Soria Moria Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Soria Moria Boutique Hotel, Wat Bo Road, Salakamrouk, Siem Reap, Cambodia

T: +855 (0) 63 964 768 | E: booking@thesoriamoria.com

www.thesoriamoria.com

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This contemporary boutique hotel in the heart of Siem Reap (your base for the Angkor temple complex) boasts a real commitment to responsible travel – environmental practices help reduce energy consumption and waste, but it’s the hotel’s positive impact on the local community (including its staff – through the employee partnership scheme it’s Cambodia’s only employee-owned hotel!) that makes Soria Moria so ‘Good’. The hotel partners several local projects and makes it easy for guests to get involved. It’s surprisingly peaceful considering its location – you’re never more than a 5-10min walk from the restaurants, markets, bars and other attractions of Siem Reap.

Accommodation: Rooms are spacious, sleek and modern with all the mod-cons (large western-style en-suite bathrooms, satellite TV, mini-bar etc). Rates range from approx. US$40-60 per night including breakfast and pick-up service.

Food and drink: The fusion restaurant is very good (we enjoyed the breakfast buffet and one evening meal during our stay) but the dishes are (perhaps) a little on the small side (we were probably getting too used to large and cheap street snacks!). The small and friendly Rooftop Bar was fantastic for inexpensive cocktails – the list is extensive and there are regular promotions running (including a $1 Night with all food and drinks at that price – really!). Sipping a cosmopolitan while watching the sunset and enjoying the panoramic views from the rooftop are some very happy memories that have stuck in the mind…

Facilities: While you wait for your tuk-tuk, you can relax in the light and airy hotel lobby where a small shop sells Fair Trade and charity project hand-crafted souvenirs. The hotel also offers traditional Khmer massage and spa treatments, and a ‘fitness room’ (we didn’t visit but I believe it’s like a very small gym if you’re desperate for that sort of thing while on holiday). And for a bit of Vegas-style indulgence you could try the Rooftop Bar’s jacuzzi!

Recommended for… Those who want a peaceful stay (with all the mod-cons) within the hustle and bustle of Siem Reap

Be aware that… The feel is quite European (the founder is Norwegian) so maybe not for you if you’re looking for a real Cambodian experience

‘Good’ credentials:

  • An Employee Ownership Scheme allows local employees to own shares in the business (currently a 51% stake with plans to increase in the future); locals are paid a decent wage and benefits package
  • A training programme in partnership with three local NGOs (Anjali House, Sangkheum Centre for Children, NEDO) allows young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds to work and train within the hospitality industry
  • The Soria Moria Higher Education Programme sponsors currently support 12 students
  • Soria Moria supports a number of local organisations and NGOs, promoting them to guests and selling local Fair Trade and NGO products in the hotel’s shop
  • They encourage guests to donate clothing and other items (especially if you need to make room in your suitcase!) in their collection boxes. Items are then distributed to poor families in the community.
  • Electricity and water consumption are reduced wherever possible
  • Bottles, cans and cardboard are recycled (juice cartons are crafted into wallets!)
  • The kitchen’s cooking oil is recycled and given to Angkor Children’s Hospital to be used for Bio diesel for their generator
  • Food waste is given to local pig farmers
  • Soria Moria sells Love Cards and rents White Bicycles on a non-commission basis with all proceeds going towards education projects

 

(Date of visit: January, 2011)

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How to choose the perfect volunteering project

Want to volunteer overseas but bamboozled by choice? Maria Sowter of Frontier, an NGO operating conservation and community-based volunteering projects, shares her advice on finding the right volunteering project for you.

Frontier's beach-based projectsVolunteering abroad can be one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences you can have; a brilliant way to experience the world’s rich and varied cultures whilst making a difference where it’s needed most. Planning a trip abroad though can be complicated at the best of times and incorporating a volunteer placement into your travels can sometimes seem like a daunting prospect.

If you’re reading this you’ll know you want something more from your travels than a good photo opportunity and a bar on the beach. You’ll also know that the key to any successful placement is planning and researching to ensure you end up on a project that will keep you interested and motivated throughout. But how do you choose the right volunteering project for you?

 

What’s your passion?

