So far, I’ve been to 64 countries. I love discovering new destinations, but Cambodia is the one that has burrowed its way into my heart and keeps drawing me back.
The first time I visited Cambodia, I took a short trip with a friend to see Angkor Wat. I fell in love with Siem Reap, the city, a few minutes from the temples.
Falling in love with a place is a lot like falling in love with a person. There may be reasons for it, but in the end, it’s usually about how you feel. I felt happy in Siem Reap from my first day there.
That was back in 2015, when Siem Reap was less developed than it is now. It charmed me with its quiet, winding river; its gently haphazard flow of traffic, a mix of motorbikes, bicycles, tuk-tuks, and the occasional car; and its feeling of peace.
Time passed so pleasurably between visiting temples, enjoying $7 foot massages, eating delicious meals — including the best spring rolls — and relaxing by the pool. When I left, I knew I wanted to come back.
Siem Reap had everything I wanted
I returned 4 years later, when a friend who had opened a yoga studio in Siem Reap invited me to teach there. I said I would come for a month and ended up staying for 15 months.
It was 2019, and once again, I felt good from the moment I arrived. A big part of that was how welcome the local people made me feel. Even the immigration officials at the airport laughed and joked with me.
The city offered just about everything I wanted: good WiFi, delicious food, wine, and affordable coffee. Atmospheric cafés and restaurants served cuisines from around the world, while supermarkets stocked local and imported goods. There were also art galleries, yoga studios, gyms, a great movie theater, and the exquisite historical Apsara Theater.
Provided by Sonya Moore
Hotels and art galleries regularly hosted events. It was easy to meet people and make friends. Siem Reap attracted many interesting personalities, and more than once, I ended up in a long conversation with someone I met at a café.
I also found it easy to live in Siem Reap long-term. I made a living teaching yoga and English online. Affordable furnished accommodations were readily available, and it wasn’t difficult to get a long-term visa. I lived for several months in a beautiful, gated one-bedroom apartment for $450 a month, which included weekly cleaning.
Later, I moved to a brand-new two-bedroom house with a big yard for $600 a month. My landlords were two grandparents who lived in a house kitty-corner from mine. We didn’t speak the same language, but they were always kind to me and became almost like my own grandparents.
I left Siem Reap amid the complications of the COVID era to be with the man I loved in France. Four years later, I returned for a weeklong visit and, once again, felt happy there — seemingly for no reason other than simply being there.
Settling down for good
Last year, I moved back to Siem Reap and am once again calling it home for most of the year. My husband joined me this time. For now, we’re living in the same apartment complex where I first lived: a two-bedroom instead of a one-bedroom, for $400 a month. Accommodation prices have gone down over the last five years. We still travel a lot and spend a few months in France during the summer.
He’s enjoying early retirement, and I work as a freelance photographer, yoga teacher, and writer.
The city still has the relaxed, friendly vibe that originally captured my heart, along with a feeling of freedom that inspires creativity.
Living here is not without its challenges, though. I’ve seen foreigners come hoping to find a job or set up a business, only to leave because they couldn’t earn a living. While some foreigners do manage to make a living, from what I’ve seen, life is least stressful for those who work remotely, arrive with plenty of savings, or have another stream of income to rely on.
Provided by Sonya Moore
Living in Siem Reap gives my husband and me a convenient base from which to explore the rest of Cambodia. As lovers of the ocean, we especially appreciate having the islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem nearby. We even got married on Koh Rong earlier this year. It was a dream island wedding, on a deserted, powdery white-sand beach surrounded by sparkling turquoise water.
If we ever need a big-city fix, Phnom Penh is a 5½-hour bus or taxi ride away, with great neighborhoods and gorgeous rooftop restaurants. When we need time in the mountains, we head to the remote, wild Cardamom Mountains, home to Asia’s largest remaining rainforest, for a healing immersion in nature.
The longer I spend in Cambodia, the more I know that I won’t be running out of places to visit anytime soon.
