PEPY, a Cambodia/ USA based adventure cycle tour and humanitarian aid institution, announces its first Temple Safari Cycling Trek through Siem Reap and Preah Vihear provinces of Cambodia in January 2008. The participants will raise funds for the construction of a sustainable childcare and educational center near Koh Ker temple. Moreover the participants will also spend a day working at the center.
The center has been promoted as part of a sustainable development and heritage protection initiative undertaken by Heritage Watch, a non-profit organisation committed to preserving Cambodia’s natural heritage through educational projects and sustainable tourism development.
This one-of-a-kind cycling temple safari will see participants travelling over several hundred kilometers across the backroads of Cambodia. The cycle tour will commence and culminate in Siem Reap, where the globally famous Angkor Wat temples are sited.
This unique will take adventure cyclists through the peaceful Cambodian countryside. Living in tents near temples and enjoying quiet evenings under the stars far from crowded and noisy tourist resorts. Participants will get an opportunity to savour meals prepared from fresh local ingredients.
This is not just an adventure expedition, PEPY riders will also spend one full day volunteering at the Koh Ker childcare center, meeting and interacting with the children and community members.
The ancient Khmer capital of Koh Ker, in rural Preah Vihear province, is poised to become a major temple attraction for visitors to Cambodia. This tenth-century site was completely ignored during the past century due to war, landmines, and poor road conditions. Recent de-mining efforts have made it possible for the city to grow into a viable tourism hotspot.
In order to ensure that the local communities can directly benefit from this growth, Heritage Watch will provide training in heritage protection to the local community.
PEPY offers a variety of volunteer, adventure, and cycling tours throughout the year. In addition to the trip fee, each participant on a PEPY tour contributes a tax-deductible, donation that supports the ongoing humanitarian projects in Cambodia visited on the tour.
