Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam: A Southeast Asian Volunteering Adventure Tour
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What if you were told that a single trip of yours, for volunteering abroad in South East Asia, can give an opportunity to multiply your experience three times? Thinking how will that be possible?!?
Well, with Volunteering Solutions anything is possible – almost!
To tread the Southeast Asian way is any passionate traveler’s ultimate dream and the best way to do that is to cover the three beautiful countries of this region in one go. Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand are at a stone throw distance from each other and well connected by trains, flights, and buses. Ideal for volunteers and backpackers, the South East Asian Sojourn should be taken up by enthusiastic travelers as it is not only one of a kind trip but is also easy on the pockets.
VolSol provides programs in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam (apart from several other nations in SE Asia), which are adjoining nations. Anyone coming for a volunteer trip to any one of these destinations can easily opt to club the other two with it and explore three destinations in one trip. Surin in Thailand, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam are located at a short distance from each other. And not only that, one does not necessarily need to take a flight, as all these three locations are connected via roadways as well. It’s more like an interstate traveling, which actually is an international traveling!
As a volunteer, one has the freedom to either take up programs in all these three destinations and explore, or just take up a volunteer program in one of the destinations and explore the remaining two as a tourist. However, there is a third option as well – combine any two destinations for a volunteer program and travel the third as a tourist over any free weekend. Your Southeast Asian itinerary should be absolutely flexible to tweak whenever needed, however you should be dedicated towards your project work and give your best to make a difference.
Surin – Phnom Penh (Thailand – Cambodia)
Start your journey from Surin, whether you can either choose to volunteer with children or live in the outskirts of an elephant village, while volunteering for the gentle giants! Being a part of the Elephant Volunteering Program, you’ll get a chance to live closely with the mahout community (caretakers) and know how they look after the wellbeing of these animals. Other than that, you can also be a part of the 2 Weeks Special Volunteer which combines the best of travel & volunteering experiences in Surin. After spending a couple of weeks here, you can board a bus and head towards Phnom Penh in Cambodia, where you can volunteer as teacher or join the NGO Support Volunteering Program.
Phnom Penh – Ho Chi Minh City (Cambodia – Vietnam)
Amongst several, there are two common programs in both these cities – Orphanage Program and Teaching English Program. As a volunteer, one may choose to take up different programs in these cities or can continue with the same and share their experience from one country to another. It will be an interesting way to understand the cultural difference. Over any of the free weekends, volunteers can take a short trip to Siem Reap and explore the ruins of Angkor.
However, there is another option for volunteers! You can choose to be a part of the Summer Volunteering Program in Phnom Penh that’ll enable you to explore nearly all major areas of Cambodia and volunteer at Kampong Speu, before heading off to Vietnam, where you can choose to spend a week or so.
Surin – Ho Chi Minh City (Thailand – Vietnam)
This is one program combination that will give the volunteers (opting for it) a window to stay over in Cambodia for few days to explore the gorgeous city of Siem Reap, before moving ahead to Vietnam to join their next volunteer program. So, it will be like, completing a program in Thailand, then a break for a few days in Cambodia, and start fresh in Vietnam – this can’t get any better!
And while there are teaching programs in, both, Surin as well as Ho Chi Minh City, wildlife enthusiasts can go for the Elephant Volunteering Program in Surin and later, continue indulge in spending some time with the adorable cuties while volunteering at an Orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City.
It entirely depends on you, which volunteer tour combination you would go for, according to your field of interest and time availability. But trust me when I say this, clubbing these 3 nations together would be the best way to explore and volunteer, making a difference in the lives of the people.
It’ll be an opportunity for you to culturally soak the vibes of each of these nations, know the people and their lifestyles, walk down the lanes of history and help them dream of a better future.
To know more about this, you can get in touch with our Program Advisors. Drop us a mail at [email protected] and you can also follow us on Instagram to stay updated about what other volunteers are doing in the fields!
Let the adventure begin!
