Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Moving to Cambodia, whether to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, or a small provincial town, is a major leap into the unknown. Between the excitement of discovery, the cultural displacement, and the humidity clinging to your skin, another reality often sets in faster than you might think: homesickness. This pull between your old life and the new one is not at all unusual. Studies estimate that somewhere between half to nearly all expatriates experience, at one time or another, this sometimes brutal nostalgia for “home.”
To manage homesickness in Cambodia, it’s helpful to understand the specific local context: a hot tropical climate, a slower pace of life, the imprint of history, and uneven infrastructure. These challenges are balanced by the warm welcome of the Khmer people, an affordable cost of living, and a well-developed expatriate community. Practical advice grounded in this reality is essential for successful adaptation.
Understanding Homesickness to Get Through It Better
Homesickness is not a weakness, nor is it a pathology in itself. Researchers describe it as a form of emotional distress linked to being far from everything that constitutes our foundation: family, friends, language, habits, cultural landmarks, and also the way we define ourselves.
Sometimes referred to as the “relocation effect,” this mix of grief and adaptation involves leaving a comfortable identity – that of someone who knows the codes – to suddenly become “the foreigner” who doesn’t understand everything, doesn’t speak the language or speaks it poorly, takes the wrong bus, doesn’t know how to negotiate at the market, and doesn’t master the implicit social rules.
Scientific literature on expatriation
The symptoms are multiple, and in Cambodia, they easily overlap with the effects of the climate, jet lag, and culture shock.
Common symptoms often include:
Several symptoms can indicate homesickness: diffuse sadness and urges to cry for no reason, unusual irritability, persistent fatigue with sleep disturbances, changes in appetite (loss or cravings for food from your home country), physical ailments linked to stress (headaches, muscles, digestion), social withdrawal (refusing invitations, excessive time on home-country social media), and a tendency to idealize your past life while devaluing your current one.
Recognizing these signs allows you to put words to what is happening. It is a first step toward moving away from the “I made a mistake, I need to go home” reflex and toward a more nuanced approach: “I’m going through a normal phase, how can I get through it with as little pain as possible?“
The Cambodian Context: What Soothes and What Disrupts
Homesickness doesn’t manifest the same way everywhere. In Cambodia, it is shaped by the local living environment, which combines assets and challenges.
A Warm but Bewildering Country
The Kingdom of Cambodia is renowned for the kindness and gentleness of its people. The culture, steeped in Buddhism, values compassion, respect, and harmony. For an expatriate struggling with nostalgia, this human climate can be a source of comfort, provided you open up to it gradually.
At the same time, several points can accentuate the feeling of being out of place:
The climate is tropical with a rainy season (May to October) and a dry season, with temperatures between 25 and 35 °C (77 and 95 °F). The official language is Khmer, using a specific alphabet that can be a daily challenge. The political system is not very democratic, and freedom of expression is limited, which can surprise expatriates. Health and safety infrastructure is uneven, especially outside major cities. Finally, society places great importance on hierarchy, family, and community, with values often different from individualistic cultures.
The good news is that many of these elements become, over time, reassuring landmarks rather than obstacles: the regularity of religious holidays, the accepted slowness, greetings with the “sampeah,” the friendliness of the markets.
Phnom Penh: An Exciting, Sometimes Exhausting Metropolis
Phnom Penh is home to a large part of the foreign community. A city of contrasts, it juxtaposes modern buildings, air-conditioned cafes and street stalls, chaotic traffic, and wide boulevards.
Neighborhoods play a key role in how you experience your arrival and, by extension, your homesickness. Here is an overview, useful for getting your bearings and choosing an environment that suits your temperament.
| Neighborhood / Area | Vibe & Main Assets | Limitations for a Newcomer |
|---|---|---|
| BKK1 (Boeung Keng Kang 1) | The quintessential expat area, very cosmopolitan, cafes, coworking spaces, international schools | Higher cost of living, dense traffic, risk of staying in an “expat bubble” |
| Tonle Bassac | Trendy and booming area, river views, mix of expats and affluent Cambodians | Rapid gentrification, neighborhood identity still in flux |
| Toul Tom Poung (Russian Market) | Bohemian, creative atmosphere, strong community, more affordable rents | Noise, bustle, tight traffic |
| Riverside (Daun Penh) | Historic and tourist heart, riverside promenade, close to monuments | Crowds, noise, more frequent scams, sometimes “grungy” nightlife |
| Chroy Changvar | Peaceful peninsula, cleaner air, space, good for families | Distance from the center, services and shops still limited |
| Toul Kork | Developing residential area, spacious houses, international schools | Less central, longer commutes |
For someone in the grip of homesickness, BKK1 can be reassuring with its “Western” landmarks (international cafes, major brands, schools, coworking spaces) but reinforce a feeling of disconnection from the real country. Conversely, a more popular neighborhood immerses you more in local life, which can foster integration but also amplify culture shock if you don’t ease into it gradually.
