Volunteer in Cambodia!

Free Time and Weekends

During our volunteer projects, you will work about 5-6 hours per day between 9 AM and 3-4 PM. A typical work week in Cambodia begins from Monday and ends onFriday, andyou will have Saturdays and Sundays off. This means that you’ll have plenty of time after 3-4pm during the week to explore the local area around your placement (Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap or Pursat), and the entirety of your weekends to explore all over the country.

Our volunteering work projects in Cambodia take place in Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap and Pursat. Your free time during the week can be spent exploring the sights of your location, and given that Cambodia is a small country, the rest can be reached on longer weekend excursions when you have two full days at a time to travel.

If your project placement is in Phnom Penh, you can go on a short visit to the National Museum of Cambodia after your workday finishes and take a look at the 5,000 artifacts and rare statues gathered here.

For those in Battambang, they can visit the famous Battambang Bat Caves. Here you can stand in awe and be amazed by the mind-blowing sight of thousands of bats hanging on to the cave walls above your head.

If your project is in Pursat then we recommend making plans to visit the beautiful Leach village.

A visit to the famous site of Angkor Wat is a must for our volunteers in Cambodia during their free time. You can learn a great deal about ancient rituals and traditions by exploring around the temples of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is located right outside Siem Reap, so volunteers placed there have easy access, but we recommend volunteers in other locations to dedicate a weekend to visit this amazing temple complex, which is in fact the largest religious complex in the world.

Weekend Exploration

As there’s no work during the weekends, volunteers have enough time on their hands to leave their project site and spend time visiting some of the most popular touristic sites of Cambodia that are located further away from their project. To help you make your weekends memorable, we’ve created a short list of places that you should not miss out on, other than the ones mentioned above.

The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda

The official residence of the King of Cambodia, the Royal Palace is one of the best places to visit during your volunteering trip in Cambodia. You can explore manicured gardens and galleries inside the palace and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the complex as a whole. Volunteers in Phnom Penh will be able to make the visit after their work finishes during the week, but those located elsewhere are encouraged to make a visit to the capital and this site during one of their weekends.

Cambodian Living Arts’ Theatre Show

If you want to watch dancers, singers and musicians perform traditional Cambodian art shows then a visit to the Cambodian Living Art’s Theatre Show is a must for any volunteer working in Cambodia. Most of its shows run from 7 PM to 8 PM and gives plenty of insights into Cambodian royal history. This means that you’ll be able to attend a show during the week if your placement is in Phnom Penh.

Wat Phnom

Another popular place to visit during the weekends of your volunteer projects in Cambodia is the Buddhist temple of Wat Phnom. Located in the capital city of Cambodia, Wat Phnom features a beautiful and well-maintained park where travelers can come to rest and relax. But keep in mind that foreigners will have to pay $1 per personfor entry into the site, and you should be on the lookout for monkeys while you’re there.

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center

For those of you who want to experience endangered and rare wildlife, Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center is the place to go during the weekends. Not only are animals protected there but they are also rescued and nursed back to health. It’s a great place to be around animals, andyou can even hand-feed elephants and macaques while you’re there.

Other interesting places to visit during your weekend are:

Visit the Phnom Penh Night Market

Go on a tour around the Wildlife Alliance Animal Sanctuary

Hop on an ATV and ride through the Village Quad Bike Trails

Taste the local Cambodian delicacies at Friends the Restaurant

Stroll around the Sisowath Quay Boardwalk

Volunteer Opportunities Available in Cambodia

IFRE arranges volunteer projects in Cambodia to suit every kind of interest and passion. You can work in

• An orphanage Project,
• teach English to disadvantaged children,
• work with local NGO’s,
• help with community development,
• provide important healthcare,
• raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and much more.

Contact IFRE today to find out what project is perfect for you!