Cambodia or Vietnam?

If you had an option, would you visit Cambodia or Vietnam?

Some people find this question difficult to answer, but it is straightforward, especially if you are an African (hold an African passport). I will explain why in a short time.

But even if you are not African, one of the two countries is way better. Some travellers agree with me that it isn’t pointless to compare the two. 

To me, first impressions count, and I visited both countries for approximately one and a half months. That is sufficient time to develop a fair understanding of both and a liking for either or one over the other.

Sorry if this is going to annoy you – decisions have to be made.

Bases of comparison

To compare, we must consider certain factors: immigration experience/ease of entry, water bodies/coastline, tourist infrastructure, and affordability/economy.

Quick Verdict

Overall, Vietnam beats Cambodia—no doubt about that. And no convincing will change my mind about it, and here’s why.

1. Immigration and ease of entry

A traveller’s border experience will most likely determine whether he will like that country.

In my experience, it is easier to enter both countries if you hold a Western passport, regardless of whether you are of African origin.

Secondly, if you are African, it is much easier to enter Vietnam than Cambodia.

To start with, both Vietnam and Cambodia have evisa application systems. I found using the Cambodia Evisa application easier than the Vietnamese one.

However, both responded promptly, and visas were issued three working days after payment.

That said, Cambodia has a systemic problem against Africans. Here is the story.

My friend Amen, an aspiring model currently helping Afrofeast, is Ethiopian. We applied for visas in October, and they were issued promptly.

We were supposed to enter Cambodia from Siem Reap in December, travel to Phnom Penh’s capital, and exit via Moc Bai to head to Saigon for the new year.

We were on a working holiday visit.

Circus At Don Mueang International Airport

Amen fell sick a few days before departure, so I entered Siem Reap alone and asked her to come later (not a good idea).

She flew to Bangkok and headed straight to Don Mueang International Airport, ready to depart.

She went through check-in and waited at the boarding gate.

As an Ethiopian national, she could obtain a visa on arrival; however, we did not want trouble, so we opted for the e-visa. Her flight to Siem Reap was with AirAsia; I had used the same flight.

At boarding, 15-30 minutes before departure, AirAsia officials suddenly demanded that she show USD 800 in cash. They were texting Cambodian immigration officials via WhatsApp.

They said she could not enter because “she is an African from a least-developed country”, so the conditions of entry are different.

What the heck did they think she was when she applied for entry? Didn’t they know she was an African before they granted the visa?

I called Airasia officials from Siem Reap to confirm we were travelling together and asked why they didn’t inform us in advance that they would require cash, so we made arrangements.

They didn’t care.

“Everybody else has left, and I am the only one remaining at the counter. The gates are going to close,” She sobbed.

I was furious that she was left to fend for herself in a foreign land and wrote a long letter to immigration protesting their behaviour!

But there was one more thing: they took her passport and stamped “VOID”. I suspect Amen’s seat had been sold to the highest bidder.

Amen’s experience is not something new. It suddenly brought back bad travel memories from the past two decades. 

Africans are generally hated and undermined wherever they go for no apparent reason. Many people think they are drug dealers, robbers and prostitutes, which is not the case.

The first good impression I had developed about Cambodia when I arrived in Siem Reap on 18 December 2024 quickly varnished.

It was almost Christmas, and one-way flight tickets had skyrocketed to between A$600 and 1000, from about A$250. We were in big trouble, having already lost two tickets.

It’s not that we could not afford. We didn’t want to spend all that money on a one-hour flight with another month ahead when entry could be rejected.

The Value of YouTube and Why You Should Follow Other Travellers

My brain was working fast, like that street kid about to strike. Either I would head to Bangkok the next day and cancel the trip to Cambodia and Vietnam, which would cost thousands of dollars in lost bookings and visa fees, or we would try another way.

I considered travelling to Chiang Mai and Laos, but I wanted to try one more time.

I suddenly remembered the experience of other Africans from years ago—African Tigress. I am Marwa. I had watched both videos but had forgotten about them. 

In my research, I stumbled upon a recent video by a Ghanaian YouTuber who tried to enter Cambodia from Vietnam and faced similar hurdles.

I watched halfway and heard he had been advised to travel by road. TRAVEL BY ROAD! Maybe that reduces their shame of you being in the same plane with other people.

I immediately jumped on the Giant Ibis website and booked a seat from Bangkok to Siem Reap for USD 43. It was a long journey, 6- 8 hours, but less risky. If she were not allowed into the country, we would not lose much like we lost at Don Mueang. 

