Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2009

PEPY (Protect the Earth, Protect Yourself) isn’t your average “voluntourism” company. Describing itself as an “educational NGO funded through responsible tour operations,” it organizes adventure travel and volunteer trips in Cambodia that supply much-needed cash and support to local schools and training initiatives. Over the Christmas and New Year period, the group offers a triple whammy of tours to choose from. From December 20 to January 10, the fifth annual PEPY Ride will be biking from Angkor Wat in the north of the country to the beach paradise of Kep in the south, making plenty of stops along the way ($1,500, plus $1,500 fundraising fee and $200 for bike rental). If you’re pressed for time, you could opt for the 650km Global Agents for Change/PEPY ride, which covers a similar route from December 28 to January 10 ($1,250, plus minimum $500 fundraising fee and $150 for bike rental). A more sedate option is the Classic Experiential Tour from December 27 to January 2, where participants accompany students from one of PEPY’s schools to Angkor, then spend a night in a rural village ($750 and $500 fundraising fee).
For more details, see http://pepytours.com.