Volunteer in Cambodia

The childcare and teaching programs start from $819 for two weeks, deposit included — one price covering your accommodation, three meals a day, airport pickup, orientation with city tour and welcome meal, placement and 24-hour support. The NGO support program starts at five weeks. Longer stays cost less per week (up to 24 weeks) and each program page shows the full week-by-week total. Flights, visa, insurance, local transport and personal spending are extra.

Yes — most nationalities obtain a visa on arrival at Phnom Penh airport or an e-Visa online before travel. Cambodia has specific paperwork requirements, so follow the step-by-step guidance in our pre-departure guide and confirm current rules with the Cambodian embassy. Your passport needs six months' validity beyond your return and two blank pages.

Yes, with everyday care. Our programs have run in Phnom Penh for well over a decade; the volunteer house has the team office next door and a 24-hour line. Bag- and phone-snatching from motorbikes is the main risk, so keep valuables away from the roadside and wear bags across your body, use Grab or a known tuk-tuk driver at night and cross the traffic slowly. Most of our Cambodia volunteers are solo travelers.

18 on all three programs. There is no upper age limit, and a clean criminal background check is required before you start because placements involve children and vulnerable people.

Childcare and teaching run from two to 24 weeks; NGO support from five to 24 weeks. Orientation takes place on the first and third Monday of every month all year, and you arrive on the Sunday before; the next available start is 20 Sep 2026.

In the shared volunteer house near the Russian Market in central Phnom Penh — five rooms for over twenty volunteers, three to five per room, with fans, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi and the team office in the same building. A family-run guesthouse (with private rooms at extra cost) and host-family stays are the alternatives.

Yes — three meals a day from a set menu at a restaurant three minutes' walk from the volunteer house: baguette or toast with eggs or fruit for breakfast, and soups, stir-fries, rice and noodle dishes with meat, fish or tofu for lunch and dinner. Khmer food is mild and fresh, and vegetarians are catered for. Host-family volunteers eat with their family.

Yes. A member of the local team meets you at Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) on the Sunday before orientation and takes you to your accommodation, with that night covered by your fee. The return transfer to the airport is not included but is easy to arrange.

None are compulsory for entry, but routine vaccinations should be current and hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended; dengue is present and malaria exists outside the cities, so use repellent and take advice for rural weekend trips. Rabies is present — avoid stray animals. Check NHS Fit for Travel or the CDC and see a travel clinic six to eight weeks before you leave.

November to February is cooler and dry — the most comfortable time for both the city and Angkor. March to May is hot, and June to October is the rainy season with afternoon showers and lush countryside. Programs run all year; note that schools and centers may close around Khmer New Year in mid-April.

Yes — Siem Reap is five to six hours from Phnom Penh by bus, so most volunteers go for a long weekend, leaving Friday evening and returning Sunday night, or add days before or after their placement. The coordinators recommend trusted bus companies and guesthouses.

Light, modest clothes for placements and temples (shoulders and knees covered), a rain jacket in the wet season, comfortable closed shoes and sandals, a cross-body bag that closes securely, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, a refillable bottle, a first-aid kit and any regular medication, and your own towel. Teaching materials, picture books and stationery are welcome at the kindergartens and classes.