In 2005, together with Cheung Kok villagers, we’ve founded one of the first community-based tourism in Cambodia and certainly one of the most authentic: the Cheung Kok village project. Over the years, this project has became a local social entreprise : profits generated from handicraft and tourism are used to provide free education to 30 students, to get a drinkable water access, to renovate the roads (after the rain season), to ensure micro-credits to the local famers and entrepreneurs and to invest on other projects (e.g. silk production, …).
Be welcome in Cheung Kok Village!
Your stay at Cheung Kok
Immerse yourself in authentic Cheung Kok village life and experience true Cambodian hospitality.
There are four ways for you to discover Cheung Kok:
- One short tour (2-3h) with our amazing guide Aline
- One full day with a yummy lunch shared with a lovely family
- One full day and one night in a traditional khmer house
To get the best of it and to make sure of availabilities, we recommend you to book at least 2 days in advance by reaching out Aline via WhatsApp (+855 69 555 115).
Good to know: get ready for your experience!
Cheung Kok is a traditionnal village that offers a real experience. Do not expect “a Disney land” attraction. Sometimes the village is quiet since everyone working hard in the rice field or getting rest.
Here are some basic rules:
1. Be respectful with people. A few people speak english but if you smilel to villagers, they will be very friendly.
2. Don’t give pens or anything to kids. You can make a donation or give those pens through the village (ask Aline). It will be redistributed on a fairly manner.
3. If you stay a full day or more, you may be asked to interact with kids over an english class. Obviously you won’t be asked to be a teacher! But under the control of the english teacher, you will help the kids to practice (pronunciation, listening …) and basically to step beyond their shyness 🙂 You are free to accept or not!
4. If you stay one night, you won’t find any towel (You are free to bring yours). Indeed, to make you feel as a villager, a krama or a traditionnal sarong will be lended to you. Do not forget that the experience is related to Cambodian rural tradition, not to Luxury hotel standards.
5. The guide won’t be always with you. Don’t be scared or shy: take this moment to walk around, to interact with people and/or relax enjoying landscapes, scenes…
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cheung Kok is a lovely traditional village patronized by the French NGO Amica that supports efforts towards a more sustainable rural life. The villagers grow rice but as they can only harvest a single crop a year, they are also looking for alternative lines of activity like silk worm growing and ecotourism. One can imagine what the village life feels by walking the soil paths and wandering the courtyards, as well as to study the traditional house on posts. The people we met were most hospitable and our tour guide Aline explained everything about the local life.
How to get there ?
From Kompong Cham:
- You can rent a tuk-tuk ; all Kompong Cham tuk-tuk drivers know Cheung Kok (also known as “AMICA village”)
- You can rent a moto and drive a few kilometers alongside the national road 7, heading to Phnom Penh.
