2010:April 15 - April 28; August 15 - August 28; more dates will be available later
Overview
For this one-of-a-kind exciting new tour, we have partnered with Peace Boat, a world-renowned Japanese NGO promoting peace, human rights, and responsible tourism to offer a unique experience to all those of you that don't have the time or funds to take the traditional Peace Boat route. Travelers will have the chance to visit Peace Boat’s first three ports of call—Yokohama, Japan; Xiamen, China; and Danang, Vietnam—before embarking inland to Cambodia, all the while learning about each destination’s development efforts. With PEPY, participants will visit the majestic Angkorian temples and experience rural Cambodia by contributing to one of our ongoing projects. As with all itineraries from PEPY Tours, this trip was created with community support in mind, providing substantial funding for educational programs in rural Cambodia and inspiring life changes in the travelers who join us.
Description
Experience Asia with Peace Boat and PEPY, a unique partnership in educational and philanthropic travel.
"Peace Boat is a Japan-based international non-governmental and non-profit organization that works to promote peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment.
Peace Boat seeks to create awareness and action based on effecting positive social and political change in the world. We pursue this through the organization of global educational programmes, responsible travel, cooperative projects and advocacy activities. These activities are carried out on a partnership basis with other civil society organizations and communities in Japan, Northeast Asia, and around the world.
Peace Boat carries out its main activities through a chartered passenger ship that travels the world on peace voyages. The ship creates a neutral, mobile space and enables people to engage across borders in dialogue and mutual cooperation at sea, and in the ports that we visit. Activities based on Japan and Northeast Asia are carried out from our eight Peace Centers in Japan." (taken from www.peaceboat.org)
This trip's itinerary combines the following features:
A chance to experience life aboard Peace Boat and meet people from all walks of life who have gathered to learn about and support peace, human rights, sustainable development, and respect for the environment.
An introduction to Asia with visits to Japan, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
A chance to study or practice Japanese aboard Peace Boat and learn from the majority Japanese passengers.
Learn from the vast array of speakers aboard Peace Boat in addition to a very international crew of language teachers, program organizers, and staff. All programs aboard the boat will be available in English.
Become better equipped for future action in volunteerism and adventurous travel.
Be a part of the PEPY experience in Cambodia, meet and work with PEPY’s Cambodian staff, and learn about the programs your funding supports.
Itinerary
Day 1: Tokyo, Japan. All volunteers and participants on the program will meet in Tokyo, Japan to get to know each other and begin preparing for our exciting adventure through Asia!
Day 2: Yokohama, Japan. With high expectations and huge excitement, Peace Boat Global Voyage will depart from Yokohama’s Osanbashi, leaving behind hundreds of friends, families and well-wishers. Passengers will throw streamers to their loved ones, invoking an old maritime tradition symbolising their close ties. Here, your journey begins!
Day 3: Onboard Peace Boat. During the first full day onboard the ship, participants will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the Japanese culture while learning about the onboard life, activities and ship facilities. After the morning’s safety drill, we will have a chance to do a PEPY/Peace Boat orientation, get to know the other members of our team, and learn from some guest speakers. In the evening, there will be a welcome party and formal dinner organized by the Captain of the ship to introduce all of the crew onboard and truly welcome each and every one of you!
Day 4: The second day onboard Peace Boat will offer participants the opportunity to get to know each other and make friends onboard. There are various groups onboard apart from the Japanese participants, such as the GET (Global English / Español Training) teachers who are volunteers from around the world; the CC`s (Communication Coordinators), who help facilitate communication between Japanese, English and Spanish speakers; and the Web reporter, who will be writing reports about the important activities carried out both onboard and in the ports of call. The PEPY volunteers will also have a chance to begin building their NGO skills by receiving a lecture from Peace Boat staff members and PEPY coordinators about running an NGO and volunteering abroad.
