True to form with Roomorama's vision of introducing the other aspects of traveling aside from "visiting a checklist of tourist attractions," the experience I had with You Khin House in Phnom Penh, Cambodia opened my eyes to the many things a traveler could do while visiting a particular city on a longer term. The idea of joining an NGO organization like the one behind You Khin House presented an ideal chance to mix traveling and helping others.
Sustainable Stays: A Review of You Khin House in Phnom Penh
The guesthouse was run by a Cambodian non-profit organization called Seametrey, which helped children of underprivileged Cambodian families get a quality education with additional training in music and the fine arts. All proceeds from the revenue of the guesthouse went directly to the funding of Seametrey Children's Village, which was a primary school and nursery daycare center located next door.
I was able to locate You Khin House when I was searching for places or accommodations in Phnom Penh through the website of Roomorama, a few months before our actual trip. One could check out the step-by-step guide I wrote on this blog entry.
An Eco-Friendly Artistic Sanctuary
It was built and designed in a tropical environment setting with lots of plants and trees surrounding the guesthouse. Paintings adorned the walls, and musical instruments were laid out neatly on the learning area, where kids were taught to develop their artistic nature and appreciation of the arts and music as well.
A small pool was located at the front, while a wooden facade fronted the view from the street. Upon arriving, we were greeted warmly by the staff and other volunteers who worked at the guesthouse. A couple of foreigners were having a cup of coffee by the pool, and half a dozen Cambodian kids were being taught inside by a middle-aged Caucasian woman. The kids then went on to paint something on their respective pieces of paper afterward.
Natural light emanated from the ceiling, which was drawn open to gather such an effect. Lessening the use of electrical light during daytime was always an environmentally friendly technique. We climbed the stairs to our third-floor bedroom, which was pretty cozy and spacious and allowed enough room to walk around with two single beds, two spacious wooden cabinets, a small table and a chair, and a shower room.
At the third-floor lobby was the entertainment room, where guests could play a game of billiards, watch TV from its widescreen TV mounted near the wall, or cozy up and lie down by the window reading an interesting book from its wide array of reading choices shelved neatly on the bookcase beside the billiard table.
Feeling at Home Abroad
Being in another country for the first time made one feel like a stranger and uneasy at times, but it surely helped when the very first set of people you met instantly made you feel at home. At You Khin House, everybody did that to perfection; also, on weekdays, one could watch the children practicing Khmer traditional dances at four o'clock in the afternoon on the ground floor of the guesthouse or practice one's weaving skills at the guesthouse's weaving loom located near the pool.
Here were just some of the friendly faces at You Khin House:
Muoy You (Owner/Director): Muoy had a vision to make her adjoining Seametrey Children's Village school self-sustainable from continued support to You Khin House. Should anyone wish for a tour of the school during their stay, they were encouraged to ask.
Nhep: For any housekeeping or kitchen matter, Nhep was the lady to see.
Sok Lim: Shared her time between the school and the guesthouse. She was always happy to help with any queries and loved to practice her English with native speakers.
Laureen: A Canadian native, she was there for her third stint of volunteering, overseeing the guesthouse housekeeping and their delicious breakfast. She was a very useful source of knowledge for all shopping requirements in Phnom Penh.
