ll be adding. This is a country on the rebound, not one in the developed world.
Since you arrived, have you bothered to listen to the pronunciation of the cities so that you might attempt to say them properly? Have you asked questions of the monks in their saffron robes or just snapped the token photos of them? Have you learned to say “hello” or “thank you” in Khmer so that you might show at least a token interest in the local culture? When entering temples, did you bother to consider if you were dressed properly so as not to offend or did you just stroll straight in? Did you ask questions about the local tipping habits or did you just leave extra money behind that could leave locals with the impression that white people have lots of extra money, effectively driving up the chance that tourists will be taken advantage of and prices will rise faster than the global standard?
A little research, had you opted to do any, would have told you all of this – and most it before you even booked your plane ticket. So please, don’t waste your time giving these guesthouses poor reviews because the shower wasn’t enclosed or the food wasn’t just so. Instead, use your time and energy to make one of two choices: triple your budget so that you can stay somewhere with complete plumbing (although it probably still won’t handle the toilet paper) and decide that you’re going to overlook the garbage
OR
book yourself onto the next available flight to the Thai resorts of Ko Samui or Phuket, where you can boast about having been to Asia without ever having to deal with the realities of being in Asia.
You’ve got options. I hear Samui is lovely this time of year…
While you’re lounging in the sun – because that’s probably what you came to do anyway, the rest of us can get on with learning some Khmer, seeking out local restaurants (instead of those with Western or Russian menus), getting out to the places that don’t see white faces, and interacting with locals in ways that make them smile, rather than feel ashamed. We will sleep easy in our bare essentials guesthouses, full of the knowledge that ignoramuses like you are no longer wandering Cambodia’s streets – although you probably didn’t bother to go out wandering anyway.
With best wishes for happier travels in faraway lands,
Ang Waterton
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To clients, friends, and family reading my rant
There are times when it pays to be mentally prepared for your destination and, in our experience, Cambodia is one of those places. I’m a big advocate of travel and exploration (in case you hadn’t already noticed), but I think it’s important to do it on locals’ terms, not Western ones. I’m finding it completely baffling to discover that many “Westerners” (although that includes Aussies and Kiwis) are arriving here not being of the same opinion.
I am bewildered by the amount of growth in Cambodia since we were here in 2010, but the country rightly deserves it. They’re welcoming and have ready smiles, as well as impressive English and French skills in many cases. Unfortunately, the prevalence of English seems to have led travelers astray in their notions of what to expect. Like Nga Tranh (Vietnam) before it, Russia’s nouveau-riche have arrived and are in the process of exploiting the coastlines, while usually-midrange-travel middle-aged folk have heard about the wonders of Cambodia and have decided it’s the “in” place to go because it’s so cheap, but they have forgotten that “cheap” doesn’t usually go hand in hand with descriptions of their own personal travel preferences.
Global travel isn’t for everyone. Some folks are happy to stick to their hometown and make occasional road trips to a nearby city if they need some excitement. Others are resort people and are happy exploring the shores of the Caribbean and Mexico. But if, like me, you’re happy to pack a bag and see what happens when you show up somewhere unannounced and with no accommodation booked, then leave pretension behind and go for it! Just be prepared to sleep in whatever room is available. :)
