Cambodia – Service & Learning

From 5,580AED per traveller. Excl. flights

Please leave this field empty.

Overview

While most people would imagine that the Temples of Angkor are Cambodia’s greatest asset, the country’s real treasure is its people. The Cambodians have been to hell and back, struggling through years of violence, poverty and political instability and yet despite this, the Khmer people display a perseverance and optimism that is as endearing as it is inspiring to all those who visit.

Designed for active and compassionate students, this trip entail a journey to all of the country’s most important places of interest as well as authentic interaction with its people and our student contemporaries. Beginning in Siem Reap, we will enjoy a thorough exploration of the magnificent Angkor Temple complex as well as several other cultural and leisure activities. We will also visit the country’s capital city Phnom Penh as well as a remote water village community to glean an insight into the lives of its rural dwellers following decades of conflict and social neglect.

As this trip is intended to be of educational value, a significant component will entail our challenging two-day outreach program. This activity will afford us insight into development issues, as we work alongside villagers to construct a dwelling to foster comradeship and solidarity. A spicy Khmer cooking lesson, a visit to the intriguing tunnels of Cu Chi, a fun & physical cycling activity and time spent with local Cambodian contemporaries are among the many other highlights of this student-centric travel experience.

Most importantly, this trip is designed to be enjoyable and intended to foster students’ Asia literacy and awareness as well as provide a very memorable introduction to one of the friendliest countries

What's included

All accommodation, transport (including internal flights), activities, entrance costs and other programs as described in the itinerary

Professional tour leader throughout the trip & additional specialist guides Community project sourcing and arrangements

Extensive destination-specific risk management and assessments

All meals & water with meals

24 hours in-country support from Student Educational Experiences staff

Tips for local guides & drivers

day to day

Day 01

Arrive in Siem Reap (Cambodia)

On arrival in Cambodia, we will be greeted by our tour leader at Siem Reap International Airport. With no time to lose, we will board our bus and travel to our centrally located hotel in the downtown precinct. En route our tour leader will discuss with us our itinerary and provide us with a thorough rundown of all the things, we need to know when travelling in Cambodia, as well as give us a short history and Khmer language lesson. This evening we will a performance by some of the country’s brilliant young Phare circus performers. A fantastic blend of traditional and modern theatre, music, dance, acrobatics, juggling, and contortion all beautifully choreographed in a story about Cambodian lives and society.)

Day 02

Siem Reap (Temples of Angkor)

There will be time for an orientation tour of this friendly town before setting out to explore the magnificent Temples of Angkor and enjoy roaming this inspirational and ancient expanse on sturdy and environmentally friendly mountain bikes. Often mistakenly referred to as ‘Angkor Wat’ (which simply denotes the name of the largest temple), the Angkor Temple complex is a multifarious arrangement of some 112 buildings that began construction in the early to mid-12th Century. These amazing structures are dedicated to several gods - originally Hindu, and subsequently Buddhist deities - as the later Khmer kings transitioned from a Hindu to a Buddhist viewpoint. Beginning our biking activity with a visit to the architecturally breathtaking Angkor Wat Temple, we will explore this massive three-tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like towers. After lunch, we will visit the Ta Prohm jungle temple over which nature has truly run riot! This quiet, monastic complex is intentionally left partially unrestored, with large silk-cotton trees growing from its towers and corridors offering some of the best photo opportunities at Angkor. Cambodia is, of course, more than its temples. Throughout history, the artisans and craftsmen of Cambodia have created a style of arts and crafts that is truly unique and exquisitely Khmer. This morning will learn more about the arts of Cambodia during a visit to an artisan base where we may try our hand at painting, weaving, or even carving. NB: Our bike ride is an enjoyable activity suitable for any student of average fitness with the ability to ride a bike. The activity will cover a total distance of around 15-20 km. The bikes we will use our new, sturdy mountain bikes with helmets provided. A support crew will follow our group to make running repairs and carry students if they are not able to ride. Students will be required to carry their water during this activity.

Day 03

Siem Reap (Dwelling construction community project)

Whilst the town of Siem Reap has enjoyed much prosperity in recent years, the hinterland surrounding enjoys little of the prosperity. With this in mind, today we will travel to an outer district of Siem Reap Province to embark on a dwelling construction project for a local family and their extended household. Over the coming two days, we will work alongside local families, supported by tradesmen as well as our tour leader and a local guide. Throughout the day, our tour leader will identify students with skills to perform the more difficult or dexterity-orientated tasks as we erect frames, foundations, floors and beams and transport materials. The days will be long but the results rewarding as we see our project come to fruition and as curious villages from all around come to watch and assist us.

