Eleven students had a once-in-a-lifetime experience when they organised and undertook a 23-day World Challenge expedition to Laos and Cambodia.
Accompanied by teachers Mr Belson and Miss Absolum, the students took part in community work, jungle treks, shopping and sightseeing in the two countries.
After arriving in the Laotian capital of Vientiane, the students explored shops and markets and sights such as Bhudda Park, the Golden Temple and Triumph Arch.
They then had to organise a bus trip south to Pakse before going on to the Four Thousand Islands where the group took a boat ride on the Mekong River through the islands to one named Don Khon.
They then travelled to Cambodia and on to Banlung, from where they embarked on a jungle trek.
Mr Belson said of the trek: “It was extremely wet and muddy; almost constant monsoon rains making conditions slippery to say the least! The experience of staying in hammocks, cooking with locals and even having a swim near the waterfall was something the students will not forget – or the constant mossies, bugs and being wet!”
After drying out, the group headed to Siem Reap to explore the markets and the ancient temples of Angkor Wat.
While in Siem Reap, the students organised a cycle tour of Angkor Wat, had a cooking class, did some aerobics, went to the circus, visited many markets, and attended a responsible traveller workshop.
Then it was on to Battambang for a week of working in a local school, where one group of students did planting and clearing of vegetation, while another group built new pathways and areas around a school restaurant that is partially built. They taught some of the children at the school, and donated $1000 to the school for roofing.
At the conclusion of their trip, students visited Phnom Penh and the notorious Killing Fields, an experience Mr Belson said that they found very moving.
Previously, MAGS has visited Vietnam/Cambodia, Borneo and Peru on similar expeditions. World Challenge works in partnership with schools to deliver a student-led expedition to the developing world.
