Travel Video News
BANGKOK, 26 May 2010 — Subsistence villagers in central Cambodia are preparing themselves for an increase in tourists who are curious to explore dozens of local temple ruins that pre-date Angkor Wat by up to 500 years. With some international aid, the villagers have set up a small scale infrastructure of handicraft shop, information centre, restaurant, homestay accommodation and bicycle tours. Guided bicycle trips visit the nearby ruins that have been likened to a setting in an Indiana Jones movie.
The German government through GTZ (German Technical Cooperation) has helped villagers with physical preparation. Khiri Reach, the not-for-profit arm of Khiri Travel, is now promoting Sambor Prei Kuk, formerly known as Isanapura, the capital of a pre-Angkorian Khmer kingdom.
“Our aim is to bring more people to the Sambor Prei Kuk area and extend their stay to at least one overnight,” said Willem Niemeijer, CEO and co-founder of Khiri Travel. “The area is suitable for adventurous travelers who enjoy low-key pleasures such as forest hikes, exploration by bicycle, ox cart rides, homestays and buying locally made silk, rattan and bamboo handicrafts.”
GTZ has helped with guide training, educating locals to preserve their heritage and building a basic restaurant plus information centre and toilets for tourists.
When GTZ started work in the area there were approximately 1,200 visitors per year. There are now around 8,000, but few stay overnight.
The temples are in an impoverished area of Kampong Thom province, halfway between Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat. Most visitors pass through without stopping. That may soon change.
“Sambor Prei Kuk is at the centre of a plan to promote attractions throughout Kampong Thom province,” said Peter Bolster, program director, Private Sector Promotion, GTZ-PSP. “The provincial government has agreed to the plan which is now under consideration at the highest level of government in Phnom Penh,” he said.
Niemeijer said that inspecting the ruins of Sambor Prei Kuk can be combined with visits to other community based attractions in the province. These include Santuk Mountain, the holiest in the region, Tonle Sap protected area and bird sanctuary, the Santuk Silk Farm and an inspection of villages specialized in stone carving and making rice noodles.
Since 2005 GTZ has worked with the Sambor Prei Kuk Conservation Project to establish craft training courses for seven villages in the area. Community funds now go towards temple conservation, supporting home businesses, maintaining signage, and the upkeep of the craft hut and information centre.
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Further information about Sambor Prei Kuk can be found via Linda Oum at Linda@khirireach.com or Peter Bolster at peter.bolster@gtz.de.
About Khiri Reach
Khiri Reach aims to help the disadvantaged in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia improve their living conditions in a sustainable way. All nine projects centre around local communities. The threat of destruction of natural resources is a real concern in Southeast Asia. Conservation and a green and environmentally-friendly approach is an important part of the projects we start and contribute to. Khiri Reach believes that small business is the way forward. By far the majority of the projects we support have sustainable tourism as a common theme. Further information: www.khirireach.com.
About the Khiri Travel Group
Khiri Travel, established in 1994, is an independent destination management company with its own regional network. It has eight offices in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. The company’s detailed knowledge shows in its innovative itineraries, precise operations and commitment to responsible travel throughout the Indochina region. Visit www.khiri.com.
About GTZ in Cambodia
Cambodia is a priority partner country for German Development Cooperation. Since 1994, GTZ has been active there on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Currently ranking 137th on the Human Development Index, 31 percent of the population of Cambodia live below the poverty line and the per capita income stands at US$ 600 (2008).
Further information: http://www.gtz.de/en/praxis/609.htm
Contact the Khiri Travel Group
Head office
226/9 Tiwanon Road, Soi 24
Nonthaburi 11000 (Greater Bangkok)
Thailand
Tel: (+66) [0] 2968 6828
“Our aim is to bring more people to the Sambor Prei Kuk area and extend their stay to at least one overnight,” said Willem Niemeijer, CEO and co-founder of Khiri Travel. “The area is suitable for adventurous travelers who enjoy low-key pleasures such as forest hikes, exploration by bicycle, ox cart rides, homestays and buying locally made silk, rattan and bamboo handicrafts.”
GTZ has helped with guide training, educating locals to preserve their heritage and building a basic restaurant plus information centre and toilets for tourists.
When GTZ started work in the area there were approximately 1,200 visitors per year. There are now around 8,000, but few stay overnight.
The temples are in an impoverished area of Kampong Thom province, halfway between Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat. Most visitors pass through without stopping. That may soon change.
“Sambor Prei Kuk is at the centre of a plan to promote attractions throughout Kampong Thom province,” said Peter Bolster, program director, Private Sector Promotion, GTZ-PSP. “The provincial government has agreed to the plan which is now under consideration at the highest level of government in Phnom Penh,” he said.
Niemeijer said that inspecting the ruins of Sambor Prei Kuk can be combined with visits to other community based attractions in the province. These include Santuk Mountain, the holiest in the region, Tonle Sap protected area and bird sanctuary, the Santuk Silk Farm and an inspection of villages specialized in stone carving and making rice noodles.
Since 2005 GTZ has worked with the Sambor Prei Kuk Conservation Project to establish craft training courses for seven villages in the area. Community funds now go towards temple conservation, supporting home businesses, maintaining signage, and the upkeep of the craft hut and information centre.
###
Further information about Sambor Prei Kuk can be found via Linda Oum at Linda@khirireach.com or Peter Bolster at peter.bolster@gtz.de.
About Khiri Reach
Khiri Reach aims to help the disadvantaged in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia improve their living conditions in a sustainable way. All nine projects centre around local communities. The threat of destruction of natural resources is a real concern in Southeast Asia. Conservation and a green and environmentally-friendly approach is an important part of the projects we start and contribute to. Khiri Reach believes that small business is the way forward. By far the majority of the projects we support have sustainable tourism as a common theme. Further information: www.khirireach.com.
About the Khiri Travel Group
Khiri Travel, established in 1994, is an independent destination management company with its own regional network. It has eight offices in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. The company’s detailed knowledge shows in its innovative itineraries, precise operations and commitment to responsible travel throughout the Indochina region. Visit www.khiri.com.
About GTZ in Cambodia
Cambodia is a priority partner country for German Development Cooperation. Since 1994, GTZ has been active there on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Currently ranking 137th on the Human Development Index, 31 percent of the population of Cambodia live below the poverty line and the per capita income stands at US$ 600 (2008).
Further information: http://www.gtz.de/en/praxis/609.htm
Contact the Khiri Travel Group
Head office
226/9 Tiwanon Road, Soi 24
Nonthaburi 11000 (Greater Bangkok)
Thailand
Tel: (+66) [0] 2968 6828
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