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Welcome to Siem Reap
When most people think of Siem Reap, they think of the Angkor Wat temple complex. While the majestic temples are undoubtedly a highlight of any trip to Cambodia, Siem Reap has much more to offer to those who are willing to spend a little more time and explore beyond the temples.
Siem Reap has undergone a staggering renaissance in the last few years, mainly due to the arrival of tourists using the
town as a base for visiting the temples. Despite this recent boom in tourism, however, the Siem Reap province itself,
located on the shores of the Tonle Sap Lake, remains one of the poorest in the country.
Siem Reap town is a cluster of small villages along the Siem Reap River. These villages were originally developed around Buddhist wats evenly spaced along the river from Wat Preah En Kau Sei in the north to Wat Phnom Krom in the south.
Whether you’re a culture vulture, a shopping fanatic or a nature enthusiast, the initiatives listed in the following pages will give
you a richer experience and better understanding of the country and its people.
Butterflies Garden Restaurant
Set in a tropical garden with over 1,000 butterflies, the aptly named Butterflies Garden Restaurant offers an oasis not only for customers but also to the community. It provides disadvantaged youth with restaurant training and former street children and communities living with HIV/AIDS with income-generating opportunities.
Centre for Khmer Studies
The Center for Khmer Studies support emerging Cambodian scholars, writers and artists, who almost disappeared during the Khmer Rouge regime. The Center boasts the largest specialized public library in Cambodia outside Phnom Penh, in the tranquil, restored Wat Damnak. It also prints books, research and reference materials.
Cambodian Living Arts
Founded eight years ago by a Cambodian-American refugee, CLA promotes the revival of traditional Cambodian art forms and empowers the students and master teachers to sustain themselves through the arts. Travellers can gain better insight of Cambodia's heritage by enjoying traditional shadow puppetry performed by firelight in the evening.
Samatoa
Created in 2004, Samatoa Cooperative is a community group that specialises in producing silk apparel. Our desire from the start has been to re-introduce the unique quality of natural Cambodian silk using the knowledge of skilled weavers and tailors. Samatoa offers a wide range of quality products made from natural Cambodian silk. We offer tailored, ‘made to measure’ silk clothes in 24 hours.
Angkor Center for Conservation of Biodiversity
A not-for-profit widlife rescue and nature conservation centre, the Angkor Center for Conservation Biodiversity rehabilitates confiscated wildlife, educates the local community and offers guided tours of the Center, village-based sustainable tours and a bee keeping program as an alternative to poaching.
NYEMO
NYEMO aims to provide vulnerable women with the necessary means to regain their dignity and participate actively in the development of their country. Every year, around 800 women who are abused, trafficked, sick, affected by HIV/AIDS and/or abandoned by their families or husbands receive support from us, in addition to around 700 orphans and vulnerable children.
National Center for Khmer Ceramics Revival
The National Centre for Khmer Ceramic Revival (NCKCR) and its young Khmer students are passionate about reviving the ancient skill of creating traditional, high quality, Khmer ceramics that once thrived during the Khmer Empire from 802 to 1432. NCKCR was created in 2006 to revive this knowledge.
Artisans Angkor
Established in 1999 to help young people find work in their home villages, the self-financed Artisans Angkor's aim is to revive traditional craft skills. It has so far created over 1,000 jobs for both artisans and non-craftsmen in rural Cambodia. A visit to the workshops will take travellers from raw materials to splendid craft-wares.
Osmose
Osmose's pilot conservation and development project in the Prek Toal area of Tonle Sap Lake links the preservation of endangered waterbird colonies to the sustainable development of local communities. The project is beneficial to over 100 families, providing alternative employment to former bird collectors through conservation, education and ecotourism.
Sala Bai Hotel and Restaurant School
Each year, Sala Bai offers 100 disadvantaged students from across the country hospitality training. In addition to training, students receive accommodation, a bicycle, meals, uniforms and manuals and a four-month internship. The fact that over 95% of the students get a job in less than three months after graduation is a testament to the school's success.
Sangkheum Center for Children
The Sangkheum Center for Children is a joint project between the Italian NGO Progetto Continenti and the Khmer Angkor Development Organisation (KADO). In the Khmer language, Sangkheum means ‘hope’. Since 2001, we have provided hope for over 274 orphaned, abused or neglected children.
Angkor Association for the Disabled
Angkor Association for the Disabled assist landmine survivors and people with disabilities around Siem Reap, by raising funds to purchase carts or tricycles equipped to carry postcards, books, etc. Income from sale of the products keeps the cart owner away from a life of begging. Future projects include craft training, literacy training, and TV and motorbike repairing.
Angkor Hospital for Children
Providing full service, life saving paediatric care for 300 to 500 babies and children per day and over 100,000 visits per year, Angkor Hospital for Children is funded entirely by grants and donations. Designated by the Ministry of Health as an official teaching hospital, it also trains local health care professionals, working to improve available health services in the rural communities.
Krousar Thmey
Krousar Thmey (New Family) gives material, educational and social support to abandoned and orphaned children, street children and victims of trafficking. It has created a Khmer version of Braille and sign language, and adapted vocational training for students with sight and hearing disabilities while its centres provide a much needed home for the children.
Singing Tree Cafe
In the growing hustle and bustle of downtown Siem Reap, the Singing Tree Café provides a welcome and memorable experience – a large and serene garden café where you can relax, surf the Internet for free or read while we serve you a delicious selection of light, wholesome and nutritious meals.
Paul Dubrule School of Hotel and Tourism
Set up to ensure that young Cambodians have access to a new world of opportunities, students at Paul Dubrule learn both theory and practical skills required for the hospitality industry. Travellers can stay at the Training Hotel, enjoy local and international delicacies at the Training Restaurant or learn how to prepare famous Cambodian dishes.
Handicap International - Belgium
Every year, landmines and unexploded ordinance (UXO) from the recent civil war kill or maim more than 500 Cambodians. Handicap International-Belgium provides a range of support activities to the disabled, many of which are landmine victims. It has established rehabilitation centres and community outreach and sport projects and runs programs to prevent disabilities.
Senteurs d’Angkor
Senteurs d'Angkor uses the finest ingredients from all over the country - its Kampot pepper is well-known - to produce high-quality handicrafts such as silk products, hand-made soaps and massage oils, and exotic sculptures. It prides itself on sourcing all its products in Cambodia, from raw ingredients to the packaging materials and focusing on keeping jobs and incomes within the country. Travelers can either visit the boutique or workshop - both in Siem Reap - to discover more.
Sam Veasna Center for Wildlife Conservation
Sam Veasna Center for Wildlife Conservation Center is engaged in raising awareness of Cambodia's rich wildlife heritage and facilitating activities that promote wildlife conservation. Established in 2003, it is committed to attaining long-term environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability. It specializes in arranging birding tours to remote areas of Cambodia to see rare birds.
Cambodia Landmine Museum & Relief Facility
Opened in 1999 to raise awareness of landmines in Cambodia to both tourists and locals alike, the Landmine Museum provides training, education, livelihood support and for child landmine survivors, a home and school. Travellers can learn more about landmines and UXO as well as historical information on the country's tumultuous past.