28 Day Volunteer Tour Cambodia

If you’re looking for the full package- travel, meet people and to give back at the same time, this would be a great option. It allows you to explore Cambodia’s best sights, also knowing that you are helping underprivilaged communites and making a lasting impact. 

• Accommodation
• 3 meals p/day & 2 p/day at weekends
• Arrival airport transfer (Sat/Sun arrivals)
• Filtered drinking water, coffee & tea
• 1 day orientation
• Daily transportation to project
• In country 24/7 support & emergency assistance
• Fundraising support
• University course credits (where applicable)
• Certificate of Completion

• Travel insurance (mandatory)
• Airfares & visa fees
• Additional tours, souvenirs, spending money
• Some daily local transport (depending on program eg. $2 p/day)

Programs begin every Monday, and volunteers are required to arrive the day prior, for orientation before the project. Your accommodation on the Sunday is included in the program fees.

A free airport pickup is included when arriving to Siem Reap International Airport (REP). You must arrive between 06:00 – 16:00 on Sunday.

If arriving outside the pickup times on Sunday, you can book a private transfer for US$50.

If arriving on Saturday or during the week, we charge US$50 for any extra night’s accommodation before your program, and another US$50 fee for a private transfer.

Alternatively, if arriving early you could wait at the arrival’s terminal for the pickup time, book accommodation at the airport and meet us during the pickup times or make your own way to the project (we will advise on how to do this). 

From the airport to Samraong, it takes 2 hours by taxi, and from the airport to our local centre in Siem Reap around 15-20 minutes by tuk tuk.  

Week 1: Culture week ( Siem Reap + Samraong)
Week 2: Village experience ( Samraong)
Week 3: Central Cambodia Tour ( Siem Reap + Phnom Penh)
Week 4: Beach week ( Sihanouk Ville)

Week 1: Cultural Orientation Week

Enjoy a week to check out the backpackers hot spot of Siem Reap with vibrant night life and world famous temples.   You will have maximum interaction possible with Cambodian people, who will be keen to show you around and welcome you to their home.

This culture week is designed to ease participants into the Cambodian culture and pace of life. You will get to know your new town and your fellow volunteers to help build your confidence in dealing with the locals to get the best out of your experience.

Monday                                                          

• Visit Wat Thmey, Visit war museum, Artisans D’Angkor
• Central market, old market, Lucky Mall (super market)
• Pub Street and night market                                                  
• Overnight stay in a guesthouse in Siem Reap

Tuesday

• Silk farm, West Baray (Great water reservoir)
• Souvenir shop, Khmer massage
• Relax at the swimming pool with dinner and socialising
• Overnight stay in a guesthouse in Siem Reap

Wednesday

• Leave for Samraong
• Introduction to projects
• Walk around the village
• Overnight stay in our center in Samraong

Thursday

• Visit local village school
• Tour around Samraong and visit villages outside Samraong
• Cambodian language lesson
• Cambodian culture lesson
• Cambodian cooking lesson
• Overnight stay in our center in Samraong

Friday

• Visit a temple where we will have a Q&A with monks about Buddhism
• Give gift to monk
• Overnight stay in our center in Samraong

Saturday/Sunday

• Free time

Week 2: Village Volunteering Experience

Travel to a local village and stay within a homestay with your fellow volunteers.  You’ll be truly integrated into the lifestyle and culture.   You’ll assist the locals with various tasks depending on the time of year.  During the rainy season from May to November, work in the fields is needed such as assisting with ploughing, planting rice and harvesting,  building dams to control water flow and cutting grass etc.   During the dry season from December to April you’ll assist the locals in general construction to community areas and houses helping to repair damage, build fences, make chicken/duck huts, plant trees and other valuable services.  Your assistance in this area will have a lasting benefit to the local community.

Week 3: Central Cambodia Touring

Cambodia is known across the world for it’s ancient temples.   Travel into the heart of Cambodia with a group of volunteers and see all the key sites.  Bayon Temple, Taprom Temple with trees and once a library for the ancients, Angkor Wat (the largest Khmer temple complex in the entire world) and the Wat Thmei Temple, infamous for its fashioning from human skulls as instigated by Pol Pot under his Communist guerrilla regime.

You’ll see everything from floating villages to the Royal Palace and leading historical archaeological museums to the Cheung Ek killing fields notorious for its display of human skulls.

