VOLUNTEER VACATIONS
Future Light Orphanage
Cambodia
ITINERARY
DAY 1: ARRIVAL PHNOM PENH
Upon arrival, at the Phnom Penh airport you will be
met by local guide and transferred to Future Light Orphanage. Enroute your guide
will give you an introduction to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capitol city. After
settling into the center’s Guest House you’ll receive a tour of the grounds and
meet some of the staff and children. The orphanage is more like a village than
an institution; many people earn their livings here, working to help the
children achieve a better future. They employ cooks, teachers, maintenance
people, weavers, sewers and sometimes musicians.
FLO GUESTHOUSE L/D
DAY 2: PROGRAM ORIENTATION
Following breakfast this morning we’ll have a brief
orientation that will describe the goals for our visit at FLO. The balance of
the day is free to acclimate yourself after the long flight and to visit with
the children. This afternoon we’ll rent a van for those of you that may want to
travel into Phnom Penh and see the silk shop featuring articles made by the
students at FLO. FLO GUESTHOUSE B/L/D
DAY 3: PHNOM TAMAO WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Today we take a group of children to Cambodia’s foremost
zoo and wildlife sanctuary. This is home to animals confiscated from traffickers
and poachers traps. There are tigers, sun bears, elephants, deer and a large
menagerie of birdlife. A staff member will conduct our tour and discuss the
poaching and trafficking of animals on the Black Market. He will also talk to
the children about careers in animal conservation. Following our tour we’ll
share a picnic lunch on the grounds.
After we return to FLO there will be a classroom discussion
about what we learned at the sanctuary.
FLO
GUESTHOUSE B/L/D
DAY 4: PHNOM PENH MUSUEMS
Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crime
This former high school was taken over by Pol Pot’s
security forces and soon became the largest center of detention and torture in
the country. Mr. Vannat, a Tuol Sleng survivor, will conduct our guided tour.
National Museum
The National Museum is home to the world’s finest
collection of Khmer art and sculpture. The museum is housed in a graceful
terra-cotta structure of traditional design.
Following our museum tours we’ll take the children to lunch
at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club Restaurant with it’s
unsurpassed views of the Sap and Mekong Rivers.
Upon our return to FLO there will be a classroom discussion
and Q&A about the days events.
FLO
GUESTHOUSE B/L/D
DAY 5:
PHNOM PENH POST
This morning we take a group
of children to tour of the offices
of the Phnom Penh Post newspaper. This English language
newspaper, founded in 1992 by Mr. Michael Hayes, is the oldest and most
comprehensive newspaper covering Cambodia today. Mr. Hayes will conduct our tour
and discuss with the children the requirements for careers in journalism.
Family is the heart of life in
Cambodia. Tonight we will have the privilege of visiting the homes of local
families for an evening of dinner and conversation. Some of the FLO children
will join us as we learn about typical family life in Cambodia.
FLO GUESTHOUSE B/L/D
DAY 6: PREPARE TO COOK
Today is spent working with the children on their English and computer skills.
Tonight it’s our turn to cook. We treat our FLO hosts and the children to a
traditional American Spaghetti Feed.
Tonight’s entertainment is a classical
Cambodian dance performance by the
children of FLO.
FLO GUESTHOUSE B/L/D
DAY 7: PHNOM PENH TO SIEM REAP
Today we leave our FLO children and friends for
an excursion to Siem Reap, location of one of the Wonders of the World, Angkor
Wat. Siem Reap is the gateway to Cambodia’s spiritual and cultural heartbeat. A
charming town with rural qualities it features old French shop houses, shady
tree-lined boulevards and a gentle winding river.
Our accommodations while in Seim Reap
are the Victoria Angkor Hotel. The building’s graceful architecture
inspired from the early 20th century colonial buildings provides a
sense of peaceful tranquility. The Hotel has been designed to be in total
harmony with its natural surroundings. Enchantingly situated in the heart of
Seim Reap, opposite the Royal Park, it is only ten minutes away from the Angkor
Temples, and walking distance from the Old Market.
This evening you’re on your own to dine and
explore.
VICTORIA ANGKOR HOTEL B
DAY 8: ANGKOR WAT
Angkor Wat is a stunning blend of spirituality
and symmetry, an enduring example of man’s devotion to god. It is widely
believed to be the largest religious structure in the world. Authorities claim
that the amount of stone used in creating this massive edifice is equal to that
of the great pyramid of Cheops though at Angkor the surfaces are elaborately
carved.
Evening on your own.
VICTORIA ANGKOR HOTEL B
DAY 9:
FREE DAY
Seim Reap is a small town at heart
and an easy enough to navigate in an hour or two. Today is free to take
advantage of the many sightseeing options available in this ancient
region.
VICTORIA ANGKOR HOTEL B
AUGUST 12
DAY 10: FREE DAY
Silk farms, shadow puppet makers an art galleries or a moto ride are jut a few
of the sightseeing options available to you today. This evening we come together
for a farewell dinner at the hotel.
VICTORIA
ANGKOR HOTEL B/D
DAY 11:
HOMEWARD BOUND
