We spent our first two days in Cambodia learning what the country was like 1,000 years ago. On our third and last day, we learned about the present.
Our hotel, Sojourn Boutique Villas, is located in a farming community called Treak Village. We took a guided tour of the village to get a small glimpse at life in the rural part of the country. The villagers are poor but everyone has a roof over their head and enough food to get by.
The good folks at Sojourn go to great lengths to support the community. They employ many people from the village and provide them with training including teaching them English. They have also established a non-government organization to support projects that will improve life in the village.
Sojourn not only does great things for the community but they run a five star hotel. The hotel was one of the nicest places we've stayed on our trip. The staff were extremely warm and friendly and the food was excellent. If we've convinced you to come to Cambodia, Sojourn is the definitely the place you should stay.
For a country that's very poor, you see many positives in Cambodia today including lots of smiling faces and schools full of joyful kids. The economy is also growing led by tourism and textiles (check the labels on your clothes and you'll probably see "Made in Cambodia").
You get a good feeling that the country is headed in the right direction. This is great to see as Cambodia has had it very tough over the last several decades.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Cambodia was heavily bombed as part of the Vietnam War. Cambodia has been described as the most heavily bombed country in history.
In the mid to late 1970s, the Khmer Rouge regime seized power as the country faced starvation. The regime forced all city dwellers into the country to work on agriculture and rural projects. About 2 million people (one-third of the population) died as a result of executions, disease and starvation.
The 1980s saw civil war in Cambodia.
Three decades of war has left the countryside covered in landmines and unexploded bombs. Clean-up efforts are ongoing but it is estimated that it could take another 20 years to remove the remaining 4-6 million landmines and bombs. In the meantime, there are several hundred casualties and injuries each year.
Only in the last 15 years has Cambodia had peace and stability. The country has made lots of progress in that time but it still has a long way to go. Efforts by groups like Sojourn are helping immensely.
The people of Cambodia and the country are easy to love and we'll definitely return in the future. It'll be great to see the country's improvement.
Vanessa and Blake
Our hotel, Sojourn Boutique Villas, is located in a farming community called Treak Village. We took a guided tour of the village to get a small glimpse at life in the rural part of the country. The villagers are poor but everyone has a roof over their head and enough food to get by.
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| Looking down one of the village's roads |
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| Most live in homes similar to this one |
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| A few have bigger, newer homes (some financed through bank loans) |
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| Almost all of the villagers work in the rice fields that surround the village |
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| This rice is ready for harvesting |
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| A few other vegetables and fruits are also grown |
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| There were lots of cute kids |
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| Kids everywhere have the same positive outlook |
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| Bigger kids go to school here |
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| Everyone is headed home for the day |
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| Boys and girls wear uniforms to school |
The good folks at Sojourn go to great lengths to support the community. They employ many people from the village and provide them with training including teaching them English. They have also established a non-government organization to support projects that will improve life in the village.
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| New plastic water pumps are replacing the old metal ones |
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| Garbage bins (made from recycled tires) have been provided |
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| So are composting toilets |
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| Plastic bottles and bags are used to insulate part of the medical clinic |
Sojourn not only does great things for the community but they run a five star hotel. The hotel was one of the nicest places we've stayed on our trip. The staff were extremely warm and friendly and the food was excellent. If we've convinced you to come to Cambodia, Sojourn is the definitely the place you should stay.
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| We weren't exaggerating when we said it was nice! |
For a country that's very poor, you see many positives in Cambodia today including lots of smiling faces and schools full of joyful kids. The economy is also growing led by tourism and textiles (check the labels on your clothes and you'll probably see "Made in Cambodia").
You get a good feeling that the country is headed in the right direction. This is great to see as Cambodia has had it very tough over the last several decades.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Cambodia was heavily bombed as part of the Vietnam War. Cambodia has been described as the most heavily bombed country in history.
In the mid to late 1970s, the Khmer Rouge regime seized power as the country faced starvation. The regime forced all city dwellers into the country to work on agriculture and rural projects. About 2 million people (one-third of the population) died as a result of executions, disease and starvation.
The 1980s saw civil war in Cambodia.
Three decades of war has left the countryside covered in landmines and unexploded bombs. Clean-up efforts are ongoing but it is estimated that it could take another 20 years to remove the remaining 4-6 million landmines and bombs. In the meantime, there are several hundred casualties and injuries each year.
Only in the last 15 years has Cambodia had peace and stability. The country has made lots of progress in that time but it still has a long way to go. Efforts by groups like Sojourn are helping immensely.
The people of Cambodia and the country are easy to love and we'll definitely return in the future. It'll be great to see the country's improvement.
Vanessa and Blake
