After all the planning and preparation the wait is finally over. On arrival at Siem Reap Airport, you will be met by your World Expeditions experienced guide who will accompany you throughout the program. We head to your hotel for check-in and a full trip and safety briefing. Your guide will run through an overview of the local Cambodian language and important phrases that you can learn and practice through your journey. A little language goes a long way with the local people! Following your briefing we will have an orientation of Siem Reap traveling the way the locals do, by cyclo! Siem Reap is the jump off point to the temples of Angkor and a wonderful vibrant city to explore. We return to the hotel to freshen up before heading out to a local restaurant that trains disadvantaged youth in hospitality and the service industry for a welcome dinner. Overnight Siem Reap

Meals:  D

There’s more to Siem Reap than the incredible temples of Angkor. Today we spend the day exploring the historical and cultural sites of this fascinating township. We begin by travelling the same way the locals do, by tuk tuk! We head to the Shrine to Ya Tep: Beneath a tree on an island in the middle of the road leading into Siem Reap sits a sandstone image believed by locals to contain the spirit of Ya Tep that is believed by locals to protect the town of Siem Reap. Just beside Ya Tep lies Preak Ang Chek and Preak Angchom, a popular Buddhist shrine surrounded by stories of power and indestructibility. We can visit the shrine and meet the local monks here. We continue our journey visiting the Royal Residence, and its gardens, exploring the Wat Preah Prom Rath temple, and then practise our bargaining skills and newly learnt local language as we visit the Old Market (Phsar Chas). After lunch we discover some secrets of the Angkor period on a private guided tour of the Angkor National Museum. The interactive museum showcases artifacts from the Golden Era of the Khmer Empire by use of multimedia technology to picture this interesting historical period. This is a great introduction to the temples of Angkor that we will be visiting tomorrow.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today is dedicated to discovering one of the wonders of the world, the temples of Angkor. We explore the temples by using the backstreets and alleys, avoiding the crowds. Our first stop is Angkor Wat, easily the most famous and best-preserved of all temples within the Angkor complex. It is a massive three-tiered structure crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. W can wonder through the temple and imagine what life would have been like here in the 9th - 14th centuries. Next we explore the ancient walled city of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. The Bayon Temple, Baphuon, the royal enclosure, and the Terraces of the Elephants and the Leper King are the main elements of this 12th-century masterpiece. We aim to relax and have lunch in the middle of the day when the heat is at its greatest. We then continue to Ta Prohm Temple, which, unlike most other Angkor temples, has been left just as it was when rediscovered: a photogenic and atmospheric maze of trees growing out of the ruins. We return to our hotel in the afternoon to enjoy some downtime to refresh before we head out to a local restaurant for dinner. After dinner we head out to the local night markets where we can practise our Khmer language skills as we barter for clothing, fashion, crafts, souvenirs and electronics at the markets. Overnight: Siem Reap. Note: Appropriate attire when visiting Angkor temples is long pants (covering the knee) and shirts that cover the shoulders. Skirts, small shorts, tank tops, and other items of revealing clothing are not allowed on temple grounds. Visitors can and are frequently turned away from temples when wearing revealing clothing.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today we will get up early for breakfast before heading to our project site at the Treak Community Centre. You will be divided into sub-groups to work on different components of the project. We will take the time to take a walk through the surrounding community whilst gaining a better understanding of the people and their way of life. You should wear clothing you don’t mind getting dirty or painted on. The people from the local village and school will be very receptive to your visit and the improvements that you are making which will bring long-term benefits to the entire village. The difference this work will make for the community can not be underestimated. In addition to the friendships formed, it will foster closer relationships between the two countries and schools. At the end of our third day, we say farewell to the center and our newfound friends. The project is set up alongside our regenerative Travel, Give, Grow concept, offering unique experiences to help foster respect for the natural world as well as the diverse peoples and cultures that live in it. This regenerative style of travel helps develop confidence, resilience, tolerance, problem-solving abilities, teamwork, fitness, and key life skills. We will return to our hotel late in the afternoon to refresh before heading out to dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight: Siem Reap

Meals:  B,L,D

Today, we head out to Kampong Khleang “floating village”, which is, in fact, a settlement of stilt houses called home by over 20,000 people. Depending on the season and the water level, structures can tower up to ten meters above the water or be totally immersed and give visitors the impression that houses are actually floating. Greeted by waves of friendly locals, here you can glimpse Cambodia’s countryside culture and traditional family lifestyle. We will join a local family in the village for a picnic lunch before joining a boat trip through the village. We next visit the Siem Reap Art Center Market before heading back to our hotel to rest and refresh. This evening, we will visit the famous PHARE circus. The circus is an International quality program designed to take in street kids and train them to be performers. The circus travels around the world and appears on some of the biggest stages. It is a fantastic experience we know you will love!

Meals:  B,L,D

Today we embark on the drive to Phnom Penh. The drive is on a new highway and should take around 5 hours. We stop at the famous Skuon Village, also known as Spiderville as it boasts one of Cambodian’s most exotic culinary delights: the deep-fried spider. The village was featured in Hamish and Andy's gap year TV show and is always a hit with the students. We can take a stroll around the market before continuing onto Phnom Penh. On arrival in Phnom Penh around mid-afternoon, we will check into our hotel and have the afternoon to relax before an orientation of our surroundings and dinner.

Meals:  B,L,D

Our next stop is a very sobering one as we visit Cambodia’s bloody past. Whilst this is a very confronting visit, it is important if we are to understand the country’s recent history and how the people are looking positively towards the future. The first stop is Tuol Sleng Museum. Originally, this building was a high school until it became the Khmer Rouge’s main interrogation center. During this period it was known as ‘S-21’. We then stop for de-briefing and lunch at a local restaurant before proceeding to the Killing Fields, a stretch of countryside where over 10,000 people were executed. The remains of some of the people are stored in a memorial to remind people of the atrocities the Khmer Rouge inflicted on other Khmers. We will then head back into town and visit the National Museum, housing the world’s foremost collection of ancient Khmer artifacts. Overnight in Phnom Penh

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we rise early for breakfast at our hotel as we will head out at 7:30 am for a very special day. We drive to Phnom Tamao to the Free the Bears wildlife sanctuary to join their “Keeper for a Day” program. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to get behind the scenes at one of the best wildlife centers in South East Asia. The facility, set up by Perth lady Mary Hutton, now houses over 100 sun bears and over a 7-hectare area. We will help with the bear enrichment program. Late this afternoon we will return to Phnom Penh and enjoy a low-key dinner and exploration of the local markets. Overnight in Phnom Penh

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we rise for an early breakfast, before we meet our guide and embark on the drive to Coconut "Green" School Kirirom, which is located on the top of Kirirom Mountain in Kampong Speu Province. This is no ordinary school! The mission at Coconut School Foundation is to help people in remote communities that lack access to public school, healthcare, and technology to fight poverty through free education programs, access to basic healthcare, and free meals while attending classes. But there’s a catch, to attend each student must participate in the “Trash to Tuition” program where students are required to clean up trash from their home and community and bring those to school so the teachers can teach them to recycle/repurpose it into household items, garden, farming materials, and toys to keep it from turning their home into landfill. 90% of the school is built from recyclable materials the students collect including the classrooms, library, computer lab and clinics and coffee shop. Over the next 2 days students from Toorak College will be involved in helping with classes and with putting the recycled materials to use at the school. On the afternoon of day 10 we will return to Phnom Penh.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning, we rise and have breakfast and say farewell to our guide before departing for Phnom Penh Airport and checking in for your flight to Melbourne.

Meals:  B,L

Meals:  Nil