Learning Khmer resources/general advice for moving

I’m looking for the best place to start learning Khmer please! And some lesson recommendations in-country would be great too.

I’m (29m) planning to move to Cambodia for 2-3 years at least from the UK next year.

First came to Cambodia for a few months in my early 20s and, loved the place and have decided to have a crack at moving out.

Not really got the tefl teaching bug and I couldn’t imagine working online. I should be good financially for about a year though and hopefully I’ll have a half brained business idea by then. If anyone’s done anything similar it’d be good to connect?

I’d like to be by the coast and I’m not looking to party, just chill, chew through some books, enjoy the place and integrate. I hear sinhoukville isn’t the chill place it used to be so been looking at kep. I’ve never been to kep though so some advice would be really welcome and other seaside town suggestions are really welcome too!

Try Kep and Kampot for a month each then make up your mind. Personally, I love that they are both there for weekends away but living there would do my head in.

I'd say no place really matches your ideals anymore. Maybe Koh Kong. Also depends what you mean by integrate. Kampot and Kep have a very high foreigner to local ratio, so probably not the best places to get "assimilated", but aren't far from beaches. Also depends on your business idea. Avoid Sihanoukville like the plague.

So you haven't been in Cambodia after your trip 9 years ago? Cambodia has changed a lot in that time. If you want to stay at coast you have only really 3 options: Kep, Sihanoukville and Koh Kong. And well Koh Rong island could be option too or if you want to stay totally among locals than you have few villages too. If I were I would come here and stay in different towns for month before settling down.

You plan to do business here in Cambodia or? What type of place you want to live in? Basic room/apartment, western style house/apartment? Because Koh Kong you can find more local style accommodation only. Kep can get very expensive if you want even remotely nice and modern place to live in.

Sihanoukville is not really that bad place what people say. I spent few months there earlier this year. Lot of westeners have moved back there. It's a big modern city now days.

Kep is very sleepy small town. Shopping needs to be done in Kampot and Phnom Penh. And your western eating options are few. I have lived there few months as well and I wouldn't personally move to Kep if living alone. With a family living in a house it's not a bad place but alone, it can get boring.

I have only visited in Koh Kong for few days so cannot comment how it would be to live there.

Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote: ↑Fri Sep 02, 2022 8:10 am I'd say no place really matches your ideals anymore. Maybe Koh Kong. Also depends what you mean by integrate. Kampot and Kep have a very high foreigner to local ratio, so probably not the best places to get "assimilated", but aren't far from beaches. Also depends on your business idea. Avoid Sihanoukville like the plague.

HUH" kep "very high foreigner to local ratio", living here, i'd say the exact opposite>
Kep is nice but fuck all to do but bicycle and swim, even eating out is not easy for good food. Seen nice 2 bedroom semi furnished houses for around $300> no apts ; I'd NEVER live here alone
Kampot 20 kms away has night life, a sizable strange expat community ( seems divided between new age hippies and retirees living on $500/month) even hostess bars. Places on the river for $250-500, rooms in town $75-200, good selection of eateries and a few digital nomad type places


simple story: we have an international school here in kep and its a good one an inexpensive ( $1,500/year primary)

BUT they have a very hard time getting/keeping teachers cause they come, sign a contract and after 3 months cant handle it and leave
To dam quiet for a single young person

I know people who are perfectly happy living a quiet meditative life. While some couldn’t live long term in Kep or Kampot, others do.

There was talk about six years ago that the next hang out locale may be Sre Ambel. I don’t know how much it’s progressed (it had quite some way to go). By coincidence I came across this posted to YouTube today…

Just an off the top of my head remark (living in Kampot), I'd say try Kampot first, and then make a few trips to Kep and try it out. It's a bit "isolated" and simple things you might take for granted like grabbing something to eat wont be as "stressful" in terms of culture shock so to speak.

If you're hungry at 8 or 9 at night and are lazy to cook, you can grab a bite easily in Kampot. Kep you're kind of screwed after that time. Also, there's basically nothing else to do there, and even a simpleton like me who doesn't party, hang out, go to events would probably get bored in Kep.

I might be biased though, I like it in Kampot the best so far over my stay in Cambodia (lived here since late 2000's). You're close to the river, relatively close to the beach, and there's enough "original Cambodia" still around and it doesn't feel too westernized or modernized just yet.

My take.

Just want to say thankyou for the advice!

I've moved to Cambodia now and am currently chilling in a couple homestays near siem reap.

Thinking of opening a chippy to be honest. Can't be living here long term without a decent chippy so personally I don't really see what choice I have!

Turkeydinasaur wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 10:09 pm Just want to say thankyou for the advice!

I've moved to Cambodia now and am currently chilling in a couple homestays near siem reap.

Thinking of opening a chippy to be honest. Can't be living here long term without a decent chippy so personally I don't really see what choice I have!

Most food if prepared with love and care will have success. Wish you good luck.