Volunteer in Cambodia: The Basics
If you’re feeling a bit adventurous and want to explore a new part of the world while you make a difference, becoming a volunteer in Cambodia might prove a wonderful option. Cambodia volunteer programs may enable you to explore ancient temples, marvel at the wonder of stone deities, cruise calm rivers by boat, and enjoy the likes of tigers and monkeys, all while contributing your time, talents, and intellectual gifts to communities and organizations. Read on to learn more.
What Can I See and Do While I Volunteer in Cambodia?
Cambodia volunteer programs may give you the opportunity to reap the benefits of volunteering abroad while enjoying a delightful adventure. When you’re not in the throes of volunteering, consider seeing these treasured sights:
- Sunrise at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap: Yes, waking up early is a tourist activity in this lovely spot in Cambodia. Angkor Wat, an ancient structure, was buried by the jungle until uncovered in the mid-1800s. Its impressive bas-relief walls reveal some of Cambodia’s 12th-century history, and wild monkeys make its grounds home. Witness the sunrise and stick around to wander this beautiful wonder of the world.
- Artisans Angkor in Siem Reap: This trade school helps disadvantaged Cambodians make goods and sell them to locals and tourists alike. If you want to shop with a purpose by supporting a local community in Cambodia, this might be the perfect place to go.
- New Hope Restaurant in Siem Reap. Another spend-money-while-you-feel-good attraction, New Hope Restaurant is a trade school for former sex workers, a free medical clinic for locals, a school for at-risk children, and a great place to get a meal.
- Cambodia by tuk-tuk. A tuk-tuk is a quintessential Cambodian mode of transport. These four-person carriages are pulled by motorcycle and can help you catch a glimpse of neighborhoods and cities while resting your feet and having fun.
- Street markets. Eat food and wander through streets markets. Many markets exist in different parts of Cambodia and provide a colorful, social, and fascinating way to try new foods and enjoy new experiences. Try a fish pedicure, eat a dish made with tree ants or tarantulas (maybe? Yes? Never?), and let yourself be swept away by the sights and sounds of a street market.
Whether you volunteer in Siem Reap (a place brimming with famous sights) or another area of Cambodia, you’ll likely enjoy an array of sights, sounds, and experiences that enhance and enrich your volunteer program.
What Are the Benefits of Volunteering in Cambodia?
Imagine exploring a beautiful country while getting to know its people and contributing to communities and organizations. This is the primary benefit of volunteering in Cambodia, but let’s get a bit more specific. After all, there are numerous benefits to becoming a volunteer in Cambodia
First, becoming a volunteer in Cambodia could help you build a relationship between you and a community. Whether you’re volunteering at a school, working with animals, or protecting the environment, you’re likely to work alongside and in service to people. As you do this for days, weeks, or months at a time, you’ll probably make connections and build friendships you never imagined possible. These connections could extend beyond the duration of your program and across a lifetime.
Second, becoming a volunteer in Cambodia could help you engage in a field or cause about which you’re passionate. Making a difference in an area that matters to you may be transformative for communities and leave you feeling fulfilled. As you contribute your knowledge, skills, time, and other resources to something that craves your attention, you may find yourself satisfied, inspired, and having left a community better off.
Third, becoming a volunteer in Cambodia may be an amazing way to submerse yourself in the culture. Working side by side with people may enable you to have conversations about Cambodian culture and lifestyles that you might not have as a tourist. Plus, as you establish regular routes to and from your program, devote yourself to a community over time, and spend time communing with locals, you may start to feel a bit like a local yourself. This could help you gain a distinct perspective of Cambodia from that of a tourist.
Finally, becoming a volunteer in Cambodia could be a great way to enhance your professional life. As you gain new skills, develop old ones, and broaden your perspective as a global citizen, you may enhance your resume and develop interpersonal skills that impress employers. As you navigate Cambodia, you may interact with people in new ways and discover the distinct challenges of causing change. By responding to these and other circumstances, you may build skills that enhance your resume, interview skills, and ability to work effectively. Add an adventure and the pleasure of making a difference to this benefit, and you may have plenty of reasons to volunteer abroad.
How Do I Find a Volunteer Abroad Program in Cambodia?
Seeing that an enriching adventure awaits, now might be the perfect time to say “yes” to a volunteer program in Cambodia. You can begin your search for volunteer opportunities here. If you’re not sure where in Cambodia you want to go, what you want to do, or for how long, browse through the programs on this page to get a sense of what’s available. Alternatively, you can use our search tool to refine your search. You’ll notice that you can browse by program location (including cities and towns within Cambodia), duration (weeks, months, or a year), and work type (including everything from arts and children to education and the environment). When you find a program you like, click on its link and contact the program to ask questions or register. Beginning your adventure could be that simple! Enjoy!
