Cambodia Local Custom Tips by aukjejetty

Language

The official language is Khmer. It is part of the Mon-Khmer family. English is rapidly gaining popularity, particularly among the young, while the educated older people speak French.

Counting to ten:
1.................moo-ay
2.................bpee
3.................bay
4.................boo-un
5.................bprum
6.................bprum moo-ay
7.................bprum phee
or bprum-bpeul
8.................bprum bay
9.................bprum boo-un
10...............dop

The Khmer Loeu ([hill]tribes in Cambodia) often have their own language, and often cannot understand the Khmer language.

Religion

The official religion is Theravada Buddhism, which is also practised in neighbouring Laos, Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka.

In the traditional Cambodian society, men must enter the monkhood for at least three months during their lifetime, often at the age of twelve or thirteen. During this time, they learn Buddhist philosophy, social morality, and practice chanting. The wat (temples) where they study are centers of Cambodian life, not only for prayer but also for education, medical care, and administrative organization.

Nowadays monks seem to be a little off the religious path and they will do things like playing computer games, talking with lonely female travelers, and maybe even buy lotery tickets.

Number 73

This is a historical fact told by a cambodian local:

Pol Pot died in the year 1998, at age 73. Because of this age many people bought a lotery ticket with the ending number 7 end 3, hoping they would be winning numbers. Fortunatly for them they were! The lottery drawing's last two numbers were 7 and 3!

Floating Home

Al throughout Cambodia you can find floating villages. People build their house on some kind of raft made out of poles. You can see many of them if you would take the boat from Battambang to Siem Reap, also the boattrip from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh will let you get a glimpse of these scenic villages.

Most of these villages are built by Vietnamese citizens, and the inhabitans mainly get their income from fishing. Under the houses they often have farms (some pigs, ducks, etc.)

Traditional Dances

In Angkor you can see Apsara dancers carved on the walls, they are the dancers of the Cambodian celestial dancers from the legendary myth.
Cambodian Classical Dance or Cambodia has been performed for over a thousand years.

Most of the Classical dances are like Western plays. It is a show that tells stories usually taken from Ramayana.
Traditionly women play the roles of king, queen, prince, princess, and demon. The monkey (Hanuman) is always played by men.

The costumes, headdresses, masks, movements and gestures identify the characters.

I am sure they perform these dances for tourists in several places. If you are interested you should ask the guesthouse/ hotel you are staying for info.