When I was around ten years old I remember eagerly flicking through the pages of my new National Geographic and being in complete awe at the sight of the Angkorian Temples in Cambodia. The images of ancient cities swamped by nature and monolithic constructions were like nothing I had ever seen before and understandably have captivated me ever since. So, this year (and with my husband willingly in toe) I was lucky enough to visit these incredible sites. 2017 is the International Year of Sustainable Tourism and as around 14% of Cambodians live in poverty we were determined to be as responsible as possible in our travel decisions and contribute to the World Tourism Organisation’s #travelenjoyrespect campaign.
Now, given accommodation in Siem Reap (the town closest to the main temples) can be as cheap as $5 a night, with the famous Pub Street offering pints of beer at just $0.50 and many meals costing just $1 the area has become a haven for travellers and somewhat encapsulates the backpacker scene. Unsurprisingly it has become a very alluring destination, frequently appears on travellers ‘bucket lists’, is a true wonder for Instagrammers and naturally is experiencing rates of alarming growth. Emirates Airlines have recently opened new routes, Starbucks has just opened its doors and internationally recognisable hotels (Marriott and Sofitel as examples) are in construction.
After research we found the perfect hotel to base ourselves, a place where we felt that responsible tourism really was a possibility. Not a branded hotel encompassing a Seattle based coffee chain where profits irrefutably leak out of the Country and a place away from the bright cheap lights of Pub Street (perhaps if I were ten years younger…..!) a magnificent independently managed hotel called ‘Jaya House Riverpark’.
Jaya House has a mission – to reduce plastic bottle wastage in Cambodia; a fantastic concept which immediately caught our attention called ‘Refill not Landfill’. 25% of Cambodians have no access to clean water and with the country receiving a 65% increase in tourism in just 10 years – plastic drinking bottles have become a real issue with 4.5 million bottles discarded in Cambodia every month. Bottles litter the river and are left in every imaginable place around the ancient temples. Jaya House launched their campaign nearly two years ago and already have reduced plastic bottle waste by nearly half a million from their hotel alone. The hotel works with various establishments as locations that tourists can take their reusable water bottles and refill with clean water, discouraging visitors to simply buy another disposable bottle. Jaya House have now moved even further with their mission to reduce plastic waste by being a plastic free hotel; simple things like having shampoo within stone containers and using bamboo for drinks rather than one use only straws. Sadly, the main voices behind the ‘Refill not Landfill’ scheme have approached international hotels, travel operators and branded shops/restaurants all to no avail. However, the concept is moving further into Thailand and Vietnam and being adopted by other independent businesses which is encouraging.
Another responsible tourism practice evidential at Jaya House is their commitment to working with NGO’s. $5 from the price of a room per night goes towards supporting four local NGO’s focusing on art, music and education. Visitors money goes directly into the local communities, paintings from local artists are used as decoration and Cambodian only made uniforms, linen and towels are used. Visitors money therefore helps provide schooling to local children and discourages them from wandering the temple sites selling souvenirs to visitors. The clearing of landmines is a continuing battle for the communities with 14 innocent people losing their lives this year and so the last NGO the hotel works with supports landmine clearance.
The grounds of the hotel are used to grow fruit and vegetables which are used to provide refreshing drinks (perfect after a hot walk around the temples) and delicious meals (banana and coconut cake being particularly memorable!). Furthermore, shampoo and other toiletries are all locally produced. Although there is no jurisdiction to do so, staff help to clean up the river bank and other areas from litter everyday with the belief that every individual has a duty of care for the environmental protection of the planet.
The owner does not believe that temporary or part time staff is a responsible tourism practice and so all 104 staff are employed full time. All staff are Khmer born and the majority have grown up and live in villages surrounding the temples so income can go directly back to supporting local communities.
Staff are actively encouraged to talk and interact with guests; not only to enrich the visitor experience but to grow their own knowledge of other languages and cultures. We spent many memorable nights chatting with staff learning all about Cambodian heritage and even managed to learn enough Khemer phrases to help us converse with locals (which was always warmly received despite me mixing up good morning with good night). Staff enjoyed hearing stories of our culture here in the UK and were fascinated with the history behind Bonfire Night and baffled by the state of obesity.
During our visit, the Water Festival was being hosted; a three-day celebration for Cambodians where the population of the area doubles with local villagers flocking to the river which runs through the town and includes boat racing, food, music and fireworks. The festival holds so much cultural importance that guests are encouraged to take part and join in the festivities. We were invited to witness the hotels boat being blessed by a monk before the race, provided with t-shirts to promote the hotels moto ‘together we will make it happen’ and spent time cheering on the boat race amongst the hotels staff, friends and family.
My experience staying at Jaya House I can truthfully say will stay with me forever and has certainly changed my mindset. Before, I thought my desire to be a more responsible tourist could never truly make a difference to the sustainability of the world’s largest industry. I feared that in our continued capitalist driven world that profit before principles would always prevail. But just as Jaya House are driving change – myself as a consumer must change also. Sustainable or responsible tourism is a matter of adjusting our lifestyle, values and cultural concepts. If we are going to achieve long term sustainable development within the tourism industry it is essential we as individuals change our attitudes, behaviour and consumer patterns. This demand will in turn affect supply; then sustainable and responsible practices will become necessary not just a nuisance.
As per Jaya House’s moto ‘together we will make it happen’.
Look out for my next blog about Overtourism and Visitor Management at Angkor Wat.