​Parent Information

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Most questions raised by parents attending the pre-tour student & parent information evenings cover three issues - their child's safety while on tour, the range of activities and outcomes they can expect their child to experience, and the value of the tour fee (and what is included in the tour fee).

 

Safety.  Travel tin any "third world" environment is inherently more dangerous than staying in a more developed country.  But the risks can be mitigated to a level that is acceptable given the educational and personal development gains that participation students can achieve.  So the focus needs to be on reducing risk as much as practicable, while maximising the value of the experiences for students so the risk/reward balance is appropriate.

 

In terms of reducing risk, Cambodia Connect managed tours exceed the normally accepted student / staff ratio because we have both school staff and Cambodia Connect staff on tour.  Even if it is only an "add-on" tour (where the volunteer work component is added onto a school's own tour) there are extra supervising staff available when the Australian students are working in a Transform Life Centres in Cambodia. 

 

At least one of the key personnel from Cambodia Connect fully accompanies every Canbodia Connect managed tour, and for larger tour groups multiple Cambodia Connect staff come on tour.  Wayne Patterson is the Project Director and Tour Manager.  Wayne was a principal with the WA Education Department and has considerable experience in leading student tours.  Wayne and his wife Sheryl have lived and worked in Cambodia and have an excellent understanding of the local environment.

 

Thon Bin is a Cambodian national who managed a Transform Cambodia Life Centre in Phnom Penh before moving to Australia.  Thon has an intimate knowledge of Cambodia in general, and the operations of the Transform Cambodia Life Centres in particular.  Thon accompanies most tours and takes on the role of translator, guide and mentor for the students while they are in Cambodia.

 

The range of activities. The main focus of Cambodia Connect tours is the volunteer work with the local Khmer children.  Our core mission is to help these children, and most of the satisfaction, reward and personal growth achieved by the senior students comes from the volunteer work.  

 

Having said that, it is logical to maximise the value of the tour experience by exposing participating students to the broadest possible range of cultural and educational activities while on tour - and this we do very well.  A typical tour day is packed with experiences that include a buffet breakfast at our hotel, an open-air tuk-tuk ride around the noisy and colourful roads of Phnom Penh, a good day's work at our Tranform Cambodia Life Centre (including a lunch drawn from the local cuisine), more travel around Phnom Penh on tuk-tuks, an afternoon activity that could include fossicking in local markets for souviners and bargains, dinner at a delighful local outdoor restaurant and perhaps an evening cruise on the might Mekong River.  

 

And on every trip we make an extended tour out to the rural "provinces" of Cambodia to experience life away from the big city.  Sometimes it is a day trip, and sometimes we make an overnight stay to really experience life as the locals do.  We climb temple mountains like Phnom Chisor (440 steep steps to the top), learn how to plant or harvest rice the way it has been done for thousands of years, meet children who have rarely ever seen westerners, and generally experience a culture vastly different to home.

 

Another important part of the Cambodian experience is the visit to the Killing Fields of Cambodia.  This is one of the killing places where nearly 3 million Cambodians were killed during the reign of the Khmer Rouge lead by Pol Pot in the late 70s.  It has been developed into an "open" museum where students can move around at their own pace and develop their own understanding of the horrors of that era.  It is not a frightening place, but it is a very sobering experience to understand and appreciate that you are standing in the very place that such atrocities occured.

 

The last area of enquiry for most parents is the cost and value of the tour. You will know the cost from the school staff.  It is harder to work out the value. We can start by advising that all travel costs are covered in the all-inclusive tour fee - all air tickets, travel insurance, entry visas, land transportation, accommodation, drinks, all meals every day on tour, all entries and other incidental costs.  The other only costs parents need to be aware of are passports and vaccinations (if it is decided to have them) and the cost of any gifts, souviners and personal items students may wish to buy while on tour. Students are also required to prepare an English Activity Kit (see the Activity Kit page on this website). However, the cost of this kit can be very low as most items can be made or sourced from existing resources.

 

Note that the tour fee paid by students also covers the cost of accompanying school staff, and the cost of all the other tour related overheads like tour insurance (which is in addition to the travel insurance taken out for every participating student).

 

The last part of the value equation is the educational and cultural experiences gained by participating students, and the personal development and character building they achieve.  We well understand these are key issues for parents, so you can be assured we work to manage every aspect of the tour experience to meet those personal growth objectives.  It is always a great pleasure and reward for us to see the amazing positive change in participating students by the time we return them home.