OBT (Organization for Basic Training) — Hotel in Tbong Khmum

OBT is a wonderful organization that puts you into the heart of Cambodia. I was apparently the only second American in 9 months, and I had so much fun hanging out with the kids, learning about the organization’s mission and history, and having dinner with a local family. I also hung out at a local wedding which was a wonderful experience. I stayed in the bungalow which was a pleasant experience. It’s not a 5 star resort but rather the product of an organization that cares and offers a clean room with shampoo, body wash, towel, a shower with good water pressure (you won’t want hot water after a day in the sun) and a comfy bed with a mosquito net and a fan right above you. The restaurant offers great food and the profits go straight to OBT. You can read with the kids and play UNO and chess with them, and meet fellow conscious travelers. Or rent a bicycle or motorbike and drive around as kids shout “hello!” and the locals smile at you. I hope you will stay at OBT for a few night and experience the real Cambodia. It was one of the best experiences I had in my backpacking...

OBT is an organisation that runs a free of charge school with the help of volunteers, both locals and foreigners. They run a guesthouse and homestay in what they call the "obt village", an arrange of huts, farming patches and bungalows they have built with the help of multiple people and organisations. If you want to know more you can just ask one of the volunteers that are always around.

As a guest you can stay in one of their bungalows, top quality bamboo huts wit fully functional private bathroom, or you can stay with one of the local families that take part of the homestay program. They have a restaurant, you can also arrange meals with the families, and also take part of one of the activities like fishing in the mekong or renting a bike and going to kho paen island.

I had a blast!

Theres nothing else around but a small shop that also sells bus tickets, so be ready for...

This is something I recommend to all foreign visitors who want to catch a glimpse of Cambodia beyond the well-worm tourist path.||It is not all roses. You won’t be lodging at the Hilton, there’s no swimming pool.||Instead you’ll catch a glimpse of rural Cambodia in its beauty and squalor, and spend some time with a Cambodian family, and an locally created and led NGO, and it’s amazing cast of international volunteers.||We were shown around by François and Fatima (French volunteers). We wandered through the village, visiting sites such as a plant for distilling gasoline from old plastic, and saw people going about their daily life. Things are not perfect, but it was great to briefly share time with people dedicated to change for the better.||We stayed in a spacious bungalow that was appropriately simple but perfectly comfortable.||This was an important part of our experience...