Vocation with a Cause - My First Trip to Cambodia

Voation with a Cause - My First Trip to Cambodia

As per what I have said earlier in my blog, I try to travel to a country each year where I have not been to before. Each place I go, whether it is for the first time or not, there will be new insight and new lesson to be learnt to share.

I was in Cambodia from 9 to 13 Jul 2008, with my wife and 14 other of my volunteer friends. I called it the vocation with a cause because it is also an overseas service project cum holiday. This is my first trip there and I hope to go back there again. We were there to build a new classroom for a school, give away cloths, shorts, bags, stationary, tip-bits to 2 ophanages and tour Angkor Wat, Bayon and some other historical sights.

Introduction

We booked our own air-tickets through internet with Silkair as early as April 2008. Each air-ticket is about S$320. Some booked in May 2008 only pay about S$280. We know a local tour guide in Cambodia, he book the hotel for us and got us a 20-seater mini-bus. The charges for the whole package is S$458 per head for twin sharing, inclusive of 4 nights stay at 5-star hotel, tour at Angkor Wat & Bayon, city tour, USD20 entrance fee to Angkor Wat and all meals. I should say what we paid is very reasonable.

As for our service projects, we brought with us about 400 kg of things for the children and adults of Cambodia. At Singapore check-in counter, we supposed to pay for excess baggage but Silkair was very kind to waive it because we said we are bringing the old clothes for the poor in Cambodia. We managed to raise USD4,200 to build one classroom in Cambodia.

(to be continued)