Cambodia: Volunteering in Asia

Volunteering Projects and Internships in Asia - Cambodia

Cambodia is now one of the must-visit destinations in South East Asia and is an excellent place to volunteer abroad. Projects are available for anyone interested in volunteering in the developing world; whether you are on a gap year, a summer placement, or a career break.

Projects Abroad is based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's spirited and charming capital city. Volunteers here live together in shared apartments close to the city centre. Join a Care project and you'll work with orphans, street-children, disabled children, or children with HIV/Aids, helping to give young Cambodians a brighter future. We also offer volunteer opportunities for teaching English and/or French within the classrooms of the orphanages and charity schools that we work with.

Our placements in Medicine, at Phnom Penh's state hospitals, are suitable for medical students who have completed at least one year of medical studies. Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy volunteers are also needed to work in rehabilitation centres with children who have a variety of disabilities and landmine victims.

If you want to explore the culture, language and history of Cambodia, consider joining the Khmer Project - part of our Community Projects - which immerses you in the Khmer culture past and present. Journalism volunteers also get to know the country quickly and French speaking volunteers can work at a French language newspaper.

Our pioneering Conservation Project is based on a small tropical island two hours boat ride from the lively coastal town of Sihanoukville. This is a great project for adventurous volunteers interested in learning to scuba dive and taking part in a variety of conservation activities in and out of the water.

Volunteering on a Placement Overseas in Cambodia

With its pristine beaches, ancient temples and exotic jungle, it's easy to see why Cambodia’s turbulent history is now becoming an increasingly distant memory. This beautiful country is at peace, and Cambodians are focused on building a positive future. Many areas of Phnom Penh are booming; the city has an elegant riverfront and lively nightlife, and its people are friendly, dignified and optimistic. But it remains hard to escape the poverty and the fact that many Cambodians are still struggling to survive.

At about two-thirds the size of the UK, but one of the least-populated Asian countries, Cambodia is bordered by Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. With a coastline on the tropical Gulf of Thailand, Cambodia occupies the heart of South-East Asia and this area was previously home to the mighty Khmer empire.

Much of Cambodia is dissected by the impressive Mekong River, and it is a fertile country, with forests and gemstone mines that will help to build the framework for future growth. If you're interested in overseas voluntary work in an unspoilt, beautiful country, now's certainly the time to see Cambodia.

Volunteer Travel and Tourism in Cambodia

Explore Cambodia and you will be amazed by the juxtaposition of vibrant cities, achingly beautiful scenery and famous historical landmarks like Angkor Wat. At weekends and during travel time Cambodia offers a huge number of activities. The world-famous gathering of temples near Siem Reap is a must for all visitors - climbing over huge tree roots to the entrance of partly hidden doorways is guaranteed to bring out the Indiana Jones in anyone!

However, Cambodia offers far more than ancient temples. Go elephant trekking in the East, try snorkelling and dolphin-spotting in the seas surrounding Sihanoukville, or take in the sunset with a bottle of Angkor beer at a local beach bar.

Travelling to the neighbouring countries is easy. You can follow the well-trodden tourist trail into Thailand, but border crossings are also accessible into Laos and Vietnam; two more unspoilt countries that are crying out to be visited before the tourist masses discover their charms.