Why Travelling with Intrepid might save the planet!
Well, my first experience of a small group travel adventure with Intrepid to Cambodia was anything but that. Our group consisted of 11 people (although 10 is the average group size for Intrepid), ranging from 21 to 60-year-olds from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities. There is a real misconception that Intrepid is for the youth traveller and that you'll be staying in budget accommodation. I can assure you, this is definitely not the case.
Travelling with Intrepid means you are making a difference to the world so there’s an added feel-good factor, which comes free of charge of course. I loved travelling with Intrepid and felt proud to have done it. So will you. Here’s why…
Discovering the Highlights of Cambodia
Coming out of Phnom Penh airport and into the humid Cambodian night air, we were greeted by our lovely local leader ‘Bun’, who took us to our air-conditioned coach. Here, he introduced himself and quickly had everyone in hysterics, helping us to feel at ease and welcome in his home country, before taking us to our comfortable and centrally located hotel.
Our journey began with a trip to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields, where Intrepid had arranged for a very passionate, official local guide to explain in detail about the gruesome history of Cambodia. Although this brief history lesson was heartbreaking to take in, it seemed fitting that the experience started here, as we gained an understanding of the importance of this beautiful country’s history.
There were numerous wonderful experiences in Cambodia. We explored by day and awoke our senses at night, sparked by the sight, smell and touch of everything vibrant these local markets had to offer. Flowers, fruit stalls, meats, beautiful clothes and incredible street food to name a few. We took part in a cyclo tour around the city as the sun began to set in Phnom Penh. We witnessed the harvesting and extraction of silk, which then got woven into beautiful scarves by local women. The group also had the privilege of standing next to and walking into excavated archaeological sites, half buried beneath the dirt, while overgrown trees quite literally wrapped around the temples in Sambor Prei Kuk. We got on paddleboats to visit a village that sits upon the water with a floating market, and also tried a variety of unconventional foods that might make one’s eyebrows raise.
One of the most memorable highlights from the abundance of tours we did during our stay in Cambodia has to be the golden sun illuminating the skies and rising behind the mammoth Angkor Wat. Our guide Bun knew the best times to leave to avoid the massive crowd of hundreds that later followed us, as well as showing us the best position to stand to capture that perfect selfie angle for Instagram. Going into the Bayon temple, which is vastly underrated by the way, Bun knew all the shortcuts to this marvel of a maze, again delivering us the best positions for photos as well as breathtaking views.
All in all - Cambodia is a must see for all ages and Intrepid can make that experience not only rewarding for the traveller but also for the local communities you will visit on your once in a lifetime trip.