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| Q. |
When do I need to arrive in Cambodia for my program? |
| Ans. |
You can come one day in advance from your program starting date. |
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| Q. |
What will happen once I arrive in Cambodia? |
| Ans. |
Our staff will be there to meet and greet you at the airport and from there you will be taken to the project or hostel depending on the time of your arrival. |
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| Q. |
When will I know specific details of my placement? |
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Once you have applied, we will send you details of your placement usually within 10 working days.
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| Q. |
How do I get to the program location? |
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Your country coordinator will take you to your placement and introduce you to everyone after giving you a basic orientation about the program/city/culture etc. |
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| Q. |
I want to know more about accommodation arrangements? |
| Ans. |
We provide you with accommodation from your start date to the end of the program. Accommodation will either be in a host family or arranged at your program location itself. You will have your own room, which you might share with another volunteer. You should bring along things like, mosquito net, mosquito repellent and your own soaps and shampoos. |
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| Q. |
What will be the food arrangement? |
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Excellent Khmer food is provided breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week (except public and school holidays), rice served daily! Special dietary requirements will be catered for where possible. Where this is not possible, volunteers will need to cater for themselves. Vegetarian food is the standard meat-meal, just without the meat.
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| Q. |
Do you make provision for vegetarians? |
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Yes and if you are vegan this will not be a problem, we will arrange the food for you. |
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| Q. |
What is the age range to volunteer? |
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You must be 18 years or older to volunteer. The maximum age limit is 55 yrs. We also allow people below 18 (till 16yrs) if they are accompanied by an adult. |
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| Q. |
What immunizations/vaccinations will I need? |
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We recommend you speak to your doctor before coming. The following are recommended vaccinations:
- Tetanus and diphtheria
- Polio
- Hepatitis A and B
- Typhoid
- Rabies
- Japanese B encephalitis
- Tuberculosis recommended if living with local people for 3 months.
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| Q. |
Do I need to speak English to volunteer? |
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English is the only language apart from Hindi which is understood by many people in Cambodia, you will need to be good at spoken English to come and volunteer in Cambodia. |
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| Q. |
Can couples or families join the volunteer program? |
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You can come in couples or groups as long as most people are above 18. We cannot accommodate anyone below the age of 16 even if they are accompanied by a family. |
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| Q. |
Are there more expenses once I arrive in Cambodia? |
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Your program fee covers you for food and accommodation. You will need to cover yourself for your personal expenses, such as travelling, telephone, internet, shopping, sightseeing etc. Travelling within Cambodia is cheap; however, you should carry at least $70 per week for yourself. |
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| Q. |
Where can I change my money in Cambodia? |
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You can change money in any bank or at the airport by showing your passport. |
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| Q. |
Are there ATM’s in Cambodia? |
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There are more than 50 ATM’s in Cambodia. You will find many from all banks across Cambodia. |
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| Q. |
Is there phone and internet available on projects? |
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Yes there is usually a phone at every placement we provide. However you will have to use Internet café’s to use Internet. It is strongly recommended that you carry a mobile phone while travelling to Cambodia. You can get international roaming or can simply buy a local sim card from the airport when you arrive. |
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| Q. |
What hours will I volunteer every day? |
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Volunteers usually work for 5‐6 hours a day depending on their program. You will have weekend off so you can go to travel on weekends. However some organizations will need you to work on some Saturdays as well. |
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| Q. |
Are we able to do any sightseeing or travelling in weekends? |
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You will usually have 2 free days per week, you can utilize this time for anything you like. All costs are at the volunteer's expense.
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| Q. |
What visa do I need to get, will I get any help? Can I extend my Visa? |
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To volunteer and teach and to be able to extend you visa for more than 1 month, you will need to purchase a type "E" Business visa on arrival. You will require 2 passport photo’s to obtain your visa, as well as US$25. Once your position is confirmed with us, we will email you a “Confirmation of Placement” letter to print off and present on arrival with your passport.
If you are arriving by land, it is easiest if you can arrange a Type "E"- Business visa at a Cambodian embassy before you come. This is because there can be some visa scams at some border crossings, which may complicate things for you.
The costs of extending your business Visa during the first month are;
Approximately US$41 for 1 months, US$71 for 3 months, US$140 for 6 months and US$260 for 1 year. Please note, only the 6 month and 1 year visa's are re-entry (allow you to leave and re-enter Cambodia without purchasing a new visa). It is strongly recommend that you arrange your visa in your home country to avoid problems on arrival. |
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| Q. |
Do I need travel insurance? |
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Yes, it is included in the program fee that you pay to Volunteering Solutions |
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| Q. |
What should I bring with me? |
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You can buy almost anything in Phnom Penh, but if you have them you might find the following useful; laptop, USB flash drive/memory stick, bicycle and/ or motorbike helmet (about US$15 in Phnom Penh, but low quality), basic first aid kit, including needle kit if traveling to rural areas, reading books, magazines, DVDs, games, extra teaching materials (course books are already provided) including dictionaries/ photo dictionaries, decorations for the house and school (e.g. maps, pictures and posters) and spare passport photos. |
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