Cambodia highlights tour, 7 days

Planet

Overall, the intention is to combine the well-known tourist sites with off-the-beaten-track, rarely visited destinations, thus diverting tourist revenue and contact into areas not usually benefiting, as well as providing a more authentic view of the region visited.

Group sizes are deliberately kept small (maximum 12 persons) in order to limit impact on site and communities as much as possible. Small numbers also permit us to use local cafes plus street and market stalls for drinks, meals and shopping.

Hotels are small and independently owned with proven responsible travel credentials.

All our guides are fully-licensed and along with our drivers are locally employed.

On the tour, contributions are made to local restoration/conservation/ local economic development. Part of the entrance fees to the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, Tuol Sleng Museum, Prasart Kuhanokor, the Angkor Archeological Park and Beng Melea Temple are used for both restoration and conservation purposes as well as for salaries for the numerous local people employed at such sites. All sites are important sources of income and employment for the local communities. We also hope that visits to ‘off the radar’, unregulated temple and historical sites will increase residents’ awareness and encourage conservation.

People

We help support local projects. All hotels and several of the restaurants used on this tour participate in educational and training projects for underprivileged youths. In addition, during free periods, guests are encouraged to visit projects such as Artisans Angkor which is involved with the education and welfare of people from poor rural communities as well as the organisation Phare Ponleu Selpak which supports children, young adults and their families with educational programs and social support.

We avoid any chain or international hotels and all accommodation used on this tour is independently owned by local residents with the exception of the 252 Hotel in Phnom Penh which is owned by long-term European residents of Cambodia. (A portion of their profits goes towards funding educational projects for local, underprivileged children.)

Meals are provided in either locally-run restaurants or local-style cafes, market and street stalls. All products are locally sourced and all staff are local residents. The emphasis is also very much on traditional Khmer food which we hope increases an interest and pride in the region’s cuisine. Additional food products - for takeaway lunches, picnics etc – is deliberately purchased from local bakeries and /or fresh produce markets rather than chain supermarkets.

All transport is locally owned – whether minibuses or boats and tuk-tuks for shorter journeys.

With regards to souvenirs purchases, our clients are taken to markets or outlets attached to aid educational organizations such as Artisans Angkor where the advantages of purchasing there, as opposed to larger purpose-built souvenir stores, is self-evident.

Our Phnom Penh Hotel funds educational projects for local children and orphanages, providing corresponding information for guests as well as suggesting appropriate donations. All staff members are local residents. While our Siem Reap Hotel has a policy of employing all of its staff members from underprivileged families. The aim is to educate, train and reintegrate young people and orphans from poor backgrounds whose opportunities are otherwise limited by a lack formal education.

As a small company our support for projects is localised and targeted and we currently assist aid schemes in both northern Thailand and Myanmar’s Shan State. But any need which our tour leaders see on their travels which they feel we can help with is considered and support given where possible.

All guides and most leaders are local, while any foreign leaders employed have lived in the local communities for long periods and are experienced in customs, culture and as much as possible, language. Leaders and guides provide suitable, relevant information for our customers; to help them to gain a wider understanding of our style of tourism that focuses on learning; genuine interaction with the local communities, reciprocity and cultural exchange processes. To be aware of the potential impact of tourism on the local society, culture and environment, and to behave and dress appropriately with a respect and appreciation for local customs, mores and traditions and a respect for the ecology of areas visited. Our guides and leaders thus facilitate communication of our values to both travellers and local communities, educating them in sustainable tourism practices

By explaining our methods and the reasons behind them local agents, guides and hotels are encouraged by us to adopt further responsible tourism practices themselves and guides and drivers are provided with additional training in this respect.

By limiting groups to a maximum of 12 persons we aim to reduce the impact on both local communities and the environment whilst allowing for greater genuine interaction with said communities. It also results in a higher guide/customer ratio thus offering a greater facility for supervision and individual assistance and allowing us to use smaller hotels and restaurants and employ the services of more genuinely ‘local’ operators on a personal and friendly basis rather than dealing with establishments primarily equipped for larger groups.