Often-recommended advice is to opt for temporary accommodation (like an Airbnb or guesthouse) for the first few weeks upon arrival. This allows you to visit several neighborhoods in person before committing to a six- or twelve-month lease. This exploration period is crucial for choosing an environment that matches your needs, favoring a setting that soothes rather than a neighborhood that constantly stimulates.
Other Cities, Other Rhythms
Siem Reap, with the Angkor temples at its doorstep, attracts many expatriates, often retirees or those in tourism. The vibe is calmer than in the capital, with a cultural life linked to heritage, cafes, and coworking spaces. Cities like Battambang, Kampot, or Kep offer even more peaceful settings, marked by colonial architecture, rice fields, the sea, or the mountains.
These more “slow-paced” environments can help you recenter when saturated by Phnom Penh’s frenzy. Conversely, excessive isolation in a small town or rural area without a social fabric can worsen loneliness. Again, the choice of where to live is an important variable in the experience of homesickness.
Transforming Your Cambodian Home into a Refuge
One of the most underestimated levers for taming homesickness is to transform your home, even a modest one, into a reassuring space. In Cambodia, many expatriates rent already-furnished apartments: convenient, but impersonal. Yet, living in a purely functional place often reinforces the feeling of being “just passing through,” and therefore unstable.
Personalize Without a Complete Overhaul
Even in a furnished studio in BKK1 or near the Russian Market, small touches radically change your perception of the place:
– invest in good bedding: a decent mattress, suitable pillows, sheets that remind you of home
– add textiles: curtains, rugs, cushions, especially if the furniture is very “tile and varnished wood,” typically Cambodian
– put up photos of loved ones, familiar landscapes, or even yourself in important moments, to remind yourself of your ability to navigate change
– create a “cocoon” corner: an armchair or simple rug with cushions, a soft lamp, candles, or fairy lights
Lighting plays a central role: replacing white fluorescent lights with warm-light lamps as much as possible makes evenings much more soothing.
Play with the Senses: Smells, Sounds, Tastes
The brain strongly associates certain smells and sounds with comforting memories. In Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, you can easily find candles, essential oils, or incense. Packing a perfume, a candle, or even a cleaning product from home in your suitcase might seem anecdotal, but the emotional impact is real.
Cooking dishes from your home country, even with approximate ingredients, provides immediate comfort. In Cambodia, thanks to markets, import grocery stores (like Deli Shop), and delivery services (Nham24, FoodPanda), it’s possible to find the necessary ingredients to organize a “home cooking” evening. Sharing this meal with other expats or curious Khmers links nostalgia with cultural openness, turning the moment into a sharing experience rather than a withdrawal into oneself.
Incorporate Local Elements
Conversely, filling your apartment only with references to your home country can prevent you from feeling “at home” in Cambodia. The country abounds with beautiful handicrafts: textiles, wood or stone carvings, paintings. Around Siem Reap, Battambang, Kompong Chhnang, or Kompong Cham, workshops offer quality pieces at reasonable prices.
In Phnom Penh, shops like Sayon Silkworks (Street 240) offer decorations blending Khmer aesthetics and contemporary tastes. Many expats adopt a compromise: they keep a few personal items dear to their history (a family blanket, an artwork from a trip, special dishes) and gradually add local pieces. Thus, the home visually tells the story of a life being built between two worlds.
