Cambodia: Village Development and Elephant Sanctuary

Name: Cambodia: Village Development and Elephant Sanctuary
Brand: Reach Out Volunteers
SKU: 31872
Rating: 5 (8 reviews)

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5.00 Rating

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Location

Cambodia
- Siem Reap

Project Types

Building Projects Community Development Conservation

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Program Details

Language

English

Housing

Guesthouse

Pricing

Starting Price

500

Price Details

Program cost includes all food, accommodation, ground transport and activities.
Airport collection
All accommodation for your project and any extensions
All meals. (We cater for vegetarians and vegans. Other food allergies please contact us)
24/7 support from your ROV Team Leader who is first aid qualified.
All transport required for the project site.
All transport required to the elephant sanctuary
Contributions to the local community school
Contributions to the elephant sanctuary
Guide and entrance into the Angkor Wat temple complex
Khmer Language classes
Khmer history classes
A massage
Visiting a Ladyboy show
Transport out to the local carnival
Building materials for your work in the community
Food and building materials for the elephants
Contributions to local labourers from the community
A goodbye party for you in the community
Program costs do not include flights or travel insurance.

Last Updated: Nov 23, 2016

Last Reviewed: Sep 14, 2016

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About Program

The first week you will spend at an elephant sanctuary creating a home for displaced, mistreated and abandoned elephants. The sanctuary helps protect the jungle and as well as growing food for the elephants. You'll help to rehabilitate these magnificent creatures; walk them to local waterfalls and dams, bathe them, feed them vegetation and work on the plantation.
You will also spend a week working side by side with local villages and help build houses, vegetable gardens, provide access to fresh drinking water, and teach English to local children. You will explore the UNESCO listed Angkor Wat.
There are a number of great activities included in the price to ensure you don't waste your time working out what to do and how to pay for it when you arrive;
-ticket,transport and guide for Angkor Wat tour
-language and history lesson
-cooking class
-evening at the night carnival
-ticket and transport to the famous Phare circus
-transport to and on Tonli Sap

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Program Reviews

5.00 Rating

based on 8 reviews

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Rating Spread Volunteer

5 rating 100%
4 rating 0%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Impact 4.9
Support 5
Fun 4.65
Value 4.9
Safety 4.9

Showing 1 - 8 of 8 reviews

In the Khmer language lesson, I learned the word arkoun, meaning thank you. I didn't realize how important and constantly used this word would become.

In Cambodia the people are the sweetest and happiest I have ever met. The joy in their eyes from a simple high five is unbelievable. Even with so little they are willing to give so much. It's a kindness that makes my heart all warm and left me saying arkoun to everyone.

With only a couple nights left in the village, I got to spend the whole day fully immersing myself in the stories and culture of Cambodia. It was an experience that was at times hard to see but at the same time I was inspired by the strength and positivity of the people. Every minute of hard work was worth helping these amazing kids and beautiful elephants.

What would you improve about this program?

I think that offering a wider range of dates that are available to volunteer will open up this opportunity to more individuals and that will be incredible.

I loved teaching the children on the Wednesday at the Elephant Sanctuary, I was kind of thrown in the deep end, trying to teach a class English and there is a huge language barrier but once I got comfortable I was really into it.

I loved the night life and the fact the team leader came out with us to help us feel safe.

It was a good variety of activities, you were never bored and you felt like you were achieving something and having fun whilst doing it.

What would you improve about this program?

For the village immersion because they stay 2 weeks in Siem Reap City they should be able to do different nightly tasks in the same week then doing the same both weeks.

The school I was working at had a few dogs as well as a litter of puppies which needed some simple veterinary treatment. During one lunch break, a few friends and I decided to give the dogs a dirt scrub to get rid of the fleas, and also to remove all the ticks (many of which were on their faces). After cleaning up the first puppy we brought some of the local kids in and taught them how to use dirt as an exfoliant for the dogs coats. This was a great experience for the local kids and a really nice teaching moment for us!

What would you improve about this program?

Being given a photo of project we were working on once it was completed would be fantastic!

