Promises, promises: Tourists high and dry in Siam Reap Rip

Organization	Phone
Tourist police – Phnom Penh	012 942 484
Tourist police – Siam Reap	012 402 424
Police – Phnom Penh	117
Fire police – Phnom Penh	118 or 011 997 296

I think it’s about time to expose this little scam for what it’s worth. In early April my friend and I were in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where we booked a large, comfortable Airbnb room with a stone tub and small balcony at Bella Mia Villa on Sak Son Road. The host, Maude, advertised in the Airbnb notice that she could arrange tours with trusted tuk-tuk drivers that would alleviate any of her guests’ concerns about scams. The same notice was emphasized in the impressive amount of printed information that was provided to guests in the room. Soon after our arrival, we received a friendly email from Maude inviting us up to the rooftop dining area for breakfast the following morning where she offered us each a fruit smoothie and a discussion about tours and activities we might want to book in Siem Reap. We met Maude the next morning, enjoyed…

To hire a good tour guide is what makes the difference between a mediocre experience and a unforgettable travel. Some people prefers to check by themselves the information in google and later go to the main tourist attractions. Some other people commit the mistake to look so much at their budget and try to find some really cheap guide. Our personal recommendation is to choose a good travel guide to know about every inch of the new territory. You can check some reviews about guides in TripAdvisor or traveller forums to make your travel experience outstanding. The unlicensed temple tour scam Many “tour guides” giving unlicensed temple tours wait outside of main attractions like Angkor Wat (Siam Reap, Cambodia), Goa Gajah in Bali, Wat Pho in Thailand or Badrinath Temple in India. Like by chance they start to walk close to you and start a conversation. Usually the fake tour…