We were recently contacted by Mad Monkey Hostels in Cambodia to help them spread the word of their amazing, funky and fun accommodations around the country. Upon researching their background and their brand, we realized that they are a hostel that truly helps out the local community. They don’t just offer funky hostel accommodation, they actually do a lot of good for the communities where they are located. They are such a unique and socially responsible business that we decided that we would write about them, even though we’ve never actually stayed at one of their hostels!
Mad Monkey works with numerous organizations which provide charitable programs for the poorer villages and towns in the nation’s countryside. They’ve funded a number of child education programs with their “Crawl for School” program, which helps to fund facility improvements, school equipment, social activities and transportation for the less fortunate children of Cambodia.
As travellers, it’s not always easy to give back to the communities we visit. We’re almost always just passers-by and it can be hard to find a reputable charity that you can trust with your money. Mad Monkey Hostel allows you to participate in some of their charity programs, and even if you don’t have time to help out, just by staying there you are supporting a good cause.
Our blogging colleagues Alesha and Jarryd of NOMADasaurus stayed at Mad Monkey Hostels and even donated money to help them build a well in rural Cambodia. It was them who originally introduced us to this incredible hostel and their amazing charitable work around Cambodia. It costs just $230 USD to build a well in Cambodia and they can supply water to entire villages!
Dariece and I will be donating money to build one this month and we hope that some of you may want to contribute as well. You can find out more about this life changing donation here!
The great thing about donating a well is that you actually see where your money is going. You will be sent photos and updates of the building process and you will see the effect that it has on the village. One day you could even visit the well that you helped build in Cambodia! How cool is that?!
So far, Mad Monkey has received funding for 80 wells across Cambodia, and there are already 52 new wells built and operating in the countryside thanks to their efforts. Each well reduces the risk of waterborne disease that is responsible for most child deaths in Cambodia (20% of which are due to diarrhea from bad sanitation and unclean water).
As travel bloggers, we often have the opportunity to spread the word about amazing products, cool accommodations and cities worth visiting, but seldom do we get the chance to share such an amazing charitable cause that can have such a measurable impact on a community and a nation as a whole.
We always love staying in hostels for their sense of community, but imagine a hostel that gives this much back? It’s truly inspirational and should become a precedent for other hostels, hotels, B&B’s and guest houses to follow into the future.
We’ve recently teamed up with HostelsClub.com and we’re happy to see that they have many Mad Monkey hostels available to book through their site. We haven’t been to Cambodia for nearly 6 years, but when we return, we’ll definitely stay at Mad Monkey and try to participate in one of their many projects around Cambodia. If you’re anywhere near Phnom Penh, Siem Reap or Kampot, we strongly recommend you check them out and see what they offer you, and the less-fortunate people of Cambodia.
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