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You dont need to be rich to live in Cambodia

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mollydooker
 

International Living Postcards—Australian Edition
Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Dear Reader,
Rob wanted white-sand beaches, crystal-clear waters and beachfront cafes. And all for an affordable price.
What he found was a Southeast Asian country where—for $1,500 a month—you can take your pick of beaches, savour a legacy of good food left by the French, and explore grand temples like Angkor Wat, which have lured travellers for centuries.
Rob reveals all about his life in Cambodia below…
Barbara Ross
Managing Editor, International Living Postcards (Australian Edition)
P.S. Discover how to live better in Cambodia and other affordable destinations overseas for half of what it would cost you to stay at home. To receive a free copy of How to Retire in Paradise from $40 a Day, click here.

  
* * *
 
You Don’t Need to Be Rich
to Enjoy Life in Cambodia
By Rob Schneider

My Saturday mornings usually begin with a short cycle down a quiet back road to my favourite French pâtisserie. Over a breakfast of a delicious omelette, croissant and cappuccino, I plan my day. Picture-perfect balmy weather and a fresh, southerly breeze? Looks like I’m going sailing. Or, if I need to do some freelance writing work, I may toss my laptop into my backpack and take a short bicycle or motorbike ride to a nearby beach.
There are four in my area alone and dozens farther along the coast.
You don’t need to be rich to enjoy life in Cambodia. My Saturday breakfast costs just $3.80 and, last Saturday—between breakfast, renting a catamaran, and dinner for two—I came away with change out of the $32 I had in my pocket that morning. I can easily afford to indulge myself whenever I want.
I call the beach town of Sihanoukville home. Located in the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand, it’s Cambodia’s largest seaside town. It was a popular holiday spot when the French first arrived here in 1939. They left their mark here in the form of excellent French cuisine.
It’s turned out to be the best move I’ve ever made. I can’t afford a private villa on the luxury resort islands off the coast, such as Song Saa or Morakot, but I can live a lot better than I could back home.
What would I have back home? The best I can imagine is a small apartment far from the beach and a nine-to-five job or—now that I’m 65—a pension that would barely cover my basic expenses. Maybe I could scrape enough money together to take a bus to the beach on weekends, but I certainly couldn’t afford to go sailing.
A great quality of life is incredibly affordable here. I know one expat who lives on $385 a month. That may be cutting it a bit fine, but he prefers pottering around his garden to going out, so he’s perfectly content with the money he receives from back home each month.
An upper-middle-class salary in Cambodia is around $1,500 a month, and you can live that kind of lifestyle if your pension, salary or investments earn you that much.
Eating out in Sihanoukville is incredibly cheap…and there’s lots of choice: French…Mexican…Italian…Indian…fresh seafood…and more.
Life here wasn’t always this easy. There were few Western amenities when I first arrived. But in recent years, the area has really blossomed. Following its official declaration as a province in 2009, land titles were quickly issued and development took off at a dizzying pace.
When I went sailing at Otres Beach recently, I made the almost 10-kilometre journey on a newly paved road. Closer to home, Serendipity Road, the main tourist drag, was paved and given street lights in late 2011. It’s now filled with restaurants, nightspots, stores and accommodation.
In the midst of all the growth, though, the best parts of traditional Cambodian life remain. We still buy our sugar, soap and other daily necessities at a little stall outside a neighbour’s house. Once or twice a day, a vendor walks past with homemade goodies or fresh fruit. Little things like these make living here special. The modern conveniences just make life a little easier. I have the best of both worlds here in my little corner of Sihanoukville.
Progress usually comes at a price to the average person, but in Sihanoukville the price has been negligible. In fact, all the modern new apartment complexes that have been springing up in town have resulted in rent decreases, not increases.
Editor’s note: Rob found his perfect retirement haven in Cambodia—and you can find yours too, no matter what your perfect retirement looks like. Find out how to enjoy a relaxed, luxurious retirement in beautiful destinations all over the world for much less than you’d pay back home. For more information, click here.
About the author: Rob Schneider was born in the U.S. but moved to Australia in 1985. While travelling in Asia, he took a side trip to Cambodia and found his diamond in the rough. In 2006, he made Sihanoukville, Cambodia his new home.

 
 
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Jools

You have defined what we like about Southeast Asia. I live in Thailand, but much of what you say applies here, as well. There may be a time when I have to flee Thailand for Cambodia. I don't think it will be a traumatic experience. Thanks for your input.

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andy

You have defined what we like about Southeast Asia. I live in Thailand, but much of what you say applies here, as well. There may be a time when I have to flee Thailand for Cambodia. I don't think it will be a traumatic experience. Thanks for your input.

It would be interesting to see some figures of the westerners whom have had to leave SHV. On what scale. How many have moved to where, towns within Cambodia, other Country's. And of course homeland.

