Good Cause Tourism in Cambodia

Cambodia is an enticing country, and the Khmers are graceful and charming, always ready to greet you with a big smile. However, as you enjoy the comforts of luxury hotels in Siem Reap, or fine dining in Phnom Penh, travelling by air conditioned vehicles or taking flights, you can forget that you are in one of the world’s poorest countries that has experienced a tumultuous recent history. First there was the long and bloody civil war in the early 1970s which tore the nation apart. This culminated in the Khmer Rouge coming to power for almost four years and embarking on a genocide which was responsible for the deaths of almost two million Cambodians through execution, famine, overwork and disease. During this time the education and health care systems were obliterated, along with religion and traditional Khmer values. Following their downfall the country suffered the instability of an on/off 25 year civil war. It is only in the past few years that the Cambodians have once again tasted some semblance of stability, yet the decades of war, genocide, famine and occupation, are evident for all to see.

The results of this turbulent and terrible history has set Cambodia back half a century and the legacy remains; healthcare facilities are woefully inadequate in much of the country; clean water is hard to come by in rural areas; infant mortality rates are among the highest in Asia; the education system leaves a lot to be desired with many families being unable to afford to send their children to school; the country is littered with landmines and unexploded ordnance and has one of the highest amputee rates in the world (people with disabilities suffer from an extremely low status in Cambodia and it is very difficult for them to gain employment and recognition that they have something positive to offer society). As a result of the large number of educated, skilled, and artisan Khmers who lost their lives during these years Cambodia very nearly lost centuries of tradition and culture; music, dance, theatre, instrument manufacture, and crafts such as silk weaving, silver work, and pottery.

This paints a very bleak picture of Cambodia. However Khmers are resourceful and resilient, and despite the obstacle of endemic corruption at all levels of government, they are slowly but surely rebuilding their lives and culture. Offering a helping hand on this long road to recovery are many non-government organisations (NGOs). Asia Adventures is a keen supporter of responsible tourism, community based tourism, and eco-tourism and works with various NGOs to use tourism as a catalyst for poverty reduction, environmental conservation, and cultural development.

There are a growing number of travellers who wish to ‘give something back’ when they visit poor countries, they are not so much interested in their holiday destination as the experiences they will have whilst there. Wanting an opportunity to interact with a different culture and gain a new perspective of the world. For some this may simply be visiting a store where goods on sale have been produced by landmine victims, or eating at a restaurant where the staff are ex-street children. For others it may be a more immersive experience, volunteering to teach English to rural children or helping to build a village community centre. Whatever level of ‘Good Cause’ tourism or ‘Voluntourism’ you wish to be involved in, working with our partner NGOs, Asia Adventures can arrange a meaningful experience for you.