I can't say enough about ROV. Great people, great experience. Can't wait to do it again! I'm really looking forward to going to Africa with this organization.

What would you improve about this program?

The program isn't long enough :)

This program is amazing! While in the village, we became so close to everyone living and working there; it was hard to leave after just one week! While there, I worked on a school building and a pig pen in that village. One of the best and most rewarding feelings about the project was seeing how much the people needed what we helped to build, and how appreciative they were when we had finished.

The elephant refuge is almost indescribable. To be completely removed from all society and luxury is in itself amazing, and the landscape is out of this world! It was truly a remarkable experience to actually do hands on work with the elephants; they are remarkably kind and intelligent creatures thus it was a real privilege to spend so much time around them and get to know their personalities!

After this short two weeks program, I felt not only that I had made a real tangible difference in the lives of others, but that I had experienced more in two weeks than I have my entire life!! I would most highly recommend this or any other Reach Out program to anyone and everyone!

What would you improve about this program?

The programs are just not long enough!

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Words cannot describe how amazing this program actually was. Not only do you get to help one of the poorest communities in Cambodia but you get to have fun while you are doing it. Working with some of the most genuine, lovely people I have ever met was amazing. I can't wait to get out there and do it all over again.
I would highly recommend this program. Best experience ever, try and stay as long as you can because the time will fly by and you will want to go back straight away.

What would you improve about this program?

Honestly I wouldn't change a thing. In my eyes the program was perfect. The team leaders were brilliant as well.

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I longed to do a volunteering program such as this, and the wait to find a good company and finally getting around to doing it, paid off a thousand times over. This was the best experience of my entire life, and not only would I definitely recommend it to friends, family and strangers, I would also do it again and again and again!!! Most amazing and rewarding adventure I have ever done.

What would you improve about this program?

The length that I did it for. I would have happily stayed longer.

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I strongly recommend this program or any other Reach out programs.
The staff are amazing - so supportive and down to earth, it made my experience even better and smoother. Everyday is exciting there is not a dull moment. It will be the most rewarding thing you do in your life.
I have made life long friends and would do it again in a heart beat!

Questions & Answers

Thinking of doing this. Can anyone tell me if they had to get a business visa. The embassy in Aust told me I had to.

I’m not 100% sure what visa I had to get, but whatever it was they gave it to me at the airport! It cost about $40 USD and I had to take a hard copy passport photo with me, but it was very easy and lasted the entire length of my stay + some!

By Eliza Marks on February 6, 2018

How safe are the guest houses? Are there mixed sleep quarters or gender specific?

For the village development you stay in a hotel - we had no security incidents at all. The facilities are lovely, the staff are attentive and the place itself is tucked away down a lane out of the centre of town. In the elephant sanctuary the ROV group are basically the only people there. You stay in huts, in a gated area that is locked at night. In terms of gender, you can request friends to stay...

By Eliza Marks on January 30, 2018

Can a parent go with their college daughter to volunteer in Cambodia?

Absolutely. We have had parents and grandparents on our programs. We have had mum and dad and the children on many occasions. We welcome all who come with a good heart and willing hands.

By Reach Out Volunteers on November 13, 2015

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with ROV in Cambodia?

Cambodia Volunteers

Lianna: I decided to volunteer abroad in Cambodia with ROV because I really wanted to give back to the community, and I felt that this program would certainly help me do this. I also really wanted to learn how other people live and this program certainly helped me realize how much I take for granted in my day to day life.

What advice do you have for future volunteers in Cambodia?

Lianna: My advice for future volunteers would be to just go and enjoy the program, and get involved with every task you do because it is definitely worth it! It may seem hard or unappealing to you at first, but it will mean the world to the people you are dong it for. Always have a positive attitude towards everything and broaden your horizons a little; try something new! It makes the experience a million times better!!

What made this experience unique and special?

