South-Eastern Asia · Capital Phnom Penh
Each opens that government's own advisory for Cambodia — the authoritative version, updated far faster than this page.
Cambodia is welcoming, cheap and heavily visited for Angkor, and most trips pass without trouble. The crime that does affect visitors is overwhelmingly one thing: bag snatching from passing motorbikes, which injures people because of the fall rather than the theft.
Beyond that, the road toll is high, rural landmine contamination persists in the northwest, and Sihanoukville has been reshaped by casino development into somewhere with genuine organised-crime problems.
Each region is coloured by the advice that applies to most of it, drawn by hand from the wording of all five government advisories. Numbered markers flag localised warnings — usually a border strip or remote interior — that cover only a small part of an otherwise lower-risk region.
A numbered marker warns about the small area described in its note — the rest of that region carries the base advice. Mapped by hand from the official wording in July 2026; always check the current advisory before you book.
Each pillar is scored 0–100 against every other country. Longer bar = more risk.
Biggest factor here: health & medical. Disease environment plus how good the care is if you need it.
The things worth knowing before you land.
Average daytime high and nightly low for Phnom Penh, over 2010-2019. Bars are rainfall; the colour band is how hot the days get.
Mildest and driest around July to August, and October to December.
Patterns reported repeatedly by travellers and local police. None of this is about individual businesses — it's about set-ups you can learn to spot in seconds.
Two riders pass and the pillion grabs a bag or phone at speed. Victims are commonly pulled to the ground or out of a tuk-tuk.
How to avoid it: Nothing loose on the road side. Phones away when walking. In a tuk-tuk keep bags on the floor between your feet, not on your lap or shoulder.
Tickets sold outside the official ticket centre, tours promising access that does not exist, and unlicensed guides charging licensed-guide prices.
How to avoid it: Buy only at the official Angkor Enterprise ticket centre or its website. Licensed guides carry a numbered badge.
At the land borders, unofficial 'visa offices' charge inflated fees for the e-visa or claim a health check is required. The visa on arrival has a fixed published price.
How to avoid it: Get the e-visa online in advance, or pay only at the official immigration window at the published fee. Ignore anyone in a uniform-like shirt outside the building.
Visits and paid volunteering at 'orphanages' where most children have living parents and are kept to attract donations. It is a documented harm, not a charitable opportunity.
How to avoid it: Do not visit or donate to residential orphanages. Reputable organisations do not offer drop-in access to children.
Specific places that come up again and again — either in government advisories or in traveller reports. Everywhere else in Cambodia is not automatically fine, but these are the areas worth a plan.
Dense landmine and UXO contamination. Stay on marked paths absolutely; casualties still occur every year.
Casino development brought organised crime, scam compounds and reports of trafficking and forced labour. Several governments warn specifically about fraudulent job offers here.
High road death rate, night driving without lights, and overloaded buses. Avoid road travel after dark.
Periodic military tension around disputed temple areas including Preah Vihear, with closures at short notice.
Phnom Penh and Siem Reap both have a persistent problem with thieves on motorbikes grabbing bags, phones and cameras from pedestrians and from passengers in tuk-tuks. The serious injuries come from being pulled off your feet or out of the vehicle.
Wear bags across the body on the side away from the road, or better, not at all. Do not walk holding a phone. If you are grabbed, let go — the bag is not worth being dragged.
Cambodia remains one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, concentrated in the northwest along the Thai border in Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Pailin and Preah Vihear.
The rule is simple and absolute: stay on marked paths and well-used tracks, never enter fields or forest off-trail, and never touch metal objects on the ground.
Vaccinations, malaria and outbreaks. This atlas does not give medical advice — it is personal, it changes, and it is the one thing worth getting from a doctor. Both national services publish current advice for Cambodia:
Check the official advisory before you book. This page reflects data as of August 2026. Advisories change without warning, and only your own government's advice affects your travel insurance.