Cambodia vacation, beyond Angkor

Planet

Group sizes
Our group sizes are genuinely small, with scheduled tours limited to 12 persons. Experience has shown that this offers major benefits in various areas, and is integral to our concept of responsible tourism.

Transport; we are able to use smaller types of transport as well as making public transport more practical. i.e. pick–up trucks and minibuses instead of large coaches. This has practical as well as ecological benefits.

Nature and the Environment: Similar benefits arise with respect to any nature based activities: hiking, snorkeling, bird watching etc. Not only do smaller groups have less negative impact on the natural environment but, as above, it is easier for a guide to transmit instructions and knowledge. There is also far more chance of spotting birds and wildlife with lower numbers.

National Parks; If governments see that creating and maintaining National Parks can create revenue, then it is an incentive for them to preserve such areas and create new ones instead of short term gain from logging, plantations etc.

If local communities can see that National Parks, Forest Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries etc bring in revenue for local communities and employment for local people then it is an incentive for them to respect such protected areas and participate in tourism schemes.

We therefore feel it is essential to incorporate as many such protected areas into our itineraries as possible – not only to show the scenery and exotic flora and fauna to visitors, but also to encourage authorities and local people to establish and take care of such areas.

The itinerary includes Phnom Kulen and Kep National Parks plus Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary. Specific schemes supported on this itinerary include; The Saray Water Hyacinth Handicraft project in Prek Toal village, Phnom Tamao wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre and Apopo African rat demining project.

The former is organized and funded by Osmose and the Australian Govt. and involves villagers in fabricating and selling handicrafts made from the non-indigenous water-hyacinth plants that clog up a lot of Cambodian waterways.

The second, run by Wildlife Alliance, aims to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife rescued from private zoos or the wildlife trade.

People

Service is inevitably improved with a high ratio of guides and tour-leaders to customers and we are able to offer a more personalized service. Information and directions are passed on far more easily and a high level of flexibility can be maintained, which isn't possible with larger groups.

Socially; small numbers create a much more cohesive group with far less chance of cliques or 'groups within groups' – it's often been described by those who travel with us as "more like a group of friends and not like a tour group at all".

Restaurants and Accommodation; we use smaller, locally run restaurants and accommodation that larger groups wouldn't be able to do - again another essential element of our tours.

Visiting local people; Another significant advantage is when visiting local people, villages, tribal groups and so on, a smaller group has far less impact, is far less intimidating and there's a much greater chance of a warm welcome and opportunities for genuine interaction. (No villager is going to invite 16 people in for a cup of tea!)

Providing a balance between the well known 'must sees' and the off the beaten track 'best kept secrets' is what we're all about. Not only taking in the famous sites and well known destinations, but also the rarely visited ones not usually included in tour itineraries, but which we believe provides a more authentic insight into the countries visited.

Not only does this mean you will visit sites which are more remote and which most people don't get to see, but also that the people living in these less frequented areas will also get to benefit from the tourist dollar. The vast majority of tourism in SE Asian countries only touches a few key sites: e.g. in Cambodia only a very small percentage of visitors get to see anything other than the temples of Angkor and at a push Phnom Penh.

People from across Cambodia converge on the main tourist destination, Siem Reap, leading to social problems and depopulation in rural areas and creating a serious imbalance in wealth between such regions.

Local food and meals are an essential part of any culture therefore an essential part of enjoying new and different cultures is discovering their traditional food. That's why on all our tours, meals are, as much as possible, based on authentic regional food eaten in local restaurants, and whenever possible, we avoid eating in hotels and flashy tourist establishments.

This means better and more authentic food, and also means our custom is going directly to small cafés and market vendors rather than big businesses - and again provides more opportunities for interaction with local people.

By eating in this manner we are encouraging local people to offer local alternatives to visitors and indeed to increase pride in their traditional cuisines. It's a sad state of affairs, and perhaps a reflection on many tourists, that in many areas, local people are of the impression that all foreigners want to eat pizzas and drink Nescafe!? It's nice to show the locals otherwise.

The second general point – ‘off-the-beaten-track’ is particularly relevant with regards to ‘Beyond Angkor’ since it includes several destinations that are well off the usual tourist routes in a country where tourism is concentrated to an unusually high degree in one particular spot. An estimated 90% of tourism in Cambodia is restricted to Angkor and Siem Reap. Being a very poor country with little industry, (and in many parts of the country only subsistence level farming), we feel that ‘spreading the tourist dollar’ around in Cambodia is extremely important. This itinerary includes: Sambor Prei Kuk in Kompong Thom Province, remote areas of Siem Reap Province such as Phnom Kulen and Koh Ker and rarely-visited Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear Provinces as well several sites in Takeo Province and Kep and Kampot. In all these areas local and locally owned guides, transport, restaurants and accommodation are used.

Wat Preah Kral. Preah Kral Monastery on Phnom Kulen is a very remote monastery inaccessible by road. As well as being a functioning Buddhist temple it also functions as a hospital/sanatorium for local persons suffering from mental illnesses as well as ailments such as epilepsy. Monks use traditional medicines, yoga, meditation and prayer to treat the sick and whatever Western doctors may think they claim a very high success rate. The monastery also acts as an old people’s home with board and lodging provided for widows with no remaining family in exchange for cleaning and cooking tasks. All in all a fascinating place to visit and a site well worthy of our support. We include a visit, over-night stay and cash and food donations to the monastery.


NOTE FROM RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL:

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary is run by Wildlife Alliance, and all of the animals kept here have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. They are rehabilitated and released when possible, but unfortunately the physical or psychological harm they have suffered means that most will not be able to leave the sanctuary. There is one elephant who has been involved in performances – something which Responsible Travel does not usually support. However, in this case, the elephant has been trained using positive reinforcement methods, and is demonstrating how she carries out tasks. Training is necessary to ensure vets and handlers can treat her safely. As the sanctuary is carrying out extremely important work, and the overall impacts are positive for wildlife, we have decided in this case to continue to support Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary.