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By Donald D. Groff

June 10, 1999 | I am going to Cambodia this summer and while I am determined to visit Phnom Penh and Angkor, I'm unsure about the other parts of the country. Are they safe for a single female traveler?

Cambodia doesn't get the widespread thumbs-up that, say, Vietnam gets as a welcoming destination. It's at an earlier stage of change in many ways, rougher around the edges, and that may affect its appeal to a solo traveler, male or female. One of my female correspondents who visited Cambodia with a companion said that while she didn't exactly see it as unsafe, she wouldn't relish going it alone there.

For certain travelers, though, being on the edge of the travel frontier is alluring. And as anyone who's done it knows, when you travel solo you quite often hook up with other solo travelers. Freelance writer Kennerly Clay spent several weeks in Cambodia early this year and had this to report on the matter:

"I flew to Phnom Penh from Bangkok, somewhat wary of what I was getting into, but mostly excited by the prospect. A fellow backpacker in Bangkok had recommended reading 'Off the Rails in Phnom Penh: Into the Dark Heart of Guns, Girls, and Ganja,' by Amit Gilboa, so I was fully immersed in what I would consider absolute recommended reading for anyone, male or female, visiting Cambodia.

"As with many places in Southeast Asia, there is a strong expat community, but in Phnom Penh, it is overwhelmingly male, middle-aged and 'misfit.' Guesthouse topics of conversation range from prostitution (most of the men I met frequent the brothels of Phnom Penh almost daily) to pot-smoking to shooting AK-47s and M-16s at the firing range. I had a good time gabbing with all these guys, but sometimes couldn't believe my ears; fortunately I'm not easily offended. Phnom Penh is definitely not for the faint-hearted, in many ways.

"Transportation, unless you're a diplomat or someone who's not necessarily there for the adventure, is by moto. You flag down a motorbike just as you would a New York City taxi, hop on the back and off you go into the madness of hack-inducing fumes, stops, starts and near misses. One of my drivers crashed into another bike, sending my heart rate soaring, but you just take it all in stride, as you do when visiting any place -- just go with it, all of it, whatever it is.

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"I heard many stories from risk-taking travelers while I was in Cambodia, and though I wouldn't recommend it highly, I myself took a small risk and sneaked into the Angkor Wat temple area on the back of a motorbike at 4 a.m. The passes cost $20 a day and the realm of temples is so vast you need a good three days to get to all of it. So in the early-morning hours I was breezing along behind this Cambodian guy who spoke no English, only understanding that I'd pay $6 if he'd scoot me around for the day. We passed armed policemen lurking in dark stone gateways, and each time I feared I had made the wrong decision, but eventually daylight came and there I was, in the midst of it all on my own and nothing exceptional had happened -- almost to my dismay.

"About Cambodian men, you can tell they're paying you some attention but in general they seem really shy and wouldn't dare make a hiss or catcall. I had absolutely no problem walking around on my own and never got harassed. I even went out dancing with another girl until the wee hours and the moto drivers were cordial, friendly, and totally nonaggressive with us."

For other views of travel in Cambodia, consult the Lonely Planet site for a string of recent warnings and anecdotes, as well as recommendations for what to see and do there.

You can also direct your browser to Cambodia-Web, where you'll find links to many businesses that operate there, from which you can get firsthand advice on current conditions. The site also has a message board through which you can gather information from people currently there. Although it appears to be an official site, it doesn't seem to be censored. There also is a Travel Tales section, with e-mail addresses for some of the contributors.

Also, be sure to read Salon's own Vagabonding columns for a taste of what our solo traveler in Cambodia has encountered there.

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