Southeast Asia - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 302

409 sEE camBodia By BikE

For many visitors to Cambodia, the highlight
of their trip is a visit to Angkor Wat. But for
those on the annual cycling tour with PEPY
(“Protect the Earth, Protect Yourself ”) it's just
the beginning - the start of a three-week biking
adventure that continues around Tonle Sap
Lake, down to Phnom Penh and then south to
the coast. On some days you may pedal as far as
100km over dusty roads, through rice paddies
and vibrant city streets. There are regular stops
for an energizing bite to eat and drink - tasty
noodles, fried rice, fresh coconut juice - when
you'll get the chance to meet the locals.
The tour also explores the darker sides of
Cambodia's past, such as the notorious Killing
Fields. But this is counterbalanced by visits to
the many inspiring projects run or supported by
PEPY, such as the development of environmental
school clubs in rural classrooms, ride-to-school
groups and rainwater-harvesting schemes. And
when you finally reach the white sands of the
beaches in the south, a celebratory splash in the
warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand makes for
the perfect finale.

The farm was established in 1996,
in the village of Phoudinadaeng, on
the banks of the Nam Song River, as
a model centre of organic agriculture:
mulberry trees are cultivated using
natural fertilizers and predators, and
their leaves picked daily to feed the
silkworms or to make mulberry tea
and wine. Half of each silk harvest is
sold for fabric production, while the
other half provides income for village
women, who weave it at home and
then sell silk products back to the
farm. Profits from the farm are also
used to run a community centre and
school, where volunteers can help
with English lessons.
Travellers are welcome to visit the
farm - you can stay in simple rooms if you wish
- to learn about how the silk is processed or see
how the fruit and veg is grown using traditional
techniques. And if - having learnt that each
harvest produces around ten kilos of silk which
is then dyed with local plants - you buy one
of the brightly coloured scarves made by the
women, you'll have gained a real appreciation of
what your silk is worth.

Need to know The trip costs $1500,
which includes bike rental if necessary, all
accommodation and most meals. In addition
participants must raise at least $1500 to support
projects, which they visit on their tour. PEPY also
runs several other trips throughout the year. See
W www.pepytours.com for further information.

Cambodia by bike; Angkor Wat

410 lEarn how silk is madE in
laos

Holding the tiny cocoon in your fingers, it's
hard to imagine it contains a fibre of silk that
will be 800m long when finally unravelled. And
when you consider 100,000 silk worms are being
cultivated here at Vang Viang Organic Farm,
you're effectively surrounded by 80,000km of silk
- enough to circle the earth twice.

Need to know For directions to the farm and
details of projects and accommodation (dorm beds
US$1, rooms without bath US$3) see W www.
laofarm.org; T [phone].