To visualize what a pleasant “little home” might cost, here’s a rough idea of rents in Phnom Penh, based on neighborhoods frequented by foreigners.
| City / Neighborhood | Type of Housing | Estimated Monthly Rent Range |
|---|---|---|
| Phnom Penh – BKK1 | 2 Bedrooms | ≈ 1,200 USD |
| Phnom Penh – BKK1 | High-End Villa | ≥ 3,000 USD |
| Phnom Penh – Toul Tom Poung | 1 Bedroom (serviced apt.) | ≈ 500 USD |
| Phnom Penh – Riverside | Basic Studio | ≈ 300 USD |
| Phnom Penh – Riverside | High-End Apartment | ≥ 2,000 USD |
These figures remind us that you can choose to live “very expat” or more modestly, without it preventing you from creating a cocoon. It’s not the level of luxury that matters for homesickness, but the sense of belonging you manage to weave into your space.
Building Stable Routines in an Unstable Environment
Changing countries strips away routines: the same schedule, same commute, same shops, same faces. Yet, the human brain likes predictability. Recreating routines in Cambodia helps reduce anxiety and reinstates a sense of control, which often lowers the intensity of homesickness.
Simple Daily Rituals
You don’t need a military schedule. What matters is repetition:
Simple, repeated actions to create landmarks and a sense of familiarity in a new environment.
Having coffee on the balcony, in the same mug, while listening to a podcast or comforting music.
Taking a short walk, even a brief one, in your neighborhood to spot shops and see familiar faces.
Dedicating a fixed time slot for shopping, administrative errands, or a break at the same cafe.
Setting aside time for a journal, reading, or a call to close out the day.
The weather requires adapting these routines. During the hottest hours, very early in the morning or in the late afternoon/evening, walking or jogging will be more pleasant. During the rainy season, getting a good poncho and anticipating occasional flooding helps maintain an outing routine despite downpours.
Organizing Communication with Your Home Country
Let’s be honest: cutting all ties with family and friends is neither realistic nor desirable. But multiplying impulsive calls or spending entire evenings on your home country’s social media often feeds the pain more than it relieves it.
To maintain beneficial contact with an expat loved one, prioritize regular but not constant exchanges. For example, schedule a weekly video call at a fixed time suitable for both time zones. For daily messages, use apps like Telegram (very widespread in Cambodia), WhatsApp, Messenger, or Signal. For longer conversations, turn to Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet.
In Cambodia, almost the entire country has 4G coverage and Wi-Fi is available in the vast majority of cafes. Buying a local SIM card upon arrival, or an eSIM before departure, avoids connection stress. Once settled, opening a bank account (ABA, ACLEDA, WING) and getting familiar with QR code payments (especially via the Bakong system) also reduces a layer of practical anxiety.
Building a Network: A Powerful Antidote to Homesickness
Loneliness is one of the main fuels for homesickness. In Cambodia, the good news is twofold: the expat community is vast and structured, and the local population is generally very welcoming toward those who make an effort to take an interest in their culture.
The Expatriate Community: A Social Springboard
Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, in particular, are full of structures designed for foreigners: forums, Facebook groups, recreational associations, sports clubs, chambers of commerce, coworking spaces, etc.
Among the useful resources:
– forums and websites like Cambodia Expats Online, Expat.com, InterNations, PhnomPenhExpat.com, Khmer440
– Facebook groups like “Phnom Penh Expats,” “Phnom Penh Housing,” “Phnom Penh Job Alert,” “Phnom Penh Buy and Sell”
– clubs and associations: Phnom Penh Hash House Harriers (running/walking), Phnom Penh Players (theater), Phnom Penh Musician’s Collective, rugby clubs, soccer, Ultimate frisbee, dance groups, cycling, mapping, tech (hackerspace), etc.
– events listed on sites like Kumnooh or Leng Pleng (concerts, exhibitions, workshops)
To combat loneliness, it’s crucial to participate in social activities, even without initial enthusiasm. The goal isn’t to make a close friend immediately, but to increase encounters with regular acquaintances. These familiar faces, seen each week, can gradually evolve into genuine friendships.
Going Beyond the “Expat Bubble”
However, analyses of social life in Phnom Penh highlight a sensitive point: the gap that persists between most foreigners and the Cambodian population. Differences in income, education level, language barriers, and the weight of history create a sort of soft segregation. Many expatriates interact with Khmers as colleagues, tuk-tuk drivers, waiters, but build few equal relationships.
Yet, testimonies show that as soon as a foreigner makes the effort to speak a few words of Khmer, to learn about the country’s history, to frequent places less exclusively “expat,” doors begin to open. Cambodians may seem reserved at first, but behind this reserve often lie curiosity and warmth.