Week 4: Beach Week

Relax, reflect and unwind on the beaches of Sihanouk Ville with all the usual beachy options like swimming, snorkeling, fishing and fun in the sun.

Here are a few things to do in Cambodia…

Angkor Wat

You can’t make a trip to Cambodia without visiting Angkor Wat. This is a stunning temple. Head there for sunrise to get the reflection over the water. Angkor Wat can easily be reached from the friendly backpacker town of Siem Reap. 

Rabbit Island

Koh Tonsay or ‘rabbit island’ is situated a 30 boat ride from the town of Kep. This small paradise island has no wifi, only a handful of cafes and that’s about it! All the accommodation are simple wooden beach bungalows, which just adds to the simple way of living. This is a great chance to get away from the crowds, enjoy the sunset over the ocean and to really and truly relax. 

S21 Prison & Killing Fields

The Khmer Rouge era was a tragic and horrific few years in Cambodia’s past, where millions of people were killed or sent away to work at various camps. Visit the S21 prison, where people were held as prisoners. This is quite a saddening visit but one that allows a better insight and understanding into exactly what happened during this time. The killing fields are situated just out from the capital. Again, a sad but very humbling visit. 

Sihanoukville

This beachside town is popular with backpackers, for its lovely beaches and great nightlife. The best beaches are found off from the mainland, where there are plenty of island-hopping tours. 

Siem Reap

The main town closest to Angkor Wat, this is very backpacker friendly, with plenty of cheap places to stay of you want to visit on a weekend. There are many bars, clubs and entertainment in the evenings. During the day you can visit the nearby temples, floating markets, get a fish pedicure in town or a relaxing massage. 

Jungle Trekking

There are plenty of hiking and trekking trails available in Cambodia. There’s lush jungle, gorgeous waterfalls and plenty of wildlife. You can head into the Cardamon mountains, Mondulkiri province or head to natural waterfalls on the outskirts of Siem Reap or Phnom Penh.

Battambang

This countryside town is known for it’s colonial buildings and artsy vibes. While still quite rural, the town has lots of cafes and western places to eat, as well as markets of all kinds. Head out into the country and check out the bamboo train. This used to be a very basic wooden panel which you sat on to ride through the countryside. It has now been updated with proper seats but still a fun and unique thing to do!

*No special requirements needed for this program   

Although the Kingdom of Cambodia is rich in natural resources, decades of war and internal conflict have left it one of the world’s poorest countries. The average salary in Cambodia is less than US$1.50 a day, and around a third of people live below the national poverty line. Poor living conditions are particularly  prevalent in rural parts, where access to safe drinking water is barely above half.  Human traffickers exploit the vulnerable with heart-breaking cruelty.

Cambodia’s poor people number almost 4.8 million, and 90 per cent of them are  in rural areas. Most of them depend on agriculture for their livelihood.  Two thirds of the Cambodia’s 1.6 million rural households face seasonal food  shortages each year. Rice alone accounts for as much as 30 per cent of household  expenditures. Rural people are constantly looking for work or other  income-generating activities, which are mainly temporary and poorly paid..

Involvement Volunteers programs in Cambodia enable you to experience Cambodia as a local, participating in their daily activities while offering yourself in the benefit of those less fortunate. All the projects are grass rooted; working with local people for local people. Within all the projects we value the education factor and the intercultural exchange very highly delivering an educational experience for volunteers.

Cambodia is warm and tropical throughout the year, with a wet and dry season and temperatures ranging from 21 to 35 °C. 

December to Febuary are considered the best months to visit, due to the cooler climate (although still warm).

March to June is very hot, sometimes over 40 degrees but it’s usually dry.

June to September is hot, humid and monsoon season. The positive of travelling in this season is that everything is so grean, prices are cheaper and there are less tourists.

October and November also have showers but the weather is slightly cooler. Showers are usually predictable and happen for short bursts in the afternoons. 

Cambodia has a rich culture, with around 97% of the population following the Buddhist religion. They have many great temples, including the most famous one, Angkor Wat, which is a must visit. Cambodian people have a great respect for their elders and put an importance on having a strong family unit. They are very kind, a little shy but very friendly and will be eager to learn about your culture back home. Cambodia also has a dark past and you will see many reminders of the Khmer Rouge era where millions of innocent people were captured and killed. Despite this, Cambodia nowadays has a relaxed, friendly and welcoming vibe, with lots of arts and culture. 

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