The Most Exotic Challenge

The British Asian Trust

Transforming lives together: We want to see a South Asia that maximises the potential of its people and that is free from inequality and injustice.

We unlock the potential of disadvantaged people in South Asia, where over 500 million survive on less than $2 a day. We do this by maximising the impact of support from the Asian diaspora and beyond.

We were founded by HRH The Prince of Wales and visionary British Asian business leaders to work across traditional boundaries and have already touched the lives of more than three million people.

OUR VALUES

We are trustworthy: While every good cause should be trustworthy, it is especially important for us. We pride ourselves on being able to show exactly how and where supporters’ money has had an impact.

We are entrepreneurial: We draw on the spirit and innovation of our founder supporters. We take their approach of fresh business thinking and original solutions, and apply it to our mission of transforming lives.

We convene: We bring together diverse groups from across boundaries of nations, faith, gender and opinion. We act as a catalyst for the conversations that will create change in new and exciting ways.

OUR APPROACH

We invest in local, high-impact organisations in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka that work in the areas of education, livelihoods, anti-trafficking and mental health / disability. We support these organisations in a range of ways including grants, social finance, capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation.

Education: We facilitate access to quality education and transform learning to ensure children are given the building blocks for a brighter future.

Anti-trafficking: Our work focuses on the welfare and protection of children and adolescents vulnerable to trafficking, as well as the rehabilitation and reintegration of survivors.

Livelihoods: We support access to enterprise development skills for women and small holder farmers, as well as vocational skills for young people.

Mental health / Disability: We seek to improve access to services and promote the rights of disabled people and people with mental health related issues.

For more information, please visit www.britishasiantrust.org

Level of Difficulty

The Most Exotic Challenge - Cambodia is graded as challenging and is perfect for participants who are of an adventurous spirit and an open mind. You can tell your supporters on the cycle challenge you will be:

• Cycling for around 5 hours per day, covering approximately 250kms over 4 days.
• Battling the heat and humidity. Temperatures can reach high 30s centigrade.
• Cycling across waterways, plantations and on unpaved and dusty roads.

Visa

All nationalities must obtain a visa for entering Cambodia but this can be done on arrival. You must hold a full ten-year passport with at least six months to run from the end of your challenge, and at least two blank pages for your visas and entry/exit stamps. . It costs US$30 with a $5 handling fee at the border and allows a stay of up to 30 days and one entry only. You must pay in USD cash. You will need 2 passport photos.  If you are a British national and plan to stay for an extended period in Cambodia you are strongly advised to register with the British Embassy in Phnom Penh upon arrival. You can register online at www.britishembassy.gov.uk/cambodia.

Climate

The best time to visit Cambodia is between November and April (dry season) this is when there is the least rain.  The first half of the dry season is also the cooler part of the season to travel; good for exploration but not too humid and hot like the latter half of the dry season in March to April.
The rainy season is generally from June to October and can cause some travel issues with water logged roads, however it is when the countryside is at its greenest with lush foliage.  The rain tends to fall in short sharp bursts and mainly in the afternoons.

Terrain

Please do not underestimate the length of the days as some days you will be covering as much as 70kms a day. Some areas of the cycle will be very exposed and with extreme heat and humidity which will be a challenge in itself. The cycle paths will be narrow and you will be navigating a variety of paths and bridges and so good use of gears is recommended.

Phone and WiFi

Your accommodation will have limited WiFi which you will be able to use, but please do not rely upon this. Cambodian internet connections are not always reliable. You will have phone signal in almost all places on the challenge.

Toliets

These range from very basic during the cycling route to normal western standards in the accommodation. There will be en-suite toilet and washing facilities at the hotels. 

Clothing and equipment

Good quality, durable kit could mean the difference between a fantastic challenge experience and an uncomfortable one. For this challenge, a helmet is compulsory, and comfortable footwear for your cycle will be indispensable, particularly coupled with some good quality padded cycling shorts. The benefits of a comfortable day sack cannot be underestimated, so make sure that you train with this. Other essentials are a high quality gore-tex waterproof jacket and technical/Dry fit t-shirts rather than cotton shirts. Cycling gloves, and a cotton scarf or buff are also highly recommended, to protect you from the dust. A full kit list for this challenge can be found here, and once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners, Outdoorhire and Cotswold Outdoor.

What are the bikes like?