A few levers for building more authentic connections:
To create authentic connections in Cambodia, it is recommended to learn some basic Khmer (greetings, thank you, negotiation), frequent places of social mixing (student cafes, coworking spaces, universities, associations), participate in shared activities (sports clubs, cooking classes, craft workshops, volunteering), and accept invitations to traditional ceremonies (weddings, Pchum Ben, Khmer New Year) with respect.
Respecting local codes is essential: don’t touch people’s heads, avoid showing the soles of your feet, remove your shoes when entering a house or temple, dress appropriately for religious places, avoid sensitive political topics. Understanding the notion of “face” (avoid embarrassing someone in public) also helps navigate conversations without causing offense.
Using Digital Tools as a Bridge, Not a Refuge
Many applications can help you get out of isolation. Beyond general social media, platforms like Boo (which connects people based on personality) or Meetup serve to find friends rather than partners. In Cambodia, Telegram is used as much for chatting with friends as for following news channels, housing offers, or event announcements.
The trick is to transform online contacts into in-person meetings, while keeping safe angles: meet in public places, for shared activities (running, exhibit visits, pub quiz), rather than a one-on-one at someone’s home.
Anchoring Yourself in Cambodian Culture Without Getting Lost
One of the classic tensions of homesickness is feeling “stuck between two worlds”: not quite from here nor from there anymore. Cambodia offers rich ground for transforming this tension into curiosity.
Discovering Holidays and Rituals
The Cambodian calendar is punctuated by major holidays, deeply rooted in family and religious life.
Among the most significant:
– Khmer New Year (Choul Chnam Thmey), in April: house cleaning, offerings at temples, traditional games, water fights
– Pchum Ben, the Festival of the Ancestors (September–October): visits to pagodas, food offerings to monks and the deceased
– the Water Festival (Bon Om Touk), in November: boat races on the Tonlé Sap in Phnom Penh, fireworks, illuminated boats
– major Buddhist holidays (Visak Bochea, Meak Bochea) marked by processions and ceremonies in pagodas
Participating in these events, even as a simple observer at first, helps you feel that you are living in a living country, with its memory, joys, and sorrows. It’s also an opportunity to create new strong memories that gradually add to those from your home country.
Tasting, Learning, Marveling Without Forcing It
Exploring the local cuisine – fish amok, lok lak, sweet iced coffee, morning noodle soups – offers pleasant displacement, especially when you allow yourself to keep culinary landmarks from home in parallel. You don’t have to “become entirely Cambodian” to integrate: the idea is to weave a tapestry, not erase who you are.
To complement immersion with courses and visits, it’s crucial to adopt a regular pace and avoid wanting to see everything immediately. Planning “bubble” days without a program helps prevent mental fatigue and the opposite effect of weariness.
Taking Care of Your Mental Health in Cambodia
Homesickness can be intense but remains, in most cases, temporary. However, it can sometimes tip into something more severe: depression, marked anxiety disorders, deep isolation. In this case, access to professional support becomes crucial.
A Mental Healthcare System Under Construction
Cambodia still bears the scars of decades of war and the Khmer Rouge regime, which almost entirely destroyed psychiatric services. Since the 1990s, significant reconstruction work has been underway, but resources remain limited: about sixty psychiatrists for the entire country, very few public hospital beds for serious mental disorders, and few resources allocated to this sector.
Several actors nevertheless make access to care easier for expatriates, especially in major cities:
Hotline number managed by the NGO TPO Cambodia for crisis situations in Cambodia.
Session fees vary but often range between thirty and one hundred dollars. Having serious international or local health insurance is highly recommended, especially since for major interventions, many expatriates choose to seek treatment in Bangkok or Singapore.
When to Ask for Help?
It’s time to consult when, beyond “classic” homesickness, you notice:
Several signs should alert you and may indicate significant psychological distress during an expatriation: persistent sadness that doesn’t lessen after several weeks; a marked loss of interest in activities once enjoyed; obsessive thoughts of immediately returning to your home country, without the ability to consider alternative solutions; significant sleep or appetite disturbances; near-total social withdrawal, possibly including entire days without face-to-face interaction; and finally, the presence of dark thoughts or a feeling that nothing has meaning anymore.
Seeking consultation is not an admission of failure in your expatriation; on the contrary, it’s an act of responsibility. Therapists accustomed to foreign clients know the specifics of life far from home: social network rupture, culture shock, pressure to “succeed” in your expatriation, guilt toward family back home.
