Cambodia: Women's Expedition

Sua s'dei! Welcome to Cambodia. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive before then, why not explore Phnom Penh – maybe wander the Central Market in search of traditional handicrafts or street food snacks. This evening, get to know your fellow travellers over a welcome dinner at Sombok Restaurant. Led by chef Kimsan Pol and her all-women team, this upscale restaurant on the Mekong River puts a modern twist on traditional Cambodian cuisine.

After breakfast, travel to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek Killing Fields. Your visit to these tragic but important sites will be led by a female guide. Once a high school, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (known as S-21 during the Khmer Rouge regime) became a prison and torture centre. It’s been preserved as a powerful memorial of the tragedy that unfolded on its grounds. Here you’ll learn about the less-documented history of women's lives under the Khmer Rouge. Then, continue to the Choeung Ek Killing Fields. Your guide will share the events that unfolded here in the late 1970s, highlighting the experiences of women – many of whom lost their husbands, sons and fathers, meaning they became sole providers for their families.

Get ready for a guided walk around Phnom Penh this morning. Start your walk after breakfast, making your first stop at the Royal Palace. Visit the Silver Pagoda, located within the palace complex. Considered the most sacred temple in Cambodia, this pagoda’s floor is covered in 5 tonnes of silver. Step inside to see the extravagant Buddha statues including the Emerald Buddha and a 90 kg solid gold Buddha decorated with more than 2000 diamonds. Later, visit Daughters of Cambodia – this social enterprise provides training and jobs for women who have survived human trafficking. Here, you’ll be treated to a relaxing hand and feet spa from some of the women who’ve trained here. This evening, take a cocktail and mocktail-making class hosted by Friends-International. This organisation started as a life-saving service for the street children of Phnom Penh in the wake of years of genocide and conflict in Cambodia. Now, their services have expanded to support job training and employment access for marginalised children, families and communities in Phnom Penh and beyond.

Drive to your homestay in a rural community located in Sambor Prei Kuk today – a UNESCO World Heritage-listed archaeological site that dates back to the 7th century and is home to more than 100 ancient temples. On the way, stop at Santuk Silk Farm – a social enterprise run by widowed women – for a home-cooked lunch. Here, you’ll see the full silk production process, from the life cycle of the silkworm to weaving. Continue to your homestay and meet your host family. Then, hop on a bike for a guided ride around Sambor Prei Kuk village with your leader. Tonight, watch the sun set over the rice fields and share a traditional homemade Khmer dinner prepared by your hosts. Your stay here supports the Isanborei tourism initiative, which aims to conserve local history and create job opportunities in the community. While tonight’s accommodation will be rustic, this is the best way to learn about what life is like here, giving you a truly authentic experience.

Say goodbye to your host family after breakfast this morning, then travel to the floating village of Kampong Khleang. The village is built atop Tonle Sap – southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake. Head out on a private boat trip on the lake and see the stilted houses that make up the village, watching the local fisherman and their families go about their daily lives among the mangroves and waterways. This evening, hop on a tuk-tuk with a female driver for a street food tour of Siem Reap. During your stay in Siem Reap, your tuk-tuk transportation will be provided by a local social enterprise that provides employment opportunities for women in the community. Explore the city streets and experience the vibrant local culinary scene – maybe track down some num pang (similar to a Vietnamese banh mi) or a bowl of lort cha (stir-fried rice noodles). For something sweet, how about some num plae ai (coconut sticky rice dumplings filled with molten palm sugar).

You have an early start today, but it’s sure to be worth it as you watch the sun rise over the Angkor temple complex. Then, start your big day of temple exploration by tuk-tuk at Angkor Wat, the complex’s largest and most intact structure. See the South Gate at Angkor Thom (AKA the Great Angkor City). This extravagant sandstone gate connects to a bridge bordered by sculptures of devas (gods) and asuras (demons) holding up the naga (serpent). You’ll also discover the 54 towers of Bayon Temple, carved with giant stone faces. Go on a short walk to see the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King, then visit an ancient monastery. Here, you’ll take part in a centuries-old ceremony where you’ll receive a blessing from a Buddhist monk.

After breakfast, meet up with your tuk-tuk drivers again and set off to visit the Rokhak Women Handicraft Centre. Watch traditional weavers at work and have a go at water hyacinth weaving yourself. Then, visit an Intrepid Foundation Partner – the Cambodia Rural Students Trust. Hear from the project manager about how the Project G initiative provides women’s health education and feminine hygiene solutions to girls in rural Cambodia. Learn how this community-led initiative has improved health outcomes for local women, then get involved by helping to pack kits for girls living in rural Cambodia. Tonight, you’ll have a farewell dinner at SPOONS Cafe Restaurant – a social enterprise providing local youth with hospitality training and job opportunities. Savour your final Cambodian dinner and toast to your adventure with your new travel friends!