Cambodia is a really special country to visit with world famous tourist sights and incredibly friendly people. You will fall in love with Cambodia, this really is a one of the most popular countries to visit on a gap year or backpacking trip in Asia.
Paid Work, Volunteer Programs, Teaching Jobs & Trips in Cambodia
Ultimate Cambodia Adventure
• 14 days
• Price from £1,219
Teach English in Cambodia
• 1-12 months
• Price from £1,945
TEFL Course in Phnom Penh
• 4 weeks
• Price from $1,498
Southeast Asia Encompassed
• 29 days
• Price from £2,789
Cambodia & Vietnam Explorer
• 23 days
• Price from £1,995
Thailand, Laos and Cambodia Adventure
• 16 days
• Price from £2,255
Total Asia Tour
• 50 days, 3 countries
• Price from £4,650
Southeast Asia Discovery
• 30 days, 4 countries
• Price from £1,449
Gap Years and Backpacking in Cambodia
One country that’s seen its fair share of difficult times, Cambodia is now loudly (and proudly) stamping its feet like an impatient kid waiting to be noticed. Why? IT’S BEAUTIFUL!
The people are smiley and friendly and excellent. The sights are epic; one minute you’re watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat, the next you’re commando rolling along the ground towards the next beautiful, haunting, ye olde tomb a la Lara Croft. The beaches are chill-worthy, the food yum and the vibe blissful, making it the perfect place to hang between classes.
If you want to travel, go backpacking, volunteer, work, study or book an adventure, we can help you plan a dream gap year to Cambodia. View our ideas for amazing things to do.
Popular Cambodia Gap Year Ideas
These are some of the best things to do when planning a gap year to backpack or travel in Cambodia:
• Volunteer with local people and communities
• Help wildlife, there are lots of animal and marine conservation projects
• Join an overland tour taking in the highlights of the country
• Explore the coast and islands
• Get paid to live and work in Cambodia by teaching English
• A guided tour of Angkor temples – the number one tourist attraction in the country
Volunteer in Cambodia
Cambodia is one of the most popular volunteer destinations in the world due to the amount of worthwhile and life changing projects available here.
Local NGO’s, charities and large international sending agencies offer programs to foreigners all year round. Some projects are short, whilst others can be joined for months.
Popular ways to help include community development, conservation, wildlife, education and teaching. There are projects in places like Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. Volunteering is a great way to get to know Cambodians better because you get to spend some quality time with the locals. This can lead to some amazing travel experiences.
On these types of programs you won’t get paid anything, and you sometimes might have to pay for flights and accommodation, but all the money raised goes to local charitable organisations run by Cambodians.
Each placement generally lasts for a week to three months and includes cultural lessons, activities and sightseeing breaks. In your spare time visit the stunning temples and dine or drink along the funky Mekong riverside.
Work in Cambodia
Would you like to actually live in Cambodia? And get paid? If you are open minded to new destinations Cambodia is a great country to work in. Although slightly more rustic and less touristy than spending a gap year in Thailand for example, there are lots of towns and cities where you can find jobs for foreigners.
The capital really is one of a kind city and one of the best places to find paid jobs for foreigners in areas like teaching. You’ll be taken aback by how friendly it is! You can find internship placements and research opportunities for individuals who are interested in working with many non-profit organizations while at the same time gaining valuable career experience and skills for an increasingly global workplace.
Teach in Cambodia
Teaching English is a wonderful way to volunteer your time, as everyone in the world wants and needs to speak English.
Unique for this part of the world, Cambodia has a healthy population of English speakers, and while teachers are always needed to school the growing population, an equally worthwhile alternative is placements based in the chaotic but friendly capital Phnom Penh.
For Cambodians, being able to speak English changes their lives dramatically. These people can get better jobs and become more educated, thereby raising the standard of living for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Students in Cambodia are eager to learn the language and you don’t need to be experienced in order to teach. Popular options include taking a TEFL course and finding paid positions in places like Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.
Some organisations also arrange placements where you’ll be part of a group of international volunteers providing affordable English classes for the locals.
Cambodia Adventure Tours
Cambodia might look small on a map but there are lots of places to visit. You could go backpacking and arrange a trip independently or book an organised group tour.
Lots of local and international travel operators offer tours to Cambodia, some even travel overland taking in other places like south east Asia like Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Some of the top places you should try to see in Cambodia include: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and the Angkor Temples, Sihanoukville and Koh Rong Island.
When you take a small group tour, you have a local guide to show and tell you everything you ever wanted to know (and everything you didn’t even know you wanted to know). We reckon it’s a pretty damn fine way to get to know a place.
You can sit back, relax and let yourself get lost in the visual cacophony of Cambodia. It’s a treat. Check out our trips in Cambodia. You won’t find a better deal on the internet today (or tomorrow). That’s a guarantee.
