Responsible Travel

Cambodia has undoubtedly come a very long way since the dark days of the Khmer Rouge and the battles and torture that raged through the country for decades. The smiling faces that welcome tourists display the optimism and contentment of a people grateful for what they have. But the scars remain – both physical (unexploded landmines continue to injure or kill over 100 people each year), intellectual (the genocide centred on the most highly educated Cambodians, leaving a gaping “knowledge gap”) and financial, as the poverty cycle spins on. As well as leaving many Cambodians without access to education or healthcare, poverty can also lead desperate families to seek insalubrious “solutions” – including the sex trade, human trafficking and child abuse.

As a tourist to Cambodia you are inextricably a part of this complex equation, and your actions here can never be neutral. In Cambodia even the most well-meaning intentions can have disastrous consequences, so be sure to inform yourself before you go to ensure your holiday has a positive impact, and makes life even just a tiny bit better for those who have made your holiday so memorable.