Day 5: The third day onboard will begin with a full morning of team building exercises and meetings about the upcoming activities and countries that will be visited during the tour. Participants will have the opportunity to hold small talk-sessions with the participants to learn more and practice different languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, or Khmer in preparation for the visit to each of the upcoming countries. In the evening, there will be a port orientation to learn more about China, our next port, as well as how to get around the city. In the afternoon, there will be time to relax at the pool outside and enjoy the sunset on the ship.
Day 6: Xiamen, China. After four days at sea, Peace Boat Global Voyage will arrive at its first port of call, Xiamen, China. The port is located in one of the most beautiful and eco-friendly prefectures in China. As close neighbours, Japan owes a large part of its cultural heritage and identity to China, yet before disembarking the ship, many participants usually have little idea about Chinese culture, customs, or language. In order to learn more about the local culture, Peace Boat offers exchange programs for groups of participants to visit a Chinese family home and share a traditional home-cooked meal and participate in a cultural exchange in order to better understand their way of life.
For those participants who don’t join the paid-exchange programs, you are free to have a day in China to visit local temples, try the delicious food in the market or travel around the city on your own. Just be sure to make it back in time to board the ship in the evening! You don’t want to be left behind!
Day 7: Onboard Peace Boat, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their experiences in China and begin preparing to arrive in Viet Nam, only two days later. PEPY volunteers will prepare an open workshop to be held onboard with participants about education in Cambodia and the ways in which we can support the efforts of Peace Boat and PEPY in their educational programs. We may also organize fundraising events to help support a Khmer library program organized by PEPY and Peace Boat.
Day 8: The last day onboard Peace Boat for PEPY participants, we will have the chance to share what we have learned and what we are about to experience in Cambodia with the other passengers onboard. In the evening, a Port Orientation will be held about Viet Nam to prepare everyone onboard for the next country where Peace Boat will be arriving.
Day 9: Danang, Vietnam. As Peace Boat arrives at the port of Da Nang, Viet Nam, the ship is always greeted by both a beautiful sunrise and a warm welcome. Participants are offered opportunities for cultural exchange with youth in the city, learn about Vietnamese cooking, visit the old town of Hoi An and participate in a study program to learn more about the trauma of the Viet Nam War, from which the country is still recovering.
Adventurous travelers may wish to take off into the markets or rent bicycles to ride throughout the city and take in the sights and sounds of the beautiful countryside of Da Nang. There is so much to see in so little time, only you can decide how to spend your day! This is your day to explore the city however you like, or, if you prefer, we will have organized group activities as well.
Day 10: Arrive in Siem Reap. You will fly from Danang to Siem Reap, arriving about midday. Once the group is checked into their hotel, there will be a welcome luncheon, followed by a brief orientation to PEPY. You’ll stop by the PEPY headquarters to meet the other members of the NGO—Khmer and foreign staff alike—and to ask any questions you may have about development in Cambodia.
The afternoon will include some free time to unwind. You might choose to make a trip to the market, the epicenter of social interaction in Cambodia. You will experience the smells, sights, and sounds that can only be found in the Khmer market.
Afterward, you will take in an Apsara performance over dinner. Apsara is the indigenous Khmer style of dance, famous for its ballet-like movements, which are meant to mimic the celestial dancers of Cambodian mythology.
Day 11: Visit the Angkorian temples with students from Chanleas Dai Commune. Explore the world-famous temples of Angkor, widely hailed as the 8th wonder of the world. You will accompany a group of students from one of PEPY’s six schools in the Chanleas Dai area on their first ever study-tour of the temples. Most of these students have never been to Angkor Wat—even though they live less than two hours away! You will have an opportunity to make this the most powerful and educational experience for your new friends while having a chance to learn about Angkorian history and inspired by the magnitude and beauty of the temples as well.
Day 12: An adventure through the temples. For those who want to explore the temples of Angkor by bike, you have quite an adventure on this day. You will head to the Angkor temple complex by mountain bike for further discovery within the ancient city. This was the capital of a massive empire, and there is far more than one can see in a single day (or, for that matter, a week!). Your second day in Angkor will take you far off the typical tourist path and give you a chance to stop and meet people along the way.
