Enjoy 10 days in the lovely town of Siem Reap, just a few miles from the magnificent temples of Angkor Wat and surrounding areas. Visiting and local youth connect through global citizenship activities, environmental education and language learning. Volunteer in the community and tour renowned heritage sites, at a child-friendly pace, together with local residents.
Our host in Cambodia is Journeys Within our Community (JWOC), a local organization helping to improve living conditions for people in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. JWOC builds wells, offers university scholarships, runs free language schools and provides microfinance loans to Southeast Asians building better lives for themselves and their community.
Highlights Include:
– Get to know local children and families
– Temples of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Banteay Srei
– Visit homes and villages
– Community service (volunteer in schools, etc.)
– Kulen Mountain
Cost:
From $1,500 per person
Included:
– Accommodations for nine nights in Siem Reap
– Airport transfer at arrival and departure
– Ground transportation for all program activities
– Trip leader and trip guides
– Entrance fees for all scheduled excursions
– Specified meals, including nine breakfasts, seven lunches and three dinners
– Tips
– Pre-trip reading list and resources
– Global Buddies T-shirts
– Modest donations to our local host organizations
Not Included:
International flights; visa fees; travel insurance (highly recommended); personal expenses, including local purchases and alcoholic beverages.
Airfare:
International flights and travel insurance are arranged separately. Families may make their own arrangements or work with us to secure competitive airfares and insurance rates.
Register:
A deposit of $500 per person will hold your place on this trip. Please register early, as our trips fill quickly.
While we make every effort to maintain the listed price, drastic fluctuations in fuel costs and currency exchange rates may require the addition of a fuel surcharge or foreign exchange adjustment. All prices based on double occupancy; single supplements apply.
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ARRIVAL: You will be met at Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport and transported to your accommodations, where Global Buddies staff will greet you and orient you to the area. Traveling families gather for an opening dinner and dance performance to welcome them to Cambodia. |
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PROGRAM BEGINS: Visit the village of Taksen Tboung to see community projects in action. You’ll be invited into the homes of families who attend JWOC’s free language schools or have started small businesses with microfinance loans. Enjoy dinner as a group. |
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Meet your local Global Buddies for the first time, as all head to Angkor Wat — a UNESCO World Heritage site — to explore this majestic temple in the cool of the morning. In the afternoon, each family will be introduced to a classroom that you will volunteer with a number of times during your stay. |
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Enjoy the morning at leisure, then head to Angkor Thom for more temple explorations with Cambodian Global Buddies. You’ll see the smiling stone faces of the Bayon Temple, sometimes called the “Mona Lisa of Southeast Asia.” Wander the temple grounds with your guide until the sun sets behind these magnificent ruins. |
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Plunge into a full day of community service – helping with food gardens, painting local buildings, or taking part in other needed projects. Have fun with your designated class at the language school in the afternoon, as your family and the Cambodian Global Buddies get to know each other even more. |
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Travel to Kulen Mountain National Park, where you can see underwater carvings, swim in the waterfalls and enjoy a picnic lunch in your own gazebo. You may even find time for an afternoon nap in a hammock before we leave. End the day with some authentic Khmer cuisine at one of Siem Reap’s many lovely restaurants, followed by a cultural performance. |
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Visit nearby villages, to meet local families, see their homes and talk about what clean water means to their lives. In the afternoon, continue working with your class at the language school. |
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Enjoy one more day exploring the region’s intricately carved temples — Banteay Srei, Banteay Kdei and Ta Prohm. Meet with what is by now your favorite class for a farewell session, as visiting and local Global Buddies share how much they’ve learned. |
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Visit Siem Reap’s Old Market in the morning, where locals and tourists shop side-by-side surrounded by a mix of colonial and Chinese-style architecture. Spend the afternoon at leisure. |
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DEPARTURES: Transportation to Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport. Families may explore Southeast Asia further on their own (add-ons available) or begin their journey home. |
We reserve the right to adjust individual items on this itinerary as needed; the main components will not change.