With personalised assistance from Giant Ibis, Amen was finally let into Cambodia the next day. The relief she felt was noticeable.

What an irony!

On the contrary, in Vietnam, we never experienced such a thing.

Therefore, how can I compare the two countries? How can I say that Cambodia is at the same level as Vietnam when they made us feel inadequate and lost money for no proper reason?

No, they are not, and you know it.

My friend’s experience and other Africans who have faced similar immigration problems were sufficient to change my attitude towards Cambodia.

There is more.

2. Water bodies/coastline

Immigration woes aside, Vietnam has many water bodies, and you know how that makes a traveller feel? Peaceful.

Travelling from Sai Gon along the country’s eastern coast to cities like Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang, and even Ha Noi and the gorgeous Ha Long Bay, Vietnam stands out.

On the contrary, during my 12 days in Cambodia, I saw no significant water bodies apart from the Mekong River, which cuts through Phnom Penh.

True, I did not venture to the South Coastal cities, and it would seem unfair to judge Cambodia harshly. There, Cambodia has stunning beaches.

Still, Vietnam has significant water bodies and beaches that far surpass Cambodia.

Coming from the semi-arid Central Australian city of Alice Springs, which has no beaches, I expected to experience something significantly different, and the beaches of Vietnam did not disappoint.

Amen and I fell in love with them, too. She went crazy on all the beaches we visited for the photoshoot.

3. Tourist infrastructure

By this, I mean the supply chain that facilitates tourists having a good travel experience.

These include marketing information, the visa application process, flights, buses, hotels, scooters, tuk-tuks, food vendors, telephone connections, places to visit, things to see, and English language communication.

Additionally, tourist infrastructure includes the soft skills their neighbours, the Thais, have mastered: humility, smiles, and fun. Thais generally communicate and support foreign visitors genuinely and engagingly.

Honestly, Cambodia’s visa application process was much easier and faster than Vietnam’s. I loved their evisa application website.

They also have a digital arrival card you can fill out before you fly into the country.

The airport in Siem Reap is terrific and less congested.

In two of Cambodia’s biggest cities, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, you will find the most travel services you need, from hotels to tuk-tuk to shopping malls and nightclubs. However, the infrastructure is limited compared to Vietnam, probably because the latter has a bigger economy.

Also, Cambodia has few service providers who can communicate in English. Vietnam is not much different; however, you will find a few people who can understand and help you.

Both countries must develop their foreign language skills to cater to increasing visitors.

Overall, Vietnam has a bigger tourist infrastructure than Cambodia, so comparing the two is almost unfair.

4. Affordability and Economy

Finally, let’s talk about affordability, shall we?

In my microeconomics class at Makerere University, I was taught that the forces of demand and supply determine price.

So, if a country can manufacture goods and services using its own resources and depends less on imports, supply will be abundant, resulting in less demand and a fall in prices.

I believe Vietnam manufactures its own goods and services. In Sai Gon (Ho Chi Minh City) and Ha Noi, I saw evidence of several locally manufactured items, from scooters to travel bags and things that tourists use daily.

Moreover, Vietnam uses its local currency, which is undervalued against the dollar (1 AUD = 16,000 vnd). This makes items cheaper for foreigners who come in with forex.

Cambodia, however, did not have a strong manufacturing base. As we landed, I took a shot of Siem Reap from the air and also rode out to Chreav, about 15 km out of town. Much of the land is rural and underdeveloped, dotted with paddy fields; however, it is beautiful.

To make matters worse, Cambodia relies heavily on the American dollar (all goods and services in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh) are priced in dollars, from food to barber shops, etc., although they accept the Riel (1 USD = 4,000 – 4,100 Riels).

The dollar and Riel operate side by side, but locals prefer the former. In Phnom Penh, I tried buying go-cart coffee in Riel, but the vendor wanted USD 1.25. When I pulled out 6,000 Riels he refused. I walked away confused, in shame!

Whether it is psychological or not, Vietnamese goods and services were cheaper than Cambodia.

Conclusion

My verdict is that Vietnam and Cambodia are incomparable, more so because of immigration issues Africans face at the border. That is not something I am cooking up, it is a fact.

I am not saying such incidents do not occur in Vietnam. However, it seems that those in Cambodia are systemic and persistent.

That said, Cambodia has unique selling points that attract many tourists. The Angkor Wat temples bring in millions of dollars each year, but so do the pagodas of Vietnam.

What do you think?

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