The bikes are good quality lightweight Trek 4300, 4500 & 4700 – 24 & 27 speed Mountain bikes with Shimano Deore components, V Brakes and front suspension. All bikes have water bottle carriers & quickly detachable wheels. On arrival you will be asked to sign a waiver issued by our local ground handler on arrival in case of incident caused by yourselves. Please indicate your height on your booking form so that we can aim to book the correct size well in advance.

Food and Drink

Cambodian meals are based on fish, poultry, pork, vegetables and rice. The dishes are all very tasty and different and for the most part not too spicy. Food is usually prepared with a minimum of oil and served with ubiquitous fish sauce called nuoc mam. Saigon/Hanoi/Angkor Beer are the local brews. Wines are very expensive unless you want to sample locally made rice wine – ‘Roau’ (pronounced zeeo). Please let Charity Challenge knows prior to departure if you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies.  Please inform Charity Challenge of your dietary requirements if you do not eat seafood so we can accommodate you the best we can.

Accommodation

All rooms are single occupancy with en-suite at the Sofitel 5 star hotels, 2 nights in Phnom Penh and 2 nights in Siem Reap, with one night in Kampong Thom is at a local 4 star hotel.  If you are travelling with a friend or partner and wish to share please ensure that you note this where appropriate when booking or email challenges@charitychallenge.com.

Typical day

During your cycling days, you will wake at around 7am, have breakfast and start cycling for 6-8 hours. You will stop at shady rest stops every 15–20 km where you can rest and regroup. Here you will be able to re-energise with fruit snacks and fill water bottles. For lunch you will stop at a local restaurant or beauty spot for a picnic lunch. In the evening you will be taken to carefully selected restaurants.

Responsible Tourism

At Charity Challenge we are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism, and work closely with bodies such as the International Porter Protection Group and Climate Care to ensure that our challenges benefit the local environments and communities in which they take place. We ensure that all rubbish is disposed of responsibly, and following local guidelines on cultural and environmental protection and respect, we aim to limit our impact on the natural environment. In addition to taking these practical steps to ensure that our challenges are sustainable, we also make a contribution each year to a number of local community projects, so as to give something back directly to the communities that we visit. Since 2000 we have donated almost £200,000 to such projects, supporting a range of initiatives, including schooling for children in Africa, shelter for street children in Brazil, and Orang-utan conservation in Indonesia. We recommend that any gifts brought over for children are given to the UK challenge leader and distributed where needed by them and our local Ground Agent. If you wish to do more, you should consider buying drinks, postcards and souvenirs from the local vendors. For many, it is their sole source of income. For more information, please visit our Responsible Tourism pages, where you will be able to view a list of the projects that we currently support.

Luggage allowance and valuables

The luggage allowance will depend on the airline we are using for your challenge, but in general it will be one piece of checked baggage at around 23 kg. However, we suggest that for your Most Exotic Challenge in Cambodia you should only need around 15 kg-17 kg. If you don’t need it, don’t bring it, is a good rule. For any valuables, safe deposit boxes are usually provided to use in the hotels. Use a padlock on your luggage when in transit to reduce any risks. Carry your passport with you and make sure you have a photocopy of your documents (travel insurance etc.) in case they get lost or damaged.

Leadership

There will be an English-speaking challenge leader who will be responsible for the logistics and co-ordination of your challenge. There will also be numerous local support staff to assist them. The challenge leader will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group.

Group size

The group is intended to be 20 people minimum in order to run and maximum of approx. 30 people. 

Insurance

It is a condition of booking that you have a suitable travel insurance policy whilst participating on the challenge. We have a special policy which covers among other things, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, cancellation and curtailment of the challenge, and more specifically for the adventurous activities undertaken on this challenge. This cost is £76.  If you have your own travel insurance policy, you must ensure that it provides at least the same level of cover as our recommended policy, including protecting the charity in the event of your cancellation 56 days or less prior to departure. If you choose not to purchase our recommended policy when you book we will send you a disclaimer which you should complete and return.

For more general travel insurance questions, please refer to our main FAQs page

Flights

This is a ground only package so you will need to book your own flights.
Recommended flights are as below
03NOV Flight TG 911 London Heathrow to Bangkok - 1150hrs to 0615hrs+1
04NOV Flight TG 580 Bangkok to Phnom Penh - 0740hrs to 0850hrs
09NOV Flight  PG 914 Siem Reap to Bangkok - 1535hrs to 1650hrs
09NOV Flight TG7067 Siem Reap to Bangkok - 2055hrs to 2210hrs
10NOV Flight TG 910 Bangkok to London Heathrow  - 0015hrs to 0620

Vaccinations

For up to date vaccination information please check the NHS ‘Fit for Travel’ website: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx. Although the Charity Challenge team are travel professionals, they are not medical experts and we would encourage you to visit your GP or travel nurse to discuss vaccination requirements. Your GP may ask questions about the specific locations that you are visiting in Cambodia, and as such it may be useful to take a copy of your itinerary with you.  The main areas will be Phnon Penh, Siem Reap, Kampong Tong and Tonle Sap.

