Welcome to Cambodia Begins at 40
They say that life begins at forty, so too can Cambodia. Or at least it did for our Group Editor, Mark Bibby Jackson, who first came to the country when he was 40 – or perhaps 39 – he is a bit vague that way. He discovered a kingdom full of mystery – it wasn’t wonder back then – and decided to relocate there the following year, establishing AsiaLIFE Cambodia. Now he is launcing Cambodia Begins at 40.
The same bewitching charm Cambodia possessed then still awaits you to discover, although perhaps in a somewhat diluted form.
This is why we have decided to launch Cambodia Begins at 40, the third in our series of websites after Travel Begins at 40 and London Begins at 40; to share the charm of the most amazing country with you. However, unlike our initial website Cambodia Begins at 40 is not aimed exclusively at travellers – or for that matter the over 40s. Instead we have decided to launch a travel and lifestyle hybrid wesbite much like the original AsiaLIFE Cambodia was.
Over the next few years you will discover articles about the best places to visit in the country, the finest restaurants, boutique hotels, best art galleries and even potential property purchases. Edited by long-time Phnom Penh expat Marissa Carruthers, who used to edit AsiaLIFE Cambodia and has written extensively about the country for a number of publications including BBC Travel and South China Morning Post, we will provide you with insightful knowledge of what life in Cambodia is like.
We have sections on business and lifestyle in addition to travel, as well as reviews and our extensive listings which are linked to our Cambodia map, ensuring that you can fnd your way around the country.
Despite the ancient Khmer culture and the wonderful temples of Angkor and elsewhere around the country, Cambodia is a youthful country with a people determined to improve their country. When we launched AsiaLIFE Cambodia more than a decade ago now, the intention was to show how the country had moved on from the terrible times of the Khmer Rouge. There is no need to make such claims now.
Phnom Penh is a vibrant and cosmopolitan yet intimate capital city, Siem Reap is a tourism hub, in the Cardamom Mountains and the islands off Sihanoukville there are unspoilt oasis that continue to amaze visitors. Kep, Kampot, Preah Vihear, the names might be unfamilair to you now but they won’t remain so for long.
As for travel, Cambodia Begins at 40 will focus on bespoke tours, adventures off-the-beaten-track, ecotourism, homestays, city breaks, cultural tourism, wellness and the occasional luxury travel destination, while enjoying good food and wine along the way as well as interacting with local communities rather than treating them like freaks in a circus.
From adventure travel, through cultural tourism to ecotourism and community-based tourism, we will shae our travel experiences with you. Moreover, we believe that as travellers we all have a responsibility to respect both the environment in which we travel and the people we meet there. It’s important that our visit benefits the local community rather than overwhelms it. We all have a responsibility to respect cultural beliefs and personal privacy. This is the basis of responsible tourism. It is also the bedrock of sustainable tourism.
Ultimately, we hope that this website and our supporting social media sies will become a forum for you to share your advice and requests about Cambodia so as to enrich all our experiences. We hope that you enjoy Cambodia as much as we do.
If you wish to contact us, please email [email protected]. You might also like to visit our sister websites: londonbeginsat40.com, travelbeginsat4.com and wellnessbeginsat40.com.
Our writing team
Marissa Carruthers
Editor
Marissa inherited her love of travel from her parents, who would entertain her as a child with exotic tales of their adventures across the globe. Her first solo leap into foreign lands was an Inter-railing trip across Europe and North Africa during her first summer at university and, despite two muggings, several dices with death and a terrifying encounter with the monkey mafia, she was hooked. She has called Cambodia her home for more than a decade, editing AsiaLIFE Cambodia and writing about the country for TTG, South China Morning Post and BBC Travel amongst others.
Mark Bibby Jackson
Group Editor
Mark first came to Cambodia in 2005 while he was volunteering for VSO in Hanoi, Vietnam. He immediately fell in love with the temples of Angkor and the people. The following year he established AsiaLIFE Cambodia and spent a decade publishing the number one lifestyle magazine in the country. Although he has swapped the heat of Cambodia for the cold of the UK he still has a passion for the country that was once his home and returns frequently as a visitor. He established Travel Begins at 40 and then London Begins at 40, making Cambodia Begins at 40 the latest in the series.
