Country
Cambodia is one of the last rarely discovered countries in South East Asia. In the past the people of Cambodia had to suffer long years under the consequences of the terror regime of the Khmer-rouge and the civil war. Nowadays the country is free of wars and holds an enhancing economy. Especially the tourism sector is increasing fast and offers various job opportunities for the local society. Experienced travellers say that “Cambodia is like Thailand twenty years ago”, with lonesome islands, lost temples and rarely discovered regions and hill tribes.
Quick facts
Official name: Kingdom of Cambodia
Area: 181,035 km2 (59% covered by forest)
Provinces: 24
Capital: Phnom Penh
Islands: 30 (around Sinahoukville and Kep)
Climate: Tropical dry and wet
Population: 14,805,358 (more than 50% are less than 21years old)
Language: Khmer
Religion: Theravada Buddhism
Government: Constitutional democracy
King: Norodom Sihamoni
Prime minister: Hun Sen
People and Culture
The Cambodian culture can be generally described as conservative and traditional. Even so, there is a cultural change forming in the bigger cities where life is different and western influences are wide spread. Nowadays the majority of Khmer are Theravada Buddhist and this religion has a marked effect on their etiquette, customs and culture. Most travellers are impressed by the warmth and kindness of the local people. But not all tourists have the chance to discover this friendliness, caused by cultural barriers and their unknown misbehavior. To avoid these complications it is important to know a few Dos and Don’ts for Cambodia.
Nevertheless Cambodians understand that visitors come from another culture and will be indulgent about minor cultural faux pas. They will just appreciate every effort to understand their traditions and society and award these endeavors with a positive difference in the interaction.
Dos
- The traditional greeting, it is a little bow with the hands clasped together like in prayer.
- Remove your shoes before entering a temple or someone’s house.
- Try to make some indirect eye contact from time to time. Staring can be interpreted as impolite.
- Ask for permission before taking photographs of people or monks.
- Keep business cards ready, and present them with both hands. Accept business cards with both hands.
Don'ts
- A big no-go is to touch anyone on top of the head, because the head is holy.
- It is impolite to point your feet at anyone included a Buddha statue.
- In temples men should wear long pants and women tops covering their shoulders.
- Avoid handing anything with your left hand.
- To pass things politely, touch your left hand to your right elbow and pass the object with your right hand.
- Don't begin eating if you are a guest at a dinner and the host has yet to take a bite.
- Women should never touch male monks or hand something directly to them.
Book advises
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English books
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Culture Shock Cambodia: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Peter North, 2011)
The much-awaited Cambodia version in the ‘Culture Shock’ series contains practical information on the defining characteristics of Cambodian social norms and society. Highly recommended for responsible travellers who want more than just a surface understanding of a unique and complex culture.
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River of Time (Jon Swain, 1995)
Jon Swain’s book is a wonderful memoir of Indochina, expressing beautifully the powerful, inexplicable hold that Asia has for those who love her. Swain was one of the few Western journalists who remained in Phnom Penh as the city fell to the Khmer Rouge. His descriptions of the siege and its immediate aftermath are haunting.
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Cambodia’s Curse: The Modern History of a Troubled Land (Joel Brinkley, 2011)
All anyone in the US knows about Cambodia is that they're better off than they were under the Khmer Rouge, says journalist Joel Brinkley. But now they face a government he calls "predatory and corrupt."
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First They Killed My Father, Loung Ung (Harper Collins, 2000)
Loung Ung’s powerful account of surviving the Khmer Rouge regime, as a child is terrifying and emotionally draining, but a highly recommended read. The author’s unflinching eye for detail creates a vivid tapestry of one of history’s darkest revolutions.
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French Books
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Les cailloux du silence (Norbert Pallier, 2008)
Les cailloux du silence n'est pas qu’ un témoignage. C'est le devoir de mémoire d'un homme qui n'a jamais pu oublier les atrocités dont il a été le témoin durant le génocide de 1975 au Cambodge. C'est le combat de cet homme face aux atrocités dont il est le témoin dans ce même pays encore en 2006.
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Histoire de Khmers (Thoan Thach, 2009)
L'Histoire des Khmers est l'Histoire du peuple cambodgien. Ce peuple dont on situe l'origine dans le continent indien a sa propre langue, sa propre écriture, ses propres croyances qui ne sont ni le bouddhisme ni le brahmanisme. Les monuments d'Angkor, dont l'auteur apporte une signification claire et complète sur le plan symbolique et architectural, témoignent de l'influence brahmanique.
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Parler le cambodgien – comprendre le cambodge (Pierre-Regis Martin & Dy Dathsy, 1999)
Plus un ouvrage d'éveil et de compréhension sur le Cambodge qu'une simple méthode consacrée à la langue khmère. Grâce à une phonétique originale, agréable et pratique, et tout en gardant constamment les mots dans leur alphabet khmer, "PARLER le cambodgien, COMPRENDRE le Cambodge" passe en revue toute la structure de la langue, aborde des thèmes quotidiens et convient donc autant aux débutants qu'aux khmèrophones confirmés.
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German books
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Kulturschock Kambodscha (Sam Samnang, 2008)
Das Buch stellt Werte, Normen und Verhalten der Kambodschaner im engen Zusammenhang mit der wechselhaften Geschichte des Landes und der Gestaltung ihrer Lebensweise dar. Der Reisende erhält Hintergrundinformationen, die das Bild von der heutigen kambodschanischen Gesellschaft abrunden und Verhaltensmaßstäbe der Kambodschaner erläutern.
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In Buddhas Gärten (Tor Favorik, 2009)
Wie kein anderer versteht es Tor Farovik, historische Hintergründe mit den Geschichten der Menschen, die er auf seiner Reise durch Südostasien kennen lernt, zu verknüpfen. In Kambodscha, das im Vergleich zu Vietnam fast menschenleer wirkt, spürt Farovik den Bruder des Diktators Pol Poth auf und macht Prinzessin Bopha seine Aufwartung.
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Die Kinder der Killing Fields (Erich Follath, 2010)
Vor 30 Jahren wurde Kambodscha vom Terror der Roten Khmer heimgesucht, die auf den »Killing Fields« fast ein Viertel der eigenen Bevölkerung ermordeten. Jetzt endlich werden die Verantwortlichen vor ein Tribunal gestellt. Erich Follath schildert ein faszinierendes Land mit einer jahrtausendealten Kultur und Geschichte, das mit den Schatten der grausamen Vergangenheit kämpft.
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