Cambodian children

Lianna: What made this volunteer abroad experience special to me was the fact that I went with an amazing group of girls, some of whom I already knew before the program, and also the fact that everyone in my group was willing to just get in and do the work, no questions asked, which I believe is what a volunteer experience should be about. It's about others, not yourself! We also had the most amazing group leader, he just made me feel safe and tried his best to make the experience enjoyable for everyone in the group.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Lianna: This program certainly changed my outlook and attitude towards my life, and it really helped me appreciate everything that I have been given throughout my life. It really helped me grow up and realize that all of the little things that may have seemed like the end of the world were actually nothing compared to what most of the people we helped were going through or had gone through.

Mike Smith

Mollie Baker

Olivia Masuino

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Tell us a little about ROV and your role at the company.

At ROV I have the fantastic role of coordinating the International recruiting teams. Each year I get to meet, train, and aid recruiters around the world who are spreading the word about the exciting volunteering opportunities that Reach Out has to offer! Every person that I work alongside is enthusiastic, outgoing, and has a passion to do their part in making a difference in the world.

How did you get involved in the volunteer industry?

I started with ROV after being a volunteer on their South African program. If someone had asked me a year beforehand if I could see myself doing this type of job, I would have laughed! The African program changed my life, I saw a side to the world, that I could never turn my back on, I made friends with some of the most wonderful volunteers from around the world, and I could see the difference I had made. SO! I worked hard, begged for jobs, and eventually made a ripple.

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What makes ROV unique?

ROV has so many unique components as a volunteer organisation. It starts in the office, where all of the communications are dealt with. Everyone who works in there are passionate about the job, they're the brains, and they are infinitely friendly and easy going. Then you have the recruiters, they're a big supportive family, who work hard, to see results in third world countries around the world.

THEN you have the volunteers and the programs. Each volunteer that comes through is selected carefully from their application, they display a desire to change the world, to have the experience of a life time, and to be a part of a cultural community! I also think the ROV programs are perfectly structured. Every single program, whether it be in Africa, Asia, or South America combines three very important elements. There's the cultural immersion aspect, the wildlife conservation aspect, and the community development aspect - ROV volunteers come away with having experienced all three of those in 2 weeks!! Phew! Thats a busy two weeks!

How do you ensure your programs are sustainable and mutually beneficial for you, the community, and the volunteers?

The sustainability of ROV projects in third world communities, is not a lightly handled task. ROV makes sure that we work alongside people within the community, people who can learn a trade through us (ie. house building) and be able to maintain the projects after we leave. We also source laboursmen and tools from within the communities, to help pump money back into the village. ROV also revisits projects to make sure everything is still running smoothly.

The volunteers find it to be a wonderful cultural experience being able to work alongside the locals from the communities we work within.They create friends for life, exchange Facebook details, and keep in touch. There are past volunteers who still go over to visit the communities (after the project is finished) and to visit their new friends. Not only is there a great deal of cultural learning being shared but there is also a great sense of leaving the completed projects in the very capable hands of the members of the communities that Reach Out Volunteers work in.

What does the future hold for ROV?

The future for ROV that I see, is a biiigggg one! I see countries all over the world receiving aid from our volunteers. I can see us fulfilling our motto: Change the world; one village at a time. I know we'll finish entire villages, entire communities, entire states, countries, and continents. Everybody who comes through ROV is ready to change the world - with enough of these people, changing the world is a pretty simple task.

About Reach Out Volunteers

When you arrive the ROV team leader is waiting for you at the airport. The tools and materials are there for you at the work site. You don't need to waste time and energy finding out the best things to do when you arrive, we have already booked you in to them. We are a group of people that hopes to change the world, we're just doing it one village...

Program Details

Pricing

Alumni Interviews

Lianna Kerrison

Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with ROV in Cambodia?

What advice do you have for future volunteers in Cambodia?

What made this experience unique and special?

How has this experience impacted your future?

Staff Interviews

Rachel Ballantyne

Tell us a little about ROV and your role at the company.

How did you get involved in the volunteer industry?

What makes ROV unique?

How do you ensure your programs are sustainable and mutually beneficial for you, the community, and the volunteers?

What does the future hold for ROV?