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

live in cambodia

    Move to Cambodia - Teach English in Phnom Penh

    8 Tips You Need to Read BEFORE Moving to Phnom Penh

    by Nick & Raychel March 18, 2019

    Our move to Cambodia (in retrospect)

    It’s true – we’ve moved away from Phnom Penh. We absolutely loved living in Cambodia, but for personal reasons, it was time for us to move on.

    We learned a lot during our time there and decided to compile a list of all the things we wish we had known earlier on. Now, it’s time to share it with YOU.

    Find our YouTube channel here!


    Tip #1: Come with $3,000.00 USD saved

    Some people come with a lot less, but we don’t recommend it. We read this advice somewhere online before we moved to Phnom Penh and we both came with about half. If you can, make sure you have at least 3,000 USD in the bank.

    Here’s why:

    • In case you don’t get a job right away, you will be sure to have the savings to float yourself before your first paycheck
    • Many jobs in Cambodia pay monthly – at the end of the month. That means that even if you get a job right away, you will still likely need to wait at least one month until you receive some income.
    • You’ll have enough money to cover a hotel for as long as possible before you find the perfect apartment to live in
    • Most apartments require you to put down a deposit (usually first & last month’s rent) in cash
    • If, heaven forbid, you have a medical emergency or something occurs at home, you always want to make sure you have enough funds to pay for the hospital or get you back to your home country in a jiffy


    Tip #2: Make sure you come on the right visa

    When you enter the country, go to the “visa on arrival” stand and get yourself an “Ordinary Visa” i.e. an “E-type Visa”. We cannot stress this enough – do not get this mistaken with an “e-visa” which is the online tourist visa that you can get in advance.

    This visa will allow you to legally job hunt for 30 days and you will not need to do a visa run once you get a job. Ok – so we did this right the first time – but we have lots of friends who didn’t. (Bad friends, we know – they should’ve watched our vlog)


    Tip #3: Really look for the RIGHT job

    This is something we didn’t really do when we moved to Cambodia, and the reason why we suggest coming with double the money that we came with so that you can afford the time.

    • Set up as many interviews as possible within a few days and go to all of them
    • Talk to different staff members at the school that you’re considering and make sure it’s the right fit
    • Get clear answers during your interview process – Will they cover your visa? Work permit? They should cover at least one.
    • Don’t sign a contract that you’re not comfortable with. Make sure everything makes sense before you commit for a full year. Will you get paid on vacation days? Yes – you should get paid for public holidays. If there were an emergency back at home, will you be able to exit your contract? You wouldn’t believe that this was an issue we witnessed.
    • Are they paying you well? Are your hours consistent?

     

    Make sure you’re asking questions, noticing any red flags, and generally feeling great about the job you decide to take.


    Tip #4: Live in Russian Market

    This is just our opinion and we may have a lot of people disagreeing with us on this – but looking back, we really should’ve just lived in Russian Market.

    A lot of expats live in this area when they move to Cambodia and now we know why. It’s cheap. There are funky apartments for less than $250/month, lots of great bars, and you’re right near a main market in the city. Different to Central Market, Russian Market is still easy to navigate if you don’t speak Khmer, but it won’t put a hole in your pocket (see our article Guide to Markets).

    We lived in BKK1 which is a great area, but we calculated how much money we would’ve saved by living in Russian Market and it was nearly $200 a month. That is $2,400 a year – and that can get you very far in Cambodia.

    Again – you don’t have to do this, it’s just our opinion – but if we’re being honest with you, we really regret not having done this the first time around.


    Tip #5: Shop at local markets ONLY

    With the exception of packaged meat or something imported, don’t go to the supermarket. Just don’t.


    Tip #5: Rent (or buy) a motorbike

    You will get around a lot faster and save a lot of money. We wish we had rented a motorbike sooner, as we wasted a lot of money by commuting in tuk tuks for 2 months when we first moved to Cambodia.


    Tip #6: Download Grab & Passapp (but only use Grab)

    Grab is pretty much the Uber for Southeast Asia, and Passapp is specific to Cambodia. Here’s our comparison between the two apps:

    Grab:

    • Hire a rickshaw, tuk tuk, car or motorbike (to sit on the back of) to your location and get a set price for your trip.
    • You don’t have to worry about being overcharged for a tuk tuk or motorbike ride.
    • Your whole trip is GPS tracked so you can feel safe on the road.  
    • Earn points for riding on the Grab app – cash them in for free rides
    • Grab is used widely throughout SE Asia so you can redeem your points in other countries as well

    Passapp:

    • Mostly the same as Grab, except for that it runs on a meter rather than a set price. If the driver gets stuck in traffic, or worse, blatantly chooses to take a bad route, the price can go up significantly higher.
    • There is no point system for Passapp and it only works in Cambodia

    It sounds like we’re sponsored, but we’re not. We just really support the Grab app.

    We do still recommend that you download Passapp on the days where Grab doesn’t work (yes, that happens often) and vice versa.

    When you move to Cambodia, this will be helpful right from the beginning. Both apps are way cheaper than hailing a tuk tuk or a motorbike.


    Tip #7: Come with the BARE minimum

    Most apartments come furnished and clothes are extremely cheap. Leave enough room in your bag to go home with a lot more than you came with.


    Tip #8: Don’t stress out too much

    People ask us so many questions about having tattoos, beards, long hair, piercings, etc. and how that will affect their employment when they move to Cambodia. We notice people also worry too much about where they’re going to live, work, etc. before they even enter the country.

    We know that it’s nerve wracking to start a new journey but our advice is to just chill. The Cambodian people have a very relaxed lifestyle and if you’re going to live there, you’ll need to adopt one too.

    There is a job and apartment for everybody. Enjoy the adventure and good luck.

     

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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

IS CAMBODIA SAFE? LIVING IN PHNOM PENH

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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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  • Living rent-free in one of the worlds most expensive cities >>> 

… but also, anywhere we want 😉 

It’s been a while since we did a van tour on here so here’s inside of our tiny home. Van life apartment tour format inspired by @samandkellysvan (check theirs out) and the apartment tours on TikTok. 🫶🏼

Any questions? 

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

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Tags: #notluxe  #vanlife #vanlifemovement #vanlifereality #campervan  #vanlifegirl #tinyliving #vanconversion #vanconversionideas #vanbuild #camperlife #homeonwheels #vanlifers #vanlifecouple #travelcouple  #campinggirls #granolagirl #lifeontheroad #roadtrippin #vandwellers #yvr #vancouvercanada
  • 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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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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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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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)

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

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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? 

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

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