This is the third installment in a series that we hope helps convey some of the basics of life in Cambodia. If you missed the first and second one, they are here and here.

Jenny: The traffic in PP is pretty crazy. How do you get around?  

Sam: Yes, it is crazy. In our first 3 years here I only used tuktuks, and Craig rode a bicycle. In 2021 I felt ready to drive here, so CMS helped us to buy a car, a 20 year old Honda CRV. Learning to drive on the other side of the road, on the other side of the car, was a challenge. I have put on the wipers instead of the indicator more times than I can count! That’s nothing compared to the challenge of the complicated road situation. There are so many motorbikes, trucks, tuktuks and other random vehicles all moving around each other. The give way “rules” seem to be the opposite of those in Australia. I am not ready to drive on the highways, though Craig has. Overtaking here is frightening, and there are bicycles, motorbikes and tuktuks all travelling on the sides of the road, in both directions. I had my first accident in my first week of driving when a motorbike, with driver and passenger, crashed into my driver’s side door. I had my second accident a few weeks later when a motorbike ran into Hannah’s passenger side door. Thankfully no one was hurt. This year CMS helped Craig to buy a new motorbike. He rides everywhere now and it’s very convenient for him. For more thoughts on driving in Cambodia, see here.

Jenny: It’s quite hard to walk to places in PP. Why do you think that is?

Sam: The “footpaths” here are designed as a driveway for motorbikes to access shop fronts in each house or building, rather than as a place for pedestrians to walk around. Most people have a moto, so they get around on the roads, even if they are travelling a short distance. Having said that, any time that I need to walk on the roads to get somewhere, or cross the street, I feel much safer doing so here because the traffic is much slower, and Cambodian drivers seem more aware of their surrounding and to expect the unexpected. The heat and humidity also is a huge negative factor in not walking anywhere. Who wants to arrive somewhere in a ball of sweat?