Money

Currency: The currency in Cambodia is the Cambodian Riel (KHR). For up to date currency exchange, go to www.xe.com. We recommend exchanging currency before you go; however there are ATM’s and currency exchanges available at Phnom Penh airport to exchange in to Camdobian Riel. US dollars (small denominations) are preferred and widely accepted in Cambodia for payments. You can also exchange GBP in Siem Reap into local Cambodian Riel currency.  

Credit Cards: Visacard and Mastercard are now accepted in many hotels and shops, but the preferred currency is dollars, cash.

ATMs: You will have access to ATMs in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

How much to bring: All accommodation and meals are included within the price of the trip, as well as water during the days of your cycling challenge. You will not need to carry a lot of money with you during the challenge, but as there are daily opportunities to buy soft drinks, alcohol and snacks on the way we would suggest a maximum amount of about £15 a day (in local currency). Bring more if you intend to buy souvenirs and take up the opportunity of the additional things you can do during your time in  Cambodia. You may have the opportunity of enjoying a relaxing post-cycle massage (about £30-£50) in Siem Reap at the end of your challenge. There are plenty of great craft souvenirs, silk clothing and silver jewellery in Cambodia. Keep this in mind!

Tipping: Tipping is at your sole discretion and all staff are paid a fair wage. However, tourism has a tipping culture and your Cambodian guides will generally receive a tip at the end of a job well done. If you choose to tip, we would suggest an amount of £60- £80 per participant for the duration of the challenge, which will be distributed to all staff involved including guides, drivers, mechanics and so on.

Training

Training is definitely required. It is important that you work specifically on your stamina, leg and joint strength, and balance in order to get as much out of the challenge as possible. Don’t forget that the temperature and climate is different to the UK and that you will be exercising constantly for a number of days – the heat and humidity will be your biggest challenge. You need to be able to sustain around 6-8 hours of cycling for 4 continuous days, so if you can then replicating this over a weekend would be fantastic training. In your password protected account area you will find more comprehensive Fitness Training Notes. You can also look to join one of our training weekends.

Emergencies

The event is not run as a race and there is always a large discrepancy in people’s cycling abilities. This is allowed for. There will be a staff member at the back of the group at all times to ensure that you are not left behind and can take things at your own pace. If we find somebody is unable to cycle at all, then we can transport them from one location to the next.

It is policy that participants must wear a helmet – please take your own for comfort reasons. Be aware that cycling can be dangerous and accidents do happen – you must take responsibility for your own safety whilst riding. Throughout the challenge, back-up support will be close by.

If for any reason any injury should occur, a relief vehicle will be made available. The relief vehicle will be a private air-conditioned bus, minibus or jeep that will provide support throughout the tour. It will follow at a discreet distance, and is there for clients who need to rest, to carry the spare bike parts, and will also often contain refreshments such as water, snacks and soft drinks. During transfer sections, the bikes will be carried in the bus. When riding off road on single track trails support will sometimes be by motorbike. The guide will carry water and the first aid kit with him/her until the trail joins the main track where the bus will be waiting.

Safety

Charity Challenge considers the safety of all of our participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have set up Challenge Safe, one of the most advanced and thorough safety management systems in the industry. Challenge Safe formalises our ethos when it comes to safety, and brings together the procedures and risk management strategies that we use to audit all aspects of our challenges, from vehicles to accommodation to the challenge activity itself. Your welfare is absolutely paramount!

In terms of your Most Exotic Challenge, there are a couple of important points that you should be aware of:

• The cycling route is very exposed, with almost no shade, and on sunny days the temperatures can soar. You should ideally be wearing a sun hat, sun cream, and hydrating constantly!
• Smoke alarms are not a legal requirement in Cambodia, and as such some of the hotels we use do not have them in place. Your leader will explain the emergency fire procedures to you.
• Cambodia still has a high number of unexploded land mines in rural areas.  Don't wander off well-trodden paths.  Never touch a leftover grenade or mine!
• You will be cycling on the opposite side of the road to what you are used to, and occasionally on main roads frequented by many vehicles. Take the first day slowly until you become accustomed to your surroundings.