PEPY Ride V in Review

Five?! It seems impossible that we have just waved goodbye to all of the guests on The PEPY Ride V. Looking back on five years of multi-week cycling tours across Cambodia, it seems like we just started, but looking at the changes in how we operate our trips, it does indeed seem like a long time.
The first trip was comprised of a group of us who didn’t know Cambodia, didn’t really know where we were going each day, who thought we came here to “teach”—and left realizing we had been given an opportunity to learn.
The PEPY Ride V shared some similarities with The PEPY Ride I:

• Both groups biked across Cambodia. This year’s trip spanned three weeks traveling from Siem Reap, over the top of the Tonle Sap Lake, down through the capital, Phnom Penh, and to the coast.
• Both groups visited Non-Governmental Organizations, though the majority of NGOs visited by this year’s team were PEPY partners and groups we have long-term relationships with rather than one-off visits.
• Both teams were made up of travelers from around the world: The PEPY Ride I consisted of 6 people from the USA, Canada, England, Finland, and New Zealand.  The PEPY Ride V consisted of 18 people from the USA, Australia, Cambodia, Canada, England, and New Zealand.

Some of the things which made The PEPY Ride V unique:

• We had the largest age span of any PEPY Ride on this trip (17 to 65 – though Eli was quick to point out his memory lapses… as he says it, he “forgot to grow up!”)
• This was the first year we finally realized that stopping at schools to teach environmental lessons, even if it was in partnership with M’lop Tapang and even if it included pre-tour meetings and pre-tour environmental education classes, was not “sustainable” – nor practical, nor a useful way to spend our time in Cambodia. It was good to make the break from the school visits of previous years and instead focus on the “learning” aspects of our trip rather than the “teaching”.
• This was the first trip where we highlighted visits to a group of community-based tourism organizations. We visited the homestay and tour program at Banteay Chammar, a newly developing mangrove tour project between Kep and Kampot, and stopped in to learn more about the programs being offered at Bridges Across Borders in Kep. At all three programs we collected feedback on how to tailor the programs being offered to attract more responsible, independent, and adventurous western travelers.
• We partnered with Global Agents for Change on this trip and had some of their team (volunteers and board members), along for the ride. It was a pleasure to have the GAFC team with us, to see PEPY and our work in Cambodia through their eyes, and to get their feedback and advice. Global Agents for Change offers rides in the US and Europe and we hope to get out and join them some day…. So should you!

We hope that next year, The PEPY Ride VI will continue to:

• Attract adventurous and passionate travelers who are eager to learn about Cambodia and development issues. Thank you PEPY Ride V team for embodying this!
• Be led by inspiring trip leaders! Thank you Rithy, Katy, and Lucky for your hard work to make this trip so educational and to get us onto some of the nicest back roads in Cambodia!
• Support innovative and “impactful” NGOs, social ventures, and community-based tourism projects throughout Cambodia. The trip participants raised over $10,000 for partner projects and we thank the PRV team and their supporters!

Over the coming week, look out for more posts from PEPY Ride V team members about the trip highlights and maybe you will want to join us on The PEPY Ride VI!

Five?! It seems impossible that we have just waved goodbye to all of the guests on The PEPY Ride V. Looking back on five years of multi-week cycling tours across Cambodia, it seems like we just started, but looking at the changes in how we operate our trips, it does indeed seem like a long time.