Cambodia Volunteer Programs from $17/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

I volunteered in Cambodia - spending my first placement in Pursat, with an amazing host family! I will never forget how kid they were and helpful even with a language barrier we had at times, my second placement was Siem Reap at the volunteer house. Both placements I chose to be a part of the child care program. My volunteer experience in Cambodia was unforgettable, eye opening and so inspiring. It was my first trip overseas on my own but not at one point did I feel unsafe, the staff prior to departure and when I was in Cambodia were so friendly and helpful. I felt supported and excited every step of the way. The placements IVHQ selects in the host country have been carefully picked and you can see the full impact they have on the community once you are there, and it is privilege to be a part of that. Not only is the volunteering experience absolutely wondrous, the entire time, with other volunteers, in country support team! and of course the people of Cambodia made the entire trip unforgettable, adventurous and addictive. I have already booked my next lot of volunteer experiences and hope to be able to give as much as I know I will get out of them.

I was placed in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia for six weeks, and just as my title says, it was unforgettable!

The city is full of life and loads of things to do. It is a place to really experience true Cambodian life. You are away from most tourists (with the opportunity to partake in touristy things), but you are mostly amongst the locals and sharing in their day to day lives. Another positive of being placed here is that PP is close to many places such as Kampot, Kep, and Sihnoukville, which are fantastic weekend getaway places. But, aside from that, the people, the food, and the atmosphere that is in this city, can't be experienced anywhere else.

There are three housing option in PP, and I was placed in the homestay. This was fantastic, and I couldn't have asked for a better place to stay. The family treated us really well, and made delicious food each day. There was anywhere from 8-15 ish volunteers staying here. Full house which made for great conversations, and loads of people to go do things with.

I taught at a home for children who came from rough homes and such. I was the only volunteer from IVHQ at this placement. At first I was worried about that, but it was really a blessing. I had the opportunity to really take control of the education that these students were receiving while I was there. This was fantastic as I am in my final year of teaching. I only taught half a day as they went to Khmer school during the other half. I wish I could have spent so much more time in PP teaching. The longer you spend, the better connections, and the bigger the impact you have on these children.

Teaching in Cambodia with IVHQ was by far the best experience I have ever had. I keep in contact with my volunteer placement, and I am planning to go back again in the near future.

If you are considering Cambodia, do not hesitate. Sure there will be challenges, it is hot, schooling is different, the culture is different, but isn't that why we travel in the first place? To experience these differences, and to grow and learn from them.

I think of Cambodia everyday. I will never forget the people and things I experienced on this journey.

Don't hesitate, sign up and stay for as long as you can. Two weeks is just not enough to experience it all.

This was my first solo trip and it was way out of my comfort zone, I wasn't sure what to expect but it topped any expectations I had!
I loved every minute of my time at the Home of Joy orphanage in Siem Reap, it was absolutely amazing and it is actually pretty hard to put into words but it was a life changing experience!
I would recommend this program to everyone, the support post departure and on arrival is great. As I went by myself I was pretty nervous but the accommodation was great and I met so many great like minded people there from all over the world.

I can't recommend this high enough, I have encouraged a few friends to use the program and travel to Nepal next year, I am also super excited to be heading on my second trip with IVHQ to Vietnam in January with 2 of my best friends!! Love love love it, there are so many options and very reasonably price!

Prior to completing my program I had visited Cambodia twice with my family. We all completely fell in love with the culture and people there however were saddened by the horrific past and the number of people living in poverty. I vowed I would come back and try and help in any way possible. After talking to a few friends I decided to try volunteering, I travelled to Cambodia as part of a 6 week Southeast Asia trip but two weeks was no where near enough time for me! It is hard being a uni student and finding enough time but I still enjoyed every minute of it.

I was placed in the Missionary of Charity orphanage in Siem Reap which was a beautiful little orphanage for babies to 5/6 year olds. Our job mainly consisted of playing with and entertaining the children while making sure they were fed, bathed and looked after. This proved difficult at some times due to the adventurous and brave spirit of the children! The children are all so affectionate and love the attention and the carers and nuns who work there are very caring. There was limited teaching facilities which I was surprised by and I would have loved to try and run some classes however it was near to impossible with none of the children speaking any english.

Siem Reap is an amazing place and the volunteer house and staff there were so great. The house is a short walk from 'Pub Street' which is a street full of bars, clubs and great restaurants. Safe to say we enjoyed the social aspect of the whole thing! Overall I had the most incredible time and seeing the smiling excited faces of the children when we arrived in the morning made it all worth it. I loved it so much that I am returning in a few months! Would highly recommend to everyone interested.

I was placed a Joy Day Care in Cambodia where my responsibilities included showering, feeding, teaching, playing with and cleaning up after children aged 2 to 6 years. The day started at about 9am, when the students were picked up and brought to the centre and ended at about 4pm when they were taken home. The students were divided into 3 'classes' and I worked mostly with the younger students.

For as long as I've known I have always wanted to volunteer overseas and I'm so glad I chose IVHQ and Cambodia as my first trip. It was amazing! So amazing that I wish I was still there! Best time ever!

Hi all,
I just recently volunteered at the Missionaries of Charity Orphanage in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I applied for a two week programme however that is my biggest regret as two weeks was not enough. It was a massive step out of my comfort zone as I had never travelled in a foreign country solo however I would recommend it to anyone. It really gives you perspective on daily life as the experience encourages you to compare the life of the Cambodian locals and the life you live back at home. I learn to appreciate the basic necessities and become less materialistic. It was eye-opening to witness the happiness of the locals and sense of community despite living a very basic life.

I had an absolute blast at the orphanage and woke up very eager to return each day. The nuns were very accommodating and the children were super affectionate. Our role was to assist the workers with the children's daily routines, including bathing, feeding and entertaining. It was really rewarding to see the children smiling and loving the attention. The most difficult part was the language barrier as it was very hard to communicate with 0-5 year olds that obviously could not speak english. Nonetheless, I would definitely return.

The IVHQ programme provided quality accommodation and delicious food which added to smoothness of my experience.

My 4 weeks of volunteering at a disability day care centre in Phnom Penh was a real adventure as it was so different to anything I have ever done before. But it was the best adventure!
Hand of Hope Community looks after 25 children with varying disabilities (including autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities) and ages ranging from 5 to 22 years old. Each child's different and therefore the more individual attention that they receive the better. That is why alongside the 6 staff members at the centre, myself and another volunteer were never without something to do. From helping kids with cerebral palsy practise fine motor movements through educational toys, to drawing picture outlines for kids to colour in, to learning the numbers 1 to 10 with kids with intellectual disabilities, the list goes on. A definite highlight was the first dance party. Seeing the kids faces light up when the music started playing and dancing around the room like it was the only thing that mattered is a memory I will never forget. I want to share my experiences with everyone I meet, but I know the only way anyone would truly understand is if they went on their own adventure.
The support of IVHQ (and CVF in Cambodia) was exceptional and I am already looking at their programs in other countries for my next overseas volunteer adventure.