Day 04

Siem Reap (Dwelling construction community project continued)

Today we will venture out to our building site for another full day’s effort to complete our dwelling build. Whilst some tasks do require the expertise of our local tradespeople, it is expected we will complete up to 90% of our project on this day. Later this evening we will enjoy some social interaction with villagers and gain an understanding of their sense of community, customs and the way they have adapted to their environment

Day 05

Siem Reap - Phnom Penh

This morning we visit the Silver Pagoda on the grounds of the Royal Palace. Here we will learn about the Cambodian Royal family and French colonial influences. The current king resides here, King Sihamoni. His father the previous king Sihanouk was under house arrest in this very palace during the Khmer Rouge reign over Cambodia. Whilst in Phnom Penh we will also visit ‘Justees ‘– a social enterprise printing concern that aims to employ street kids to help get their lives back on track. Here we will learn more about life in Phnom Penh and the opportunities available for young people who are determined to break the cycle of poverty. After dinner we take a tuk-tuk tour around Phnom Penh to view this vibrant city by night, passing the Royal Palace and iconic Independence Monument.

Day 06

Phnom Penh

We will board our private bus and travel to the town of Toyota – the birthplace and epicentre of the design and manufacturing of the world’s most recognizable automobile . During the Meiji period (1868- 1912) the area was a major producer of silk until the decline of the industry in the 1930s when Mr. Kiichiro Toyoda set up the Toyota automobile manufacturing base here. Japanese car manufacturing is today still the benchmark for automobile engineering that introduced several revolutionary practices including just-in-time manufacturing which we will learn more about today. Whilst here we will also visit the Toyota Kaikan Museum and learn of Toyota’s production processes, innovations and patents - in particular, exhibits presenting advances in hybrid, driverless and environmentally friendly cars. We will also take a comprehensive tour of one of the company’s manufacturing plants to learn of the methods other car manufacturers throughout the world endeavour to emulate. This afternoon we will depart Toyota and travel to the historic city of Kyoto. This beautiful city is the epitome of old Japan - famous for its atmospheric temples, traditional teahouses and geisha hurrying to secret liaisons. Kyoto served as Japan’s capital and the emperor’s residence for over 1,000 years. Over the centuries the city was destroyed many times by wars and fires. We have a short time to stroll around the streets close to our hotel to start to get a feel for the city and perhaps visit the city's famous Nishiki Market before dinner. (Ryokan) (Meals: breakfast, dinner)

Day 07

Phnom Penh

This morning we will learn of the darkest chapter ii the history of Cambodia, which will begin with a visit to the Tuol Sleng Museum. This disquieting setting, formerly a high school, was used as a centre of torture and interrogation by the murderous Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979. It was during this relatively brief time that a little know teacher called Pol Pot instituted a reign of terror over the country and implemented a plan to turn Cambodia into an agriculture-based society, systematically emptying the cities and forcibly moving the people onto collective (state-owned) farms. It is estimated that during this time over a fifth of the country’s population perished of overwork, starvation and execution. In the afternoon we will visit the disquieting ‘Killing Fields’ one of over three hundred sites around Cambodia where people were executed at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. Many of the graves remain untouched and are marked with a memorial stupa where Khmer Rouge survivors and their relatives, come to pay their respects and remember what happened. We travel a short distance to the local port to take a morning boat cruise on the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers to gain a panoramic view of the city and learn about the mighty Mekong River that passes through six counties on its 4,300 odd kilometre journey to the sea. Our tour leader will share with us the importance of this river to the fishing industry and the controversial dams under construction near the Laos border.

Day 08

Phnom Penh ✈ Home

Throughout history, the artisans and craftsmen of Cambodia have created a style of arts and crafts that is truly unique and exquisitely Khmer. This afternoon we will learn more about the arts of Cambodia during a visit to an artisan base where we may try our hand at painting, weaving, or even carving. Later today we will visit an Apsara dance class to learn about this quintessential Khmer art form. The performance is done in elegant, handmade costumes and can be seen in many establishments in Siem Reap today. This morning we will have the chance to see the young performers being trained as well as take part in a classical dance class, gleaning insights unavailable to other travellers. Following this activity, we will return to our hotel to prepare for our trip home. En route, Our tour leader will help us with all onward travel arrangements before waving us farewell.

SHOW FULL ITINERARY

About Student Educational Experiences Pty Ltd

Since 1999, we've led culturally immersive school trips to Asia, the Middle East, and South America, customizing each to your curriculum and student needs. Our goal: transformative travel experiences. We make a positive impact in local communities, fostering agility, curiosity, and compassion in students to address cultural complexities. We also cultivate global citizenship and inspire lifelong exploration of complex issues like poverty, development, and environmental change.