Premium Cambodia highlights tour, 6 days

Planet

Where possible we choose to travel by land rather than air. By minimizing the use of flights on our trips, we are making journeys more stimulating and more sustainable for travellers. This Cambodian trip does not include any flights, providing all transport by private vehicle and boat. We ensure our vehicles are fuel-efficient and well maintained with regular servicing. We use vehicles that are an appropriate size to suit the group size. For example, we wouldn’t use a 16-seater van if we only had five people travelling with us. We optimize our driving routes to reduce travel time and our carbon footprint, and we turn the engine off when travellers are visiting a site and not in the vehicle.

Cambodia produces more than 10,000 tonnes of waste per day, 20% of which is plastic. Less than half of the waste produced is taken to landfill or recycling – the majority is burnt in street or disposed of in local waterways, choking them and causing long-lasting damage to the native ecosystems. We provide travellers with reusable fabric tote bags. The tote bags are made by women in a village near Siem Reap, through an organisation called HUSK. HUSK provide employment and training opportunities to disadvantaged members of the local community. By providing travellers with tote bags we avoid creating more single-use plastic waste.

People

Through our foundation we support local organisations around the world to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable individuals and communities through sustainable travel experiences. We also include activities and visits on our trips to NGOs around the world who are supporting local communities through programs tailored to their needs. This trip includes dinner at a Friends-International restaurant in Phnom Penh. Friends-International provides hospitality training and sustainable employment skills to disadvantaged local youths. Travellers will enjoy a delicious meal of regional specialties, prepared and served by members of the training program.

We encourage travellers to act like locals, respecting the traditions and culture of the destination they’re travelling through. In Cambodian culture, and specifically at religious sites including Angkor Wat, this means dressing conservatively, with all travellers covering their arms and legs. Our local leaders will be sure to explain when and where it’s respectful to cover up. Travellers will visit a working monastery near Phnom Penh, receiving a water blessing from the resident monks. Again, our local Cambodian leaders will be on hand to guide travellers respectfully through this special experience.