Most rejuvenating vacation ever!

I travelled to Cambodia with Developing World Connections in December of 2009. Our two week trip started with a weekend in Phnom Penh, where we had a chance to meet our team leader and the rest of the volunteers. The accommodation was straightforward, but still clean, comfortable and in a safe part of the city. Our team leader was very flexible and accommodating. He had group activities planned if you were interested, but was happy to let people explore on their own as well.

We travelled as a group from Phnom Penh to Kep, where we would spend the remainder of the trip. We worked Monday to Friday and had the weekends to take in local attractions. Work days started around 8am and finished by 5 or 6pm. Given the heat and humidity, we also were given a long lunch break (over an hour) each day. Our work included thatch home construction, latrine construction, and building sections of a community garden.

The accommodations in Kep were beautiful. They were just off the beach with a nice pool, which was such a treat at the end of each day. They weren’t luxurious, but were definitely first class by North American standards. There were tons of good dining options in Kep for dinners. The team leader was a great resource for information on where to go and what to see in the area.

Developing World Connections partners with ‘Bridges Across Borders South East Asia’ for their trips to Cambodia. Both organizations have worked to ensure that projects completed by volunteers are ones that the community wants and needs. They also ensure that projects and initiatives can be sustained by the community members once the volunteers have gone.

For me, it was definitely the perfect blend between volunteer experience and vacation. I loved working with the locals and I will never forget the two families that we built homes with. The team atmosphere was fantastic and I left the trip with two dozen new friends.

I would highly recommend Developing World Connections to anyone looking for short-term volunteering opportunities in the developing world.