For those living in provinces where there are few or no professionals, several options exist: tele-consultations with psychologists in your language, specialized platforms for expatriates, or online services set up by some practitioners based in Phnom Penh.
Managing Practical Aspects to Free Up Mental Space
Part of homesickness stems from feeling overwhelmed by practical details: visa, housing, money, transportation. In Cambodia, simplifying these aspects as much as possible frees up energy to focus on social and emotional weaving.
Getting Familiar with the Cost of Living
The cost of living remains generally lower than in many Western countries. For an expatriate living alone in Phnom Penh, a budget of about 900 to 1,200 dollars per month generally allows for a comfortable life (excluding international school and a very luxurious lifestyle).
Here is a summary of some useful financial benchmarks.
| Expense Item | Indicative Range (Phnom Penh) |
|---|---|
| Studio in the city | 200–400 USD / month |
| 1 Bedroom | 300–600 USD / month |
| Utilities (electricity, water, internet) | 20–50 USD / month (excluding intensive AC) |
| Monthly groceries | 100–200 USD / month |
| Transportation (tuk-tuk, apps) | 30–80 USD / month |
| Street food meal | 1–2 USD |
| Local restaurant meal | 2–5 USD |
| “Western” meal | 6–15 USD |
These figures are not rules, but having a numerical framework often reduces some anxiety. By quickly understanding the local economy – dual currency dollars / riel, expat-friendly banks, QR code payments – you feel less helpless.
Mastering Transportation and Logistics
Transportation apps like Grab, PassApp, or TADA (electric tuk-tuks in some areas) make getting around very easy even without speaking Khmer. For intercity trips, services like redBus, Vireak Buntham (buses, minivans, fast boats to the islands), or 12Go Asia help compare options.
To reduce the feeling of insecurity, it’s advisable to get familiar with Google Maps and offline maps like Maps.me. Also adopt local habits: avoid walking in certain areas late at night and always hold your phone securely to limit the risk of snatch theft.
Similarly, knowing a few key services early on (Nham24, FoodPanda, E‑gets, WowNow for food and grocery delivery; Khmer24 and Facebook Marketplace to buy or sell furniture, a scooter, etc.) gives a sense of control over daily life.
Accepting That Adaptation Takes Time
Psychologists often describe adaptation to a new country as a “U” shape: initially, the “honeymoon” phase fills everything with enthusiasm; then comes the descent, the confrontation with reality, with lack, with misunderstandings; finally, little by little, a form of stability and serenity sets in.
In Cambodia, this cycle is particularly visible. The first weeks, the design cafes of BKK1, the sunsets over the Mekong, the 2-dollar street food, the smiles of neighbors can give the illusion of floating in a postcard. Then, once routine sets in, the missed family birthdays, the fatigue from differences, the existential questions resurface: “What am I doing here?”, “Am I missing out on my loved ones’ lives?”
Rather than fighting against these waves, it is more productive to consider them as an integral part of the journey. Homesickness, paradoxically, is also proof that you have strong attachments, precious bonds. Living in Cambodia doesn’t erase these bonds, but transforms them, stretches them, sometimes strengthens them.
Reflection on expatriation
The challenge is not to definitively choose between “here” and “there,” but to learn to occupy a more fluid position: being able to feel at home in an apartment in Toul Tom Poung, while remaining deeply connected to a family in Paris, Montreal, or Dakar; participating in Pchum Ben festivities and, a few months later, putting up a Christmas tree in full sun with decorations bought in Phnom Penh.
As the years pass, many expatriates describe a subtle metamorphosis: instead of being torn between two worlds, they end up carrying both within them. Cambodia, with its cafes, its tuk-tuks, its pagodas, and its contradictions, ceases to be merely “the place where I live while waiting to go back” and becomes, in its own right, one of the places you can call “home.”
Expatriate in Cambodia
Taming homesickness in Cambodia means accepting that this second “home” is built brick by brick: a shelf of carefully chosen books and objects, a group of friends from diverse horizons, a few phrases of Khmer spoken with pride, an intuitive knowledge of the rainy seasons, a cafe where they serve you “the usual” without asking. This work takes time, but it’s worth it. Because in the end, it’s not just about enduring the distance, but about discovering, in this corner of Southeast Asia, a new way of inhabiting the world.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
