Overview

This popular tour, modeled after our first trip, mixes together the main PEPY ingredients: sightseeing, volunteering, adventure, and educational activities for a complete and delicious cocktail. Travelers will have the opportunity to see magical Angkor temples, witness our educational programs at one of the six schools PEPY funds, experience rural Cambodia, and help out with 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

After getting a brief orientation and meeting your tour team-mates the night before, the first morning will start with a visit to the world-famous temples of Angkor, widely referred to as the 8th wonder of the world, where you will accompany a group of grade 4, 5 or 6 students from one of PEPY’s six schools in Chanleas Dai area on their first ever 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 being blown away by the magnitude and beauty of the temples.

After the grandeur of the temples and the hassle-and-bustle of Siem Reap you will be ready to experience rural life in a Cambodian village where you will have a chance to meet PEPY’s other students, incredible teachers, our Child-to-Child club members as well as the village leaders. During your days at one of Chanleas Dai’s schools, you will find that you are as much of a student as the children themselves as you learn from each other through education and play.

You will spend the night on the school grounds in a house shared with PEPY’s school staff. Rural Cambodia is beautiful by day, but it is even more striking by night. Staying at the school gives you a real sense of what most of Cambodians experience on a daily basis: pumping and filtering your own water, listening to the scuffles of roosters and pigs outside your door, sleeping under mosquito nets, without fans or air-conditioning, and witnessing an unpolluted view of thousands of stars on a clear night. (Forewarning, if you are lucky enough to be staying there when a Cambodian wedding is going on, you will be happy if you packed your earplugs!)

Once we are back you will have ample time to explore Siem Reap on your own and visit other sights such as the Landmine Museum, nearby floating villages, local markets, or simply relax in the sun. We will have an Adventure Day where you will be free to take a boat through the flooded forests, bike through the area or visit one of the more distant temples. You will also have the option to visit a children’s hospital to learn about the work they do and donate blood if you are in the spirit of giving. Visits to other NGOs bring an educational aspect to the trip and allow you to learn about the development work being done in Cambodia.

Responsible Tourism

Throughout the trip, PEPY staff and tour leaders will provide insight into the work of development agencies in Cambodia, current issues, and lessons learned about responsible tourism. The required fundraising contribution will be channeled to programs visited on the tour, thus allowing participants to help to continue the work they visit far after they leave. 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! Join us on this tour and experience Cambodia the PEPY way.

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.
• Home visits and other initiatives offer direct benefits to the local populations and provide an opportunity for them to teach visitors about their culture and livelihood.
• 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: 4-12 people

Grade: Easy  – very basic level of fitness required.

Accommodation: In bigger towns and cities like Siem Reap we put our guests up at a mix of mid-range hotels supporting responsible travel. For one night at the village stay accommodation will be basic, so be prepared for an authentic rural experience.

Transport: tuk-tuk, pick-up truck, mountain bike (during optional adventure activities)

Length: 7 days

Dates:
March 27, 2010 - April 2, 2010

*The above date is flexible, if the option is inconvinient for you, drop us a line specifying your desired date and we'll be happy to try and accommodate your request.

Start/End Location: The tour starts and ends in Siem Reap unless the participant is continuing on to the capital on a Phnom Penh extension tour.

Additional Options: As with all of our tours, if the exact details of this trip (dates, accommodation level, adventure/learning mix, etc) do not fit your specific needs, we are happy to design a custom trip for you and your family or friends. Just drop us an email with the dates you are free and what you are looking to get up to! Learn more at our Custom Tour Page.

Also, 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: $700 if you sign up 3 months or more before the trip's start date, $750 if you sign up later

Fundraising Fee: $500

Inclusions: The trip includes all transportation while in Cambodia, accommodation, tour and entrance fees for listed attractions, and all but two meals. We leave a few meals free as there are many choices in Phnom Penh and 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 are available upon arrival and cost $20 for most foreign nationals. Also excluded is an international airport departure tax of $25. Additionally, participants are responsible for purchasing their own international travel insurance.

Cancellation Policy: If six people have not signed up for the trip four weeks before the start date, PEPY staff reserves the right to cancel the tour and any deposits will be refunded in full. 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:

· Full – more than 3 weeks before trip’s start

· 50% - more than 2 weeks before trip’s start

· 25% - more than 3 days before trip’s start

· 0% - less than 3 days before trip’s start