Go Backpacking

  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
×
Home » Destinations » Asia » Cambodia

Cambodian Hospitality

Published: Sep 22, 2008 by Dave Lee |

Phi-lay's youngest daughters are dropped off at home after school

I hesitated at first, when Phi-lay asked me to join his family for dinner after having only spent a few hours with me. I sensed he wouldn't take "no" for an answer, and as he was literally in the driver's seat at the time, I RSVP'd for what was to become one of my fondest experiences of the whole trip. The initial delay might have been from the knowledge that in addition to him and his wife, there were 8 children in the family. 8! I don't even know what to do around one.

The kitchen stoves

The whole family lives together under the same roof. Only Phi-lay and his eldest son, Rich, work and bring in money. They were also the only two to speak English. The cynical part of me wondered how much of the interest in me was tied to an interest in a bigger tip. But that small voice, which is new to me and only the result of too many encounters with hustlers and greedy drivers on my trip, was quickly overshadowed by his wonderful family. A welcoming wife, pretty daughters (the youngest being 11 and 14) and handsome sons (Rich being in his early 20's).

Rich (far right), wife/mom (far left), and lots of younger kids in between

We had beef and rice, and sweet potatoes later on while watching a Bollywood movie in their TV room which doubles as a bedroom for the kids. The dining table and open-air kitchen are on a patio under the house. They only have electricity from 7-9pm nightly, and it is bought from a private supplier. The power level would decrease from time to time, requiring the DVD to be restarted and fast forwarded to the place where it last played.

Feeling tired from a long day, I asked for a ride back to my hotel a little before 8pm, but not before committing the special scene to my camera's memory card.

Related Stories

  • Dave at Boeng Yeak Laom, a volcano crater lake
    Backpack Cambodia: 5 Reasons to Go
  • Angkor Wat (photo: Dave Lee)
    5 Things Cambodia Is Best Known For
  • First They Killed My Father Netflix
    Should I Watch "First They Killed My Father" Before Traveling to Cambodia?
  • No Name Bar
    Top 5 Places to Party Before Sunrise at Angkor Wat
1 shares
  • Share
  • Email

About Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 68 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.

Comments

  1. James says

    September 27, 2008 at 2:28 am

    Wow! It's these rare moments that have inspired me to plan my own RTW trip. Your site has been so helpful in beginning my plans. Thank you!

    • Dave says

      September 30, 2008 at 12:16 pm

      I'll never forget it! Great to hear you're planning a RTW trip too!

  2. James says

    September 26, 2008 at 9:28 pm

    Wow! It's these rare moments that have inspired me to plan my own RTW trip. Your site has been so helpful in beginning my plans. Thank you!

    • Dave says

      September 30, 2008 at 7:16 am

      I'll never forget it! Great to hear you're planning a RTW trip too!

  3. Nora says

    May 10, 2009 at 6:15 pm

    Thanks for this post! I just decided that I'm going to incorporate a necessary trip from Oz to Canada (I travel full-time, but am stationed in Oz for a bit) into a larger RTW trip, and Cambodia just came onto my radar as one of the destinations I might like to spend some time in.
    The kindness and generosity of others can be amazing, and traveling points this out to us in funny ways, amidst touts and scam artists and seas of strange faces in a strange land.

  4. Nora says

    May 10, 2009 at 11:15 pm

    Thanks for this post! I just decided that I'm going to incorporate a necessary trip from Oz to Canada (I travel full-time, but am stationed in Oz for a bit) into a larger RTW trip, and Cambodia just came onto my radar as one of the destinations I might like to spend some time in.
    The kindness and generosity of others can be amazing, and traveling points this out to us in funny ways, amidst touts and scam artists and seas of strange faces in a strange land.

  5. Dave says

    May 13, 2009 at 3:31 pm

    Hi Nora, nice to hear from you! I discovered your blog through World Reviewer. Cambodia, its recent and tragic history, and the people touched my heart. Just be sure to step avoid the common mindset that Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are the only two worthwhile stops. :)

  6. Dave says

    May 13, 2009 at 10:31 am

    Hi Nora, nice to hear from you! I discovered your blog through World Reviewer. Cambodia, its recent and tragic history, and the people touched my heart. Just be sure to step avoid the common mindset that Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are the only two worthwhile stops. :)

  7. Replica Pens says

    October 29, 2010 at 12:26 pm

    Do you have trouble finding the perfect LOW Prices Luxury pens ? Birthdays, Christmas and Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, just to name a few, there are always times when we will be to find a unique gift.

  8. hospitality says

    January 22, 2011 at 1:39 pm

    Hi,

    Great work guys, I really liked to read about Cambodian Hospitality.

    Thanks

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

Read more about Dave.

Footer

back to top

About

  • About
  • Archive
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

Follow Us

Contact

  • Contact
  • Work With Us
  • Submissions

Copyright © 2025 Go Backpacking

  • 1