It may sound simple but choose a project that involves something you’re truly interested in. For instance, if you want to work directly with animals, avoid projects heavily focused on scientific research as you’ll end up spending more of your time with data than with the animals. Volunteering should be treated like a working holiday, you are often performing vital work and many communities and programmes rely on volunteers to survive so it’s necessary to be fully dedicated to your cause. The flipside of your hard work is often the immense satisfaction you get from volunteering; not only do you get to explore your passions but the work you’re contributing is also highly valued.

Do your research

A good way to get the best idea of what a project involves is to read previous volunteer reviews, interviews, or first-hand accounts about their experiences. Review sites and forums (and the recommendations on Goodtrippers – take a look under Good Work) can be a sound way to find this information as they provide a neutral setting for people to express themselves. Reading what other volunteers got up to on the project will usually give you a much better idea of how you’ll be spending your time than any website’s marketing spiel – it can also give you an idea of what you need to pack for your trip.

Solo or group?

Accommodation can be make-or-break for your experience and Scuba-diving on a Frontier projectyou want to make sure that anywhere you stay has the facilities to be comfortable for an extended period of time. If you’re nervous about travelling alone, going on a group project and staying in a camp or hostel accommodation can be a good way to combat any fears. If you’re travelling with an agency they are usually able to provide you with fellow volunteer email addresses or give volunteers the chance to meet on training weekends prior to departure. This can also help you save money by arranging group travel from the airport if transfers are not provided. If you’re less inclined to seek out a social atmosphere, then projects with homestay accommodation can be a good way to improve your language skills and learn more about a country’s culture by staying with a local family.

Time it right

Once you’ve decided on your project, make sure you travel at a time of year appropriate for what you want to do. If you know your happiness hinges upon volunteering in a sunnier climate then don’t visit a country during their monsoon season. If you want to take part in a project that involves working with wildlife, be aware that some species may not be seen in certain areas at specific times of year due to different breeding or migration patterns.

Most of all, remember that a volunteer holiday – alongside providing valuable help – should be fun. Volunteering can be hard work, but working in an area that you have a passion for is unlikely to feel like a chore.

With the right balance of research, planning, and common sense, any time spent volunteering abroad has the potential to be a memorable success for both you and those involved in the project you choose.

Happy volunteering!

About the author: Maria Sowter works for Frontier, an NGO dedicated to safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, and building sustainable livelihoods for marginalised communities in the world’s poorest countries. Check out the wide variety of opportunities to volunteer abroad with Frontier: whether you’re looking for placements involving teaching abroad, wildlife conservation volunteering, or simply some adventure travel, Frontier is sure to have something suitable.Visit www.frontier.ac.uk


Boats, Elephants and Community Work in Kerala, India

Fort Kochi, Kerala, India

Through i to i Volunteering

www.i-to-i.com

E: enquiries@i-to-itravel.com / T: +44(0)1892 886123

(Review by Rachel Watson)

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The Boats, Elephants and Community Work two-week tour does exactly what it says on the tin – it’s a jam packed two weeks in South India’s beautiful Kerala, with boat trips, elephant interaction and eight days of community volunteering with delightful children in a special needs school.

You’ll be met at the airport and transferred to the homestay accommodation which will be your base for the two weeks. First up it’s a full orientation and “get to know each other” session with the rest of the group and co-ordinator Rakhi, a local lady who knows everything there is to know about Kerala and will bend over backwards to help you enjoy your time in her home state. Then it’s time to get stuck into the itinerary – starting with a full tour of Fort Kochi, taking in St Francis’ church, the Presidential palace, ornate Jewish synagogue and traditional Chinese fishing nets. The nets are still in full working order, and you can stand by and watch the fishermen at work. If you’re lucky (like I was) they will invite you to lend a hand, and you can help reel in a catch – mine was sent off to market to be sold!

The journey to school is made by bus – it’s a hot and cramped 20 minute trip by bus (a crazy experience not to be missed in India!) then a lovely ten minute stroll along the sea front, past the fishing nets (and once during my stay, a Bollywood film set) and through the front gates to school. The first time you make the journey (and more if you need it) you’ll be accompanied by a member of Rakhi’s team, and introduced to the teachers. The school is based at a convent and run by dedicated, hardworking and loving sisters who will make you feel very welcome at their school, and the children are beautiful – very fun loving, playful and trusting, and willing to work (and play) hard at any games, lessons or songs you introduce.