* For those who would prefer not to travel by bike, that is ok! We can organize a tuk-tuk adventure either alongside the cyclists or along a separate route, according to your needs.
Day 13: Day trip to Koh Ker. Even before Angkor was the crown jewel of Khmer culture, Koh Ker reigned as the empire’s capital. Thanks to recent de-mining (some of which was funded by Peace Boat!) and improved infrastructure, the once inaccessible temple complex is now reopened. By many accounts these are the most spectacular temples in Southeast Asia.
In the afternoon you will visit a school near Koh Ker, which Peace Boat has funded. You will learn about the Cambodian education system from the teachers and principal and also see Peace Boat/PEPY’s classroom library program as well.
Day 14: Departure, or join us on a Phnom Penh extension tour. This is your last day in Siem Reap. After a farewell meal together, we will escort you to the airport for your return or your stay in Cambodia with a three day extension trip to Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh.
Responsible Tourism
PEPY Tours provides educational and volunteer opportunities that allow participants to learn from and support ongoing social development projects in Cambodia. Throughout the trip, PEPY staff and tour leaders provide insight into the work of development agencies in Cambodia, current issues, and lessons learned about responsible tourism. The required fundraising contribution is channeled to programs visited on the tour, thus allowing participants to help to continue the work they visit far after they leave. Since its founding in 2005, PEPY has brought in over $1 million in funding for education, health, and environmental programs across Cambodia. The dollars spent within the tours themselves will also be bringing support to Cambodia since all PEPY Tours are built around locally owned restaurants and guest houses as well as groups working with and funding sustainable development programs. This translates into delicious dining and comfortable sleeping, and all for a good cause!
Highlights:
The fundraising component required for each of our tours provides support for education programs and assists select projects of several partner NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations).
Tour profits help cover the operating expenses of PEPY Ride, our sister NGO.
Each PEPY Tour offers a first-hand educational experience where participants learn about the work and role of local and international development agencies in Cambodia, while familiarizing themselves with issues involving contemporary Cambodia and the importance of responsible tourism.
PEPY Tours supports locally owned restaurants and guest houses as well as many other responsibly managed businesses in the tourism industry.
Trip Facts
Group Size: 6-20 people
Grade: Easy – any level of fitness is welcome.
Accommodation: In bigger towns and cities like Siem Reap we put our guests up at a mix of mid-range hotels supporting responsible travel.
Transport: cruise vessel, van, mountain bike, tuk-tuk Length: 14 days
Dates:
Option I: April 15, 2010 - April 28, 2010
Option II: August 15, 2010 - August 28, 2010
*The above dates are only the beginning. There may be more trips added later, so check back if the above dates are not suitable for you.
Start/End Location: The tour starts in Tokyo, Japan and ends In Siem Reap, Cambodia unless the participant is continuing on to the capital on a Phnom Penh extension tour.
Additional Options: As with most PEPY tours, participants have an option to sign up for a Phnom Penh Extension tour where they can learn more about the history and culture of Cambodia while visiting Tuol Sleung prison museum and the Killing Fields.
Pricing
Tour Price: $2300
Fundraising Fee: $500 Inclusions: The trip includes all transportation listed while on the trip (including the flight between Danang and Siem Reap), all overnight stays, bike rental to see the temples, all tour and entrance fees for listed attractions, and most meals. We leave one or two meals free as there are many choices in Siem Reap and past participants have enjoyed the chance to find their favorite food! Exclusions: The trip does not include international flights to/from the start and end points, visas for countries visited and optional activities while at ports. Also excluded is your $25 departure tax for those flying out of Cambodia.
Cancellation Policy: If six people have not signed up for the trip four weeks before the start date, PEPY staff may cancel the tour and any deposits will be refunded in full (this trip already has 6 people signed up so it's going for sure). If a participant cancels for any reason, their $200 deposit is non-refundable. Refunds will be made for the remainder of the tour fees (excluding deposit and fundraised money) on this schedule:
