Complimentary breakfast on own at the hotel. The day will have us diving into the economic and cultural trajectory of Phnom Penh and Cambodia. Our theme will be “Balancing Phnom Penh’s Future.”

Like any developing city, Phnom Penh is beautifying and modernizing, but there’s also an ongoing struggle for segments of the population to protect their rights and resources. After briefly previewing the day, we’ll depart early for a cultural bike tour led by Journeys of Change. A business run by some of Cambodia's top secondary school students, they'll educate us on the Cambodian economy and its future. Our Belt & Road provides a preview.

We'll enjoy lunch with the students of Liger Leadership Academy before returning to our hotel to rest.

At 5:00pm, we'll watch the sunset from sky bar Sora at recently opened Rosewood Phnom Penh. 

Rosewood occupies the top 14 floors of the Vattanac Capital Tower, a 39 story high-rise said to take the shape of a dragon’s back that towers over the capital city. Over wine and Japanese snacks, we'll be joined by members of the Rosewood team and hear more about the hotel, urban development, and why Rosewood selected Room to Read as a corporate social responsibility partner.

Complimentary breakfast on own at the hotel. We dive into how education, technology and innovation intersect in Cambodia’s future. The day’s theme will be “Maximizing Cambodia’s Potential.”

We will kick-off our day meeting Samneang Moul, Country Director for the Harpswell Foundation and SHE-CAN, both of which promote female leadership through university education. Learn more about Samneang's incredible story in this recent Chicago Tribune profile.

Afterwards, we will meet with the team and even some entrepreneurs funded by SHE Investments, which invests in and helps scale the most impactful female-led businesses in the small-medium enterprise (SME) sector. We’ll begin to see the lines between governments, non-profits, and investing increasingly cross and look for the linkages across people and organizations. 

After enjoying lunch, we’ll seek a taste of the city's burgeoning art scene at nearby Kbach Gallery.

Finally, we'll meet Alfie Amayo and the team at Seekers, Phnom Penh's artisan distillery, crafting premium spirits from local ingredients, that celebrate Cambodia's unique culture.

We'll return to our hotel for a short rest before heading to dinner at House of Scott. The restaurant was created through a unique partnership between Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF) and the Academy of Culinary Arts (ACAC). We will be joined by a special dinner guest, Kounila Keo, Kounila Keo, who leads her own media companies (including When In Phnom Penh) and is a vocal speaker on women in tech, social media, innovation and entrepreneurship (recent profile).

We will leave very early (5:45am), driving for several hours with Sim Srin and Room to Read staff to the remote Kampong Cham province for a full day of site visits with Room to Read Cambodia. We will enjoy a light breakfast on the ride while Srin overviews Room to Read’s Literacy and Girls' Education programs in the context of Cambodia's educational landscape. 

Our morning will be spent at Katek Prith Bandith Bun Rany Hun Sen Samki Meanchey High School. Expect inspiring and emotional moments as we meet with students, staff, community members and participate ourselves in Girls’ Education life skills activities. Kampong Cham is one of several provinces in Cambodia where the Girls’ Education life skills component is integrated in the standard government school curriculum. 

We’ll enjoy lunch with Room to Read Cambodia’s Country Director, Vantha Chea. In the afternoon, we’ll meet with Girls’ Education program alumnae and even accompany scholars for home visits to meet their families. 

To be further inspired for this truly special day, view Michelle Obama’s visit with Room to Read Cambodia scholars during a 2015 visit (video). 

We will transport back to Phnom Penh with Room to Read staff, enjoying our last dinner in Cambodia’s capital city at our hotel’s Mealea Restaurant.

Complimentary breakfast on own at the hotel. Via private transport, we’ll drive several hours to Kampot, a sleepy riverside town a world away from the frantic chaos of bustling Phnom Penh. Along with nearby beach town Kep, Kampot is popular with locals and expats seeking to relax and unwind. Given its history in French colonial times and in the Cambodia war, it’s a fascinating place to continue our exploration of Cambodia’s future. 

We'll check in at Villa Vedici, Kampot's original and favorite riverfront resort. Individuals can choose to relax at the resort or take a 5 minute tuk-tuk into Kampot town to walk and shop. If seeking lunch or a snack, visit social enterprise Epic Arts Cafe (map) or look for vendors selling Kampot pepper-flavored ice cream.

At 3:00pm, we’ll meet at Dorsu's production studio (map). Dorsu is a conscious clothing company co-founded by Australian entrepreneur Hanna Guy and Cambodian Kunthear Mov (article). Dorsu’s Kampot-based production is all under one roof; the company prides itself on its social impact for workers, the local community and global consumers.  Kunthear and retail manager Rany Sann will host us. Read more about the growth of ethical fashion in Cambodia (article).

We'll enjoy an early dinner at gourmet bistro Atelier Kampot, where we’ll learn more about the recent restoration of a historical riverside building created to pay homage to the terroir of the world's best pepper.

Complimentary breakfast on own at the hotel. It's said that Champagne is to France as Kampot Pepper is to Cambodia. With production severely curtailed during Cambodia’s civil war, a renewed focus on the premium spice began in the early 2000s. In the morning, we’ll venture out to BoTree, one of a handful of internationally acclaimed pepper farms. Our host Graham Osborne will lead us in a personalized pepper tasting and farm tour. Afterwards, we'll share dishes with harvested pepper and other spices at the Bo Tree’s small farm restaurant. We’ll return to town and stop in at the Bo Tree shop to see how they sort & pack pepper.

We’ll return to relax at Villa Vedici, enjoying our private outdoor riverside location. Choose to kayak, paddle board, or swim river or poolside.

Prior to sunset, we’ll head for dinner at GreenHouse Restaurant, which seeks to highlight local products, like the internationally acclaimed Kampot Pepper. This relaxing final evening will offer us the time to reflect as a group on our time in Cambodia.

Complimentary breakfast on own at hotel and check-out. Our Trip officially ends in Kampot. From here, participants may choose to continue their stay in Kampot, Cambodia or neighboring counties, connecting via air, train, bus or private transport. 

The closest airport to Kampot is Sihanoukville International airport (KOS), about 90 km (1 hour, about $60 USD) away. Phnom Penh International (PNH) airport is about 140 km (2 hours, about $120 USD) away. Buses or private transportation for either can be arranged through Villa Vedici during our visit.

Given the unique nature of this trip, the above itinerary is subject to change.