Souljourn Yoga invites you to explore 11 magical days with us in the Kingdom of Wonder to support the Ponheary Ly Foundation Girls’ Dormitory that houses, feeds and shelters 60 of the brightest and academically ambitious female students who are from districts in Siem Reap where no secondary education is provided. This amazing journey will ask you to give back to yourself by compassionately giving to others through volunteer teaching and having an open mind to fall in love with this amazing country where you can still feel and see the fragmentation post Khmer Rouge and Civil War.

Cambodia’s rich and intense history is only amplified by the perpetual kindness and perseverance of its people. From daily yoga to lakeside picnics, bike riding through rural Siem Reap, to exploring the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat, getting lost in the textiles and food stalls of the glowing night market, and even trying your hand at Khmer cooking, this trip will crack your heart wide open from the inside out. 

* 11 days, 10 nights at the Seven Candles Guest House
* 3 meals a day
* Daily yoga
* All activities (Angkor Wat, Khmer cooking class, floating village, bike ride in rural Siem Reap, tour of Night Market, Circus performance, etc)
* Transportation to/from airport and internal transportation for activities 
* $500 tax-deductible donation to the Ponheary Ly Foundation

* Airfare to/from Cambodia
* Entry Visa on Arrival (http://www.embassyofcambodia.org/faq.html)
* Any extra supplies for teaching or to be donated to the PLF

Please plan your flight so that you arrive in Siem Reap on Friday, 2/17. Make sure you are updated on all vaccinations (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/Cambodia) and get ready for a trip of a lifetime!

Arrive at the Seven Candles Guesthouse, run by Ponheary Ly and her family who we will be volunteering with. Take a stroll down Pub Street for a bite to eat, enjoy the sunset overlooking the Wat Bo River on the roof, and settle into the sounds of Siem Reap.

Start your first day off on our journey with a morning rooftop yoga practice followed by a delicious and healthy breakfast with fresh ingredients from the market in town. We will sip home-brewed coffee and eat fresh mangos and dragon fruit in our opening circle setting intentions for the next 10 days. Get your swimsuit on as we will hop in a tuk-tuk (a favorite mode of transportation) and travel to West Baray lake where inner tubes, hammocks, and grilled pineapples await for us to relax and unwind. A traditional Khmer meal awaits us back at the guesthouse before heading into town for the Giant Puppet Parade, a children’s community art project that inspires disadvantaged children to promote self expression through art. Evening is free to check out Siem Reap’s nightlife (check out Angkor Wat, a bar known for a glow-in-the-dark experience) or chill out with an ice cream from Blue Pumpkin, Siem Reap’s best ice cream shop with creative and authentic flavors like durian.

Rise and shine with a rejuvenating yoga practice followed by breakfast. This afternoon we head to the Tonle Floating Village and take a boat tour to visit the communities that live on this lake. See houses on stilts, floating pigpens and flower markets. We will also visit the local school and monastery and might even catch a local boat race. We will have a fantastic lunch in town and have the afternoon open to see the local galleries that surround Siem Reap or take a pottery class that supports the Khmer art scene. Dinner will be back at the guesthouse and we will all head back into town to visit the Night Market/Made in Cambodia tour where we will learn all about traditional Khmer handicrafts.

Let’s beat the heat with an early morning yoga practice and filling breakfast before beginning our first day of volunteer teaching at one of the Ponheary Ly Foundation schools where you can get in touch with your creative side by teaching a fun, English lesson. See how the smiles of the students multiply just by setting foot into the classroom. (No professional teaching experience required). Guaranteed you will be beaming by the time you get back into the tuk-tuk on the way to lunch which will be in town. Individual time to explore the town or get another massage before an evening sunset yoga class followed by a Cambodian feast back at the guesthouse. Try to have an early night as we have a big day ahead of us!

Roll out of bed, have a light breakfast and pack your yoga mat as we will be heading off to Angkor Wat, an UNESCO World Heritage Site where we will be doing yoga in the magnificent complex. We will then have a guided tour of the ruins and learn all about the construction and history of this Hindu to Buddhist temple site. Lunch will be back in town with free time to follow. We will all meet up back at the guesthouse to visit the Girls’ Dormitory together and help with homework, practice English, and learn all about their lives. Early dinner back at the guesthouse as we have a fun evening planned of entertainment by going to Phare, a Cambodian circus comprised of dance, circus acts and live music to support youth performing arts.

We welcome the day with a morning bike ride exploring the rural countryside of Siem Reap. See rice paddies, sprawling fields, cows, and small temples as we explore the back roads of the amazing town. A huge breakfast will be awaiting us back at Seven Candles before leaving to teach at one of the PLF schools. Take the afternoon off to unwind, shop, or simply walk down the Wat Bo River. Evening yoga class will get you nice and hungry for our cooking class at Le Tigre de Papier where you get to choose and make your dinner using locally produced vegetables and fresh fish from the Tonle Sap Lake.

Get energized for our second day at Angkor Wat with a morning yoga class and breakfast before heading off to check out more temples. Come back to town for lunch and free time (maybe a foot massage after all that walking?) and then we will reconvene back at the guesthouse to visit the Girls’ Dormitory and help with their English lesson. Dinner will be at the guesthouse and the evening is open for those who want to go out or have a cozy night in.

Get your yoga on before breakfast and prepare for our last day of teaching at the PLF schools. Bring supplies, songs, treats and smiles to celebrate a fantastic week of learning and fun. Lunch in town will be followed with free time to see the Old Market or get drinks at the FCC, a renovated hotel from the former French governor’s mansion. We will have an evening yoga class, dinner at the guesthouse, and we will all get ready for a night out on the town.

A slightly later morning yoga class (depending on the previous night’s activities) and a hearty breakfast will get us ready for a day of pampering at Frangapani Spa where your feet are cleansed on flower petals and warm towels before indulging in a service of your choice from a jasmine rice scrub to a 4-handed massage. We will head to Pub Street for lunch and there will be time to relax before heading back to the Girls’ Domritory for an evening activity and a homemade dinner. From there, we will go to the Kantha Bopha Children’s hospital and see a cello performance by Doctor Beat Richner to learn more about the hospital’s mission and accomplishments in serving the Siem Reap community.

Morning yoga and breakfast before heading to the Landmine Museum with Ponheary to hear all about her and her family’s story of survival during the Khmer Rouge. Lunch in town and free time to buy last-minute gifts and soak in all that Siem Reap has to offer. Evening yoga class and closing circle with a final dinner/night out

Enjoy the last morning yoga class on the roof before packing, eating breakfast and saying our farewells before departing to the airport onto the next adventure or back home.