Five good deeds to do in Siem Reap

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January 29, 2014

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Five good deeds to do in Siem Reap

By Zhuomin Lee | January 29, 2014, Wednesday |

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There is so much more to laid-back Siem Reap in northwestern Cambodia than the crowded ruins of Angkor. You can stop at Pub Street, get on a bike and peddle down the lovely countryside. Or take a day trip to Preah Vihear, an ancient Hindu temple straddling eastern Thailand and Cambodia.

If you have a few days to spare, here’s how you can do something different and help locals.

Pack for a Purpose

If there’s space in your luggage, pack something for the kids. There’s always a need for storybooks, learning toys and stationery. Pack for a Purpose links hotels with local charities, so travelers can deposit donations at their hotels, which pass them to schools in need. Some businesses run social responsibility projects. Angkor Helping Tour Guide and Jasmine Family Hostel, for instance, support educational projects for needy children.

Explore the other side of Cambodia

You don’t have to venture far to gain insight into rural Cambodian life. The nonprofit Future of Khmer Children provides free education to village children and offers community-conscious tours to help them in Siem Reap. Despite a tourism boom, many communities are relatively untouched and some families remain impoverished. Guides are usually teachers at the nonprofit who answer any questions about Khmer culture and education. The walking tour includes a visit to a school where tourists take part in an art class with students. All proceeds go towards the school’s operating costs.

Cook for charity

Sign up for a Masterchef journey for social impact. Beyond Unique Escapes offers a community-focused culinary experience, beginning with a visit to a village to see how traditional Khmer dishes are prepared in a family kitchen. A sack of rice is given to the family as a token of appreciation. Cooking classes are later held outdoors under a thatched hut. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy a Khmer meal at The Green Star, where proceeds support former street children and their families.

Do Eat, Pray, Love

Get re-acquainted with hippie life at the Peace Café, a sanctuary for the body, mind and spirit. Besides yoga classes, the café serves up vegetarian meals and runs a social enterprise supporting cottage industries in Siem Reap. Single yoga classes are available at the New Leaf Book Café, another social enterprise that contributes all earnings to local causes.

DO NOT visit an orphanage

Despite the best intentions, the tourists who visit orphanages fuel a lucrative industry in Cambodia. Orphanage tourism, as it is known, has developed out of a combination of excessive generosity and extreme poverty.

Many children in “orphanages” are not orphans but are placed there by families to make a living from soft-hearted tourists. Typical visits include a song or dance performance, followed by a request for a token donation. The actual proceeds not only end up in the wrong pockets but also expose children to strangers, making them vulnerable to exploitation. If you really want to help, donate time and money to projects promoting sustainable livelihoods through vocational training and community development programs.

See: http://www.thinkchildsafe.org/thinkbeforevisiting

If you go:

Angkor Helping Tour Guide

Website: www.angkorhelpingtour.com

More info: bunhak2004@yahoo.com

Beyond Unique Escapes

Address: Corner of Sivutha Blvd and Alley West (next tor Capitol Bus Stop)

Website: www.beyonduniqueescapes.com

More info: info@beyonduniqueescapes.com

Future of Khmer Children

Address: Kasekam Village, Sangkhat Srogne

Website: http://khmerchild.org/tour