Many may have been thinking or doing Cambodia for Thailand. 

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Parrothead

It would be interesting to see some figures of the westerners whom have had to leave SHV. On what scale. How many have moved to where, towns within Cambodia, other Country's. And of course homeland.

Many may have been thinking or doing Cambodia for Thailand. 

 

As you may know, I have know John Bohn, a member here, for 15 years. I met him when he first moved to the Philippines. Anyway, he was telling me a number of foreigners had moved to Kampot. But, growth there was driving prices up.

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andy

I would have thought the bigger problem in Kampot would be accommodating people long term, at the right price. 

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andy

I am in the process of relocating. I had been waiting for sometime now for a apartment to become available. At last now it has, so now I am satisfied with my actions and the norm trying my best to stay positive.

How the situation stands, I have a small room in Kampong Cham (only for the needs of my lady friends health).

I have just been to the apartment in Phnom Penh to pay a month's rental as deposit and a month's rental in advance. Nice apartment in a quiet area also hospitals near by. Also good for me to buy good food's and so on.

Now, I think here suits us! Only 2 hours max on the bus to Kampong Cham (doctors) and her family,(better distance there for me) don't like the idea of being too close, and they are not very helpful, time tells most of us of this situation.

So next step is Kampong Cham to give up the room and bring some of the belongings back to the new apartment in Phnom Penh. Along with the moto I have with me, due to a one off road trip at the impulse of a few power cuts, 5 in one day, and the loss of WiFi to come, apparently the need for me to do a new contract, even though I have 3 months contract left on the years paid WiFi. The loss of conection may have something to do with the 2.500 chinese living on the other side of the bridge.

But the big move next on the list is the bar in koh kong. This is where the delemer sets in. (We packed most of our belongings beforehand), I wanted to do so to be ready. So now it all sounds in order and more easy for the big move. Firstly there are not any real removals in koh Kong, we managed to arrange only part of a mini-bus, but leaving us short of space and he would drop us off on the roadside in the city? There leaves me a problem and the definite expense of the stranded barang with his worldly goods on the side street whom being left at the sharks eating grounds. The cost of the drivers good deed $150.

So now I am trying to arrange transport in Phnom penh in advance. So far the cost is $300, due to it's a long way for them to go, and the boss would like me to hire more of his staff to do the lifting of the externally heavy cane furniture. Anyway that now being a none starter, up too now it leaves me in the shit position of selling the furniture, and more so the drinks display cooler that I don't really need in a home, but like we all know of the buying and selling mostly here, before plenty want, now that the items will be for sale, there is the useual excusese,

no cash and "bong can I pay monthly instalment payments".

The westerners are actually worse and offer 10% of a item's value, probably less then they would spend on their drinks in the evening also adding the sad story of "how the month or time their having her is now a disaster", It's not worth the trouble of listening to the sadness and agonising world is over :( or just the fact my money transfer is late this month. 

I suppose this time the story you are reading is mine. One thing for me! There is never a dull moment.

I will end now and leave you with a few photos from the bike journey over the Cardemom.

 

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Was a nice day for riding the bike.

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Edited by andy
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andy

Getting no where at all.

This is certainly not like me. I have the move to make has soon as possible. But now it seems to be a rush job, but on the other hand not so. Idea was to empty the room at Kampong Cham first and give up the tenancy. This is also while we try get Nak's young son into a new school.

We rode down from Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham and not without incidents. First bridge crossing was stopped by the police and fined $5 no helmet on Nak. I asked for a receipt but no joy. From there we went on to have lunch on the riverside, at a well known westerners restaurant, half the food on the menu they didn't have. Eventually I had a bowl of unsavoury food, my lady ordered outside. We left there disappointed, me more so at $2.50 per coffee. Round the corner towards the second bridge and stopped again, this time police saying they will take the bike from me! Showing them papers of ownership, we're on our way over the bridge but again with another $5 fine. It had been a shit start of the day. 

Down the road a little I saw a statue of Buddha, I decided at the moment to have a closer look. 

 

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Nak got herself settled in one of the shaded hammocks in the trees.

I would have a wonder about taking a few photos. I was recently invited to join photo clubs by a Khmer friend, it's actually been very interesting.

 

 

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Photos are all based on smartphones. But I now have the interest to take out my real camera out of it's bag, one I had bought in Thailand around 7 year's ago and not used.

 

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So next arriving Kampong Cham late evening, the bike headlight gives up to finish off the evening. 

Tomorrow is another day :)

 

 

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dicey eye

If you didn't have bad luck, you wouldn't have luck at all.

Also for some reason the police are getting very strict about helmets. Last week in Battambang we got stopped since Pip wasn't wearing a helmet. She talked them down to $2.50 from the original $5 they wanted.

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angbumabasa

"NO HELMET, NO RIDE" here by PNP.   :taz:

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