The weekends are no time for relaxing after a busy time at school – there’s a traditional Kerala arts show to enjoy, and trips to the famous Backwaters, an elephant village and the stunning Arirapally Waterfalls. I was most excited by the elephant trip, as I’ve always loved the majestic animals and was looking forward to getting up close with them. I wasn’t disappointed – invited by the mahouts to help with the bath I waded into the river to help scrub the elephants and was able to chat to the mahouts about their lives, and stroke the animals as much as I liked. We then headed straight off to the awe-inspiring waterfalls – you can get so close to them, and enjoy cooling off in smaller pools as well. Our trip also included lunch at a fantastic restaurant, with an infinity pool and fabulous views – the perfect end to an amazing day.

The trip includes two fantastic backwater cruises. The Kerala Backwaters are one of the natural wonders of the world, and – cruising through the lush green plants and trees, waving at local children running alongside your boat – it’s not hard to see why. Our first day on the Backwaters was spent on two different boats – a larger one with a sun deck for relaxing, and a much smaller boat, which was able to cruise down the smaller, less populated backwaters and take in even more of this gorgeous part of the world.

The second Backwater trip is an overnight stay on a houseboat, and was for me the perfect end to a perfect two weeks. My group – by now firm friends – spent a fantastic night cruising through the riverside villages, exotic birdlife and stunning scenery. We drank, laughed and reminisced about the fantastic, chock full two weeks we’ll remember for a lifetime.

Work: You’ll be spending eight days volunteering in a special needs school run by the sisters of the convent the school is based in. The children age from around 7-years upwards, and there are also adult students who participate in life skills classes and help the nuns with the smaller children. Activities are varied and very much down to the individual – you’ll need to use your initiative and get stuck in, there’s no place for wallflowers so come prepared with ideas for songs, games, lessons and activities you can do with the students. If you’ve got a particular skill or interest, use it!

Accommodation: It’s homestay accommodation here, staying in volunteer quarters of a family home. Rooms are based on twin share, and there’s a western-style toilet and warm water shower. Facilities include a microwave, kettle, toaster, fridge and television, and there’s a hand wash laundry service available for a (very) small fee. I couldn’t have asked for more.

Food: All meals are included and most of them are home cooked by the homestay family’s cook. Meals are amazing – traditional South Indian fare (fish curries are a speciality) but different tastes and requirements can be catered for easily – just ask.

Recommended for… People who want to do and see the best Kerala has to offer in a short period of time, while giving something back with volunteer work alongside the “touristy” activities. Also great for solo travellers, as you’re part of a group of like-minded people.

Be aware that… This is a fully supported trip with a planned itinerary in place for you. I loved that I could leave the organisation to someone else and know everything was planned for me to get the most out of my two weeks’ annual leave – but if you’re the sort of person who prefers more independent, “do it yourself” trips, it may not be to your taste.

Remember too, that if you don’t get stuck in right away at school, you could leave feeling that you’ve not achieved as much as you (or the kids) would like. Preparation is key – hit the ground running with ideas and a plan for what you want to do in your short time (I planned “In The Jungle” and “Under The Sea” arts and crafts projects – one for each week – and also swotted up on the kids in my class by reading through the journal left by previous volunteers).

‘Good’ credentials

  • All the accommodation, food, trips and in country staff are locally sourced – boosting the local economy and providing jobs
  • The children at the school benefit from one-on-one attention from volunteers, and the extra pairs of hands allow the permanent staff more time to concentrate on physiotherapy and speech therapy sessions for children who need them

 

Date of Visit: January 2011

 

About the author: Rachel Watson caught the travel bug during her gap year in 2002, and has no plans to stop exploring! She works in Customer Operations and blogs about her travel experiences in her spare time. Visit Rachel’s blog at http://dancing-like-no-ones-watching.blogspot.co.uk/ or follow her on Twitter @RacheyRoo183

 

 

 

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