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Not Luxe ☼ Travel
  • ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL
  • WHY “NOT LUXE”
  • Cambodia
  • Australia
  • Travel
  • Teaching ESL
  • Move Abroad
  • Travel Insurance
Category:

Cambodia

    A man stands in front of a Cambodian flag waving in a blue sky

    8 Things to Know Before MOVING to Cambodia

    by Nick & Raychel March 10, 2019

    Moving to Cambodia? Want some tips?

    So you’re moving to Cambodia for the first time. Lucky you! We’ve loved living in Cambodia and we know how exciting the move can be. We also understand how stressful it can be at the same time. That’s why we’ve put together a quick guide for you that will *hopefully* make the transition at least a little easier for you.

     


    1. Flights

    Book early and try to find the best deal. We use Skyscanner and bought our one-way tickets for less than $500.00!

    You may have heard that some airlines will not allow you on a flight with a one-way ticket. Make sure you contact the airline to get a concrete answer on this before you go. If you can’t find a definite answer, like us, there are ways of getting around this.

    We always recommend booking on-going travel just in case you have any troubles. We booked a bus ticket to Thailand, scheduled to leave 28 days after we arrived in Cambodia. Since our visa was only valid for 30 days and we didn’t have jobs secured yet, this cleared any troubles that could have occured with the airline and we had an escape plan in case we had troubles finding a job. I believe this only costed us $20 and it was worth every penny. Although we didn’t end up taking that trip to Thailand, just having these tickets took the weight off of our shoulders and hardly made a dent in our wallets.


    2. Visas

    If you’re planning to work in Cambodia, you should get an Ordinary (E-Type) visa upon arrival. Do not confuse this with the E-visa (the tourist visa you can get prior to arrival online). The Ordinary visa will cost you $30.00 USD and you must have the exact cash to purchase it upon arrival.

    With this visa, you will be legally entitled to search for jobs in the country for 30 days. Once you are granted a job, your employer will give you a Work Permit and assist you with switching over your visa. No – you will not need to do a visa run – you will be able to stay in the country while they switch this over for you.


    3. Real estate

    We recommend staying in a hostel/hotel/AirBnB for about a week so you can get to know the areas before renting an apartment.

    Real estate agents are easy to come by, free of charge, and will be able to assist you in finding an apartment to rent. We joined the Facebook group Phnom Penh Housing and made a post stating what we were looking for. Within minutes, our inbox was flooded with messages from local real estate agents who were eager to assist us. We found our apartment in one day and moved in 3 days later.

    You can also use Khmer24 to look at apartment listings and contact agents.


    4. Jobs

    If you are moving to Cambodia to teach English, find our article How to move to Cambodia and teach English.

    We also have multiple Youtube videos on the topic like the one below:


     


    5. Getting around

    No clue where you’re going? No problem. From the airport, you’ll be able to get a tuk tuk to your destination. Read – this is going to be the most expensive tuk tuk you’ll ever have to pay for. Once you’re in town and out of the airport-zone, you should download two apps on your phone: Grab and Passapp.

     

      • Grab: This is pretty much like the Uber for Southeast Asia. Type in your destination and what kind of vehicle you’d like to you’ll receive a set price on what you’ll have to pay.
      • Passapp: Same deal, except for that Passapp is exclusive to Cambodia. At the time of writing this, Passapp is more popular than Grab but can be more expensive as it runs on a meter.

     


    Both applications are GPS tracked and you can pay at the end of your trip.


    6. Where to go

    Confused about where to stay? Find our article Phnom Penh Guide: Where to stay about the different areas you can stay in within Phnom Penh.


    7. Making friends

    There are so many meetups, trivia nights, art shows, film screenings, and other events that expats plan to make Cambodia feel more like home. We recommend joining Facebook groups so that you don’t miss out. We were a part of a group called Expats and locals living in Phnom Penh. If you are moving to Siem Reap or other areas, search as per your location and join a few.

    Drugs are easy to come by in Cambodia, so be cautious and picky about the type of people you surround yourself with so you don’t end up in the wrong scene. Just have your wits about you. Most expats are friendly and looking to make friends just the same as you are.


    8. Learning Khmer

    You do not need to know Khmer to live in Cambodia, but it will certainly make your life easier. A lot of Cambodian people speak English, especially in the city. That said, we learned simple phrases, directional words (for Grab rides) and how to count / bargain in Khmer. We really recommend trying to learn the language during your stay in the Kingdom. You’ll find yourself to have an easier time, being more immersed, and making some friends that you otherwise wouldn’t have.


