During the most recent school holidays, Carmel’s 2025 World Challenge team made it to Cambodia and Vietnam on a once-in-a-lifetime journey.  Our team had the opportunity to discover vibrant cultures, rich histories and stunning landscapes.  Throughout our 21 days in Cambodia and Vietnam, we witnessed both bustling cities and serene countryside through various activities such as sunrise at Angkor Wat to looking for a restaurant in the middle of Ho Chi Minh city.  The two highlights of our trip was our community initiative in Battambang and the hike in Dalat, Vietnam.  In Battambang we made a difference through hard labour in building a brick fence to separate a pig pen and the KNGO school.  During our 3 day hike we saw some interesting wildlife animals and saw the most beautiful sunsets right from our campsite.  After the many challenging hills we faced, our team pushed through thanks to the help of the in-country World Challenge team and tour guides.

We are so grateful to have been able to immerse ourselves in the unique cultures of Vietnam and Cambodia.  A massive shout-out needs to be given to everyone who made this journey possible and helped us along the way: Carla Strong, our World Challenge leader; the World Challenge in-country team; our incredible tour guides, family and friends; and countless hours contributed in any way to help make it possible for us to take this adventure.  There were definitely challenges, but we truly learnt what we are capable of in travelling the world without our families at 16-18 years old.

Katarina Lockyer (Year 12) and Chelsea Brown (Year 13) on behalf of the 2025 World Challenge Team