Cambodia: From the Ground Up

Meet your group at your home airport. Fly together as a group to Cambodia. Total travel time will depend on your departure location and flight schedule. Be sure to get some rest so you arrive ready for adventure!

Flight Details: Rustic Pathways will be happy to book your flight as an add-on service.

If your travel to Cambodia crosses the international dateline, you’ll likely lose this day to travel. Not to worry – you’ll get it back on your return!

Arrive at Phnom Penh Airport (PNH) and meet your program leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Head to the hotel and settle in, relaxing after your long flight. Join the group for an orientation discussion and an introduction to the local culture. Have a Khmer dinner and head back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.

Arun-suer-sdey! Begin with visits to cultural and historical locations in Phnom Penh. Head to Tuol Sleng, a former school that was used as a prison and has since been converted into a museum to educate visitors about the country’s genocide. Visit the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek and walk through the quiet and peaceful fields that played host to mass killings and burials.

In the afternoon, tour the Royal Palace where the King currently resides and Wat Phnom, which is the birthplace of the capital city of Phnom Penh. Enjoy the sunset cruise on the Mekong river and visit Silk Island.

Meet with various international NGOs working in Cambodia. Attend talks from organization directors and tour their sites as you learn about these organizations working in a variety of fields. Engage in discussions to learn more about their inner workings. What organizations you’ll meet with depends on the time of year you visit. While specific organizations may be unavailable, we can guarantee that your group will meet with three organizations doing great work in Cambodia.

Organizations we have previously worked with include:

• Skateistan – uses skateboarding as a resource for youth empowerment
• Tiny Toones Breakdance Center –  programs to help street kids
• Mith Samlanh (Friends) – programs to help youth at risk
• Kamworks–  portable solar and renewable energy for rural Cambodians
• Wildlife Alliance –  environmental conservation

Travel to Kampong Cham to the community where you’ll be living and working over the next two days. Meet with local stakeholders to hear about the priority projects identified within the community. Learn about what your group will be contributing to and about past projects that were completed. After your orientation, get acquainted with this peaceful community by taking time to explore. Service days will consist of morning and afternoon sessions with a break for lunch mid-day.

Say goodbye to Kampong Cham and head to Siem Reap where you’ll explore the famous night markets for local souvenirs. Have dinner in the city and enjoy the different pace of life here in a busier part of Cambodia. See the Cambodian circus for an inspiring show of acrobatics performed by students from Phare Ponleu Selpak, an organization that supports disadvantaged youth through arts education.

Wake early for a morning exploring Angkor Wat and the ancient Khmer Empire. See the intricate carvings of Angkor’s historical battle scenes. Climb to the top of the highest tower to see the temples from a new perspective. Then travel to Bayon to see the huge, carved faces in rock, and make your way to the shady temple of Ta Prohm, where massive trees have given this ruin a fairytale-like feel. After a day of ancient adventures, enjoy a final Khmer dinner and spend time browsing the night markets.

At the end of the program, the students join in a closing discussion and the traditional Rustic Ties ceremony. This unique and powerful activity allows students to capture their memories and contemplate ways to share what they’ve learned with their communities back home.

After some final group photos with Team Cambodia, your program leaders will take you to the airport for your departure as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.