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carpe diem travel
description: Carpe Diem Travel is a social enterprise - using best business practices to improve lives in areas of need. We were created from the outset with the aim of providing local people with much-needed employment, sense of community and opportunities for development, and direct support to on-the-ground humanitarian projects. Our personal administration of the projects we enable and fund ensures that 100% of our support goes directly to the people who need it. By travelling with us, Cambodia benefits directly from your holiday.
Our country managers, an English/Dutch couple, are both resident in Cambodia, and their experience and relationships with the local people make all our trips less of a tour, more of a journey. Our small group trips have no more than ten people to ensure sensitivity to our surroundings, and the use of a wide range of different kinds of transport combine with the knowledge of our local guides to bring you much closer to the country.
Our short break and custom trips have been designed for travellers who would rather follow an itinerary to suit their requirements. Unlike our 14 day discovery tour, these are private trips and so run on the days that are convenient to you - you can come for just a weekend, a whole week or longer - its up to you.
Because of our experience and understanding of the country, we are able to offer far more than the main attractions of Angkor Wat or Phnom Penh. Although of course for most visitors these are essential places to visit, we can combine either or both of these locations with less visited destinations such as the lovely countryside around Battambang to the west, the caves and hills of Kampot to the south, or the hill tribes and jungles of Rattanakiri to the North, to give you a much more complete experience of this truly beautiful country. And at the end of your journey, why not relax on the peaceful beaches of Sihanoukville?
We are also able to offer a range of hand-picked accommodation, from small friendly guesthouses to four-star hotels, so whatever your budget, we should be able to provide an exciting itinerary to suit you.
the
discovery tour: a journey that captures the soul of the country..... designed from the ground up to provide you with a real understanding of the history and culture of the Khmer people. During 14 varied and interesting days, you visit not only Cambodia's "highlights" such as Angkor Wat and the Royal Palace, but get well away from the tourist trail, meeting the country's people and understanding more about their culture and way of life.
From the moment you arrive at the airport until the day you leave, you will be in the hands of one of our expert tour leaders, all of whom live in the country and have an appreciation and sensitivity to the local culture. Our small group trips are never larger than 10 people, to preserve the integrity of the places we visit.
Accommodation is in clean, comfortable locally-owned guest houses or small hotels with aircon and private bathroom, each of which has been hand-picked by us. The one exception is actually a highlight of the trip - a one night homestay, in a beautiful wooden house on the banks of a river.
The pace of the trip is designed to stop you being bored, while preventing you from becoming exhausted! We believe that no-one can truly appreciate the beauty of anywhere if they have only ten minutes to see it, so we give you time at each place we visit to take photos or just absorb the atmosphere.
what to
expect: As Cambodia is still very much a developing country, a certain degree of adventurous spirit and "can do" approach will help you get the most from this trip.
If you:
- need at least half an hour to style your
hair in the morning
- like bland, impersonal "international" hotels
- avoid even light exercise like the plague
- expect to be waited on hand and foot
- prefer places with food like you get at home
- get hysterical if you see an ant
this may not be the holiday for you!
What we do offer, however, is:
- clean and comfortable hotel rooms
- our undivided attention (except when you don't want it!)
- a rare chance to experience many aspects of this beautiful and unspoilt country.
our eco policy:
All of our journeys are designed from the ground up to be culturally and environmentally aware of our surroundings. We work closely with local communities to minimise the impact our trips have on the region and provide as many constructive benefits to the local people as possible.
Our guides and tour leaders all receive environmental awareness training, which they share with travellers and their local communities, and we work closely with local conservation organisations in undeveloped areas.
Our Travel Information, provided to clients before arrival, provides guidelines on how to minimise their effect on the environment. All of our trip and company information is available on our website, including a PDF brochure. All trip confirmations are sent by email. We undertake NO paper-based mailshot marketing.
Our welcome book includes an introduction to the local language.
When staying in remote areas, we always seek approval of the local elders in advance to ensure that our visit is welcomed. The small size of our groups ensure that we do not smother small local communities. Clients are advised in advance on the best way to behave towards local people. Our Travel Tip sheet provides clients with advice on how to dress appropriately and behave responsibly when visiting Cambodia.
Our group journeys include a visit to one of the local charitable organisations who are working to help the poorest people in the community. Support from our company has provided homes, education and livelihoods directly to those who most need it. All of our operating materials have been sourced or manufactured locally. For some, we have contracted production to non-profit organisations, giving benefit where it is needed most.
We provide material as well as financial support to a number of local humanitarian projects.
Our tour leaders all either live in the country or are local people who have been personally trained by us.
Carpe Diem Travel supports a number of young local people through university and provides direct funding to local charities. We also provide financial assistance and interest-free loans to individuals who show initiative and a willingness to work hard – these have included a motorbike driver who wished to buy a car to provide a better client service, and a former member of staff at one of the guesthouses we used who had always had a dream to open his own restaurant.
contact:
Carpe Diem Travel Ltd.
68 St. Peter's Street
London
N1 8JS
Tel: +44 (0) 845 226 2198
Fax: +44 (0) 870 132 7589
eMail: mail@carpe-diem-travel.com
www.carpe-diem-travel.com
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