     

    2 PinterestEmail
  • One Week in Cambodia | 7 Day Itinerary

    by Nick & Raychel March 7, 2019

    Arriving in Phnom Penh? Here is our 7 day Cambodia itinerary starting in the capital city.

  • Currency in Cambodia: Explained

    by Nick & Raychel March 5, 2019

    Riel? USD? How do you work with the two operating currencies? Here, we’ll give you some tips to make sense of it.

  • 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Teaching English Abroad

    by Nick & Raychel February 28, 2019

    *hint* It’s more than a gap year job.

  • Saving Money: Teaching & Living in Phnom Penh

    by Nick & Raychel February 19, 2019

    Can you save money while teaching in Cambodia? The short answer is yes. Find our tips & tricks here.

  • Where to Stay in Phnom Penh : A Visitor’s Guide

    by Nick & Raychel February 12, 2019

    Whether you are staying in Phnom Penh for a simple layover, a short period, or a long period of time, you should be firstly be excited to visit the versatile and growing capital of Cambodia. But where will you stay? See our suggestions here.

  • Day Trip to Phnom Chisor: How to Get to Phnom Chisor from Phnom Penh

    by Nick & Raychel February 5, 2019

    A day trip to an ancient temple? Yes please. Phnom Chisor is one of our favourite day trips from Phnom Penh. We share our tips on how to get there, how much $ you’ll need, and the unwritten rules of the temple.

  • WHY You Should Teach English in Cambodia

    by Nick & Raychel January 29, 2019

    When we thought of teaching abroad, Cambodia was not the first place that came to mind. Now our minds have changed. Here’s why.

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Nick & Raychel
Nick & Raychel

In 2018, we sold everything we owned and moved to Cambodia to teach English.

Let’s make this clear: this journey didn’t start with money. This journey started with a desire to see the world and to do something different for a change.

We’re not going to fool you with photos of floating breakfasts and private jets. We know what it’s like to be on a budget. Although we like to take pretty pictures, we aren’t going to wake up at an ungodly hour to give you unachievable travel jealousy. We aren’t going to censor ourselves or lie to you.

What we are going to do is stay in cheap hostels, find ways to make money, give the advice that we would want to hear, and share our experiences with you honestly.

Are you in?

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GUIDE TO MARKETS | PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (2018)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8v49HKtlIk

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ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL

About Us Hi! We’re Nick & Raychel, the Canadian travel couple behind the brand ‘Not Luxe’. Far before we were married (and on a mission to see the world), we were working…

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  • We worked the whole time, we just left the desk. 

And turns out there was world out there full of opportunity, friendship, and love we had never quite experienced before. 

We know this lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but it’s for us - and we’re so glad we went for it. 🫶🏼

➟ follow @nickandraychel // full-time van life & budget travel 

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  • How much does van life in Mexico cost?
The truth is, it’s going to be different for everybody.

But here is a breakdown of our budget for 4 months of van livin’ on the beach this winter. 

**Please note that this DOESN’T include our trip to Mexico City which was $497 USD. Full breakdown of that air travel trip can be found on our profile!**

Any questions?

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  • Van life: Las Vegas ✨🫶🏼

I don’t even have to words to tell you how fun this evening was. We were almost not going to make it to Vegas this trip, but didn’t it was @cakin_bakes birthday - we couldn’t say no. 

This is what it’s like stealth camping on the Las Vegas strip. 🥂 

➟ follow @nickandraychel // full-time van life & budget travel 

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  • Crossing the Mexico/US border: the end of van life Mexico 🇲🇽 

We have crossed a lot of borders in our lives, but only 2 in our ambulance conversion. 

The added stress of having your entire home with you, a stranger walking through your van, etc. isn’t the best feeling, but as you can tell watching this video - we were just fine. 

Anyone else get unnecessarily nervous at border crossings?

(thanks @geneandshay for the inspo to film the live interaction on our phones)

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  • Van life in Mexico: driving up the Baja Peninsula. 

We spent a few days in La Paz, Mulegé & Guerrero Negro before crossing the border from Mexico into California. This is what it was like. 

A moment of appreciation for Bahía Concepción - shall we? 

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  • It’s official: we are leaving Mexico. 

The past four months in this beautiful country have been nothing but a dream come true. We’ve met amazing people, ate incredible food, and drank probably 500 shots of tequila. 

But as you know, Nick and I work seasonal / temp jobs and it’s officially time for us to find work again. 

So come with us up the west coast, it’s time for a new adventure!

➟ follow @nickandraychel // full-time van life & budget travel 

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