ACCOMMODATION
You will be housed at a basic yet comfortable volunteer house. Rooms are single-sex
with locked doors, bunk-beds, mosquito nets and a fan– maximum 4 volunteers per
room. Wifi is available in the house but not necessarily in your rooms.
There are limited laundry facilities so expect to wash your clothes by hand, but
there are some places that you can
do laundry in the town too. You will be encouraged to be environmentally aware and
to use all resources with restraint, especially water, paper and electricity.
Transportation:
In Samraong you can easily get a motorcycle to go anywhere, or you can borrow a
bike at the centre. The roads in and to Samraong are very good now. It takes much
less time to go somewhere compared to few years ago.
Money issues:
In Samraong you can exchange money and traveler’s checks at the bank. The nearest
ATM is in Siem Reap, so please make sure you have enough money with you before leaving
to go the town. However, you will probably not need much money there!
Weekends:
Weekends are always free after each project. Relax at your accommodation,
take a bicycle into town, or expand your sightseeing and visit the many more sites
in the Oddar Meanchey Province or take a taxi to Siem Reap for the weekend. Friendly
staff are always there to make your choice easier with advice.
FOOD:
All food is included during your stay. The meals will be typical Cambodian fare,
including plenty of rice dishes, meat and western food. There are three meals served
during the week inside the accommodation and two during the weekend (Brunch and
Dinner).
A little about Cambodian food:
Cambodian food has generally been influenced by Chinese and French cuisine, and
also shares many common dishes with Thai food, although not as spicy. The staple
food for Cambodians is rice. Almost every meal includes a bowl of rice, although
noodles are also popular. A wide range of curries, soups and stir fried are served
with rice.
Typically, Cambodians eat their meals with at least three or four separate dishes.
A meal will usually include a soup, or samlor, served alongside the main courses.
Each individual dish will be either sweet, sour, salty or bitter. Chilli is usually
left up to the individual to add themselves.
Khmer cuisine also uses many vegetables, some of which are very unusual, such as
different and unusual local varieties of melon, beans and squash. Fish is the most
common form of meat in Khmer cuisine, including dried salted fish known as trei
ngeat. Getting to taste and know local cooking is one of the many delights of living
in a foreign country.