I scrunched my nose and coughed.
“And that’s your first experience with burning trash,” Sam said as we were riding back to the hotel. Sam, the United Planet country coordinator, had just met me at the airport and we were in the tuk-tuk on our way back to the guesthouse to meet the other volunteers. This was not the last time I would ask myself, what am I doing here, volunteering abroad? I had been anticipating my trip to Siem Reap in Cambodia for months. I thought that I was just going to be volunteering in Cambodia at an orphanage and teaching at an English school, but I was in for so much more.
And So It Began
We visited the Imagine Angkor Foundation and met the children at the orphanage that we would be spending time with over the next week and a half. The 12 children at Imagine Angkor range in age from 5-18 and loved spending time with new people. While I was in Siem Reap, one of the other volunteers and I brought crayons, coloring books, stickers, and other stuff for the children. They sat and colored for over an hour.
One night, when it came time to leave, there were no adults around. We didn’t want to leave the children alone and weren’t sure what to do. It was then that I learned you cannot trust the phone network in Cambodia. I finally got in touch with Sam who told me that the older kids would take care of the younger ones and we could leave. Another lesson in how different life in Cambodia was than the United States.
Our School
Our volunteering in Cambodia experience took us to an English school, Khmer Chewy Khmer (Khmer Helping Khmer). The Khmer Chewy Khmer English school is one of the most amazing places I have ever been. The Director, Phaly (prounounced Paul-e), has turned his home into a free school for children to learn English since private English classes cost $5-8/month, which most families cannot afford. The teachers are past students who have volunteered to teach there, and some have moved away from their families, or travel a long way each day to meet that commitment.
At Khmer Chewy Khmer, I either helped one of the teachers with pronunciation, or ran a classroom of my own if the teacher was unable to be there that night. Although the students had donated workbooks, they mostly just wanted to practice their conversation skills and listen to native pronunciation of English words. Their goal is to learn English to be able to work in one of the hotels in Siem Reap or to become a temple guide.
Phaly told us not to come to the school one morning because there was a huge parade celebrating Angkor’s Wat’s one year anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He was so proud of his country that he thought it was more important for us to see that then help him at the school. The morning of the parade, we started walking along with the procession and ended up walking the whole 6 kilometers to the amazing temple at Angkor Wat.
A couple days later we found out that Phaly’s father was killed by the Khmer Rouge in 1977. I can’t even begin to imagine the devastation and destruction that caused a country to still be recovering from something that happened 30+ years ago. Knowing about his father, and knowing that Phaly himself was imprisoned as a slave during the Khmer Rouge makes his dedication and infallible spirit even more amazing. He inspires everyone he meets and has such a passion for making his country a better place. There aren’t many people in this world like Phaly, and he is a person that I will never forget.
My Favourite Sights
Volunteering in Cambodia wasn’t all business, though. We still had time to sightsee, and believe me, there are some amazing sights to see! Some of my favourites:
- Traditional Aspara Dancing
- The Royal Garden
- The Silk Farm – the whole process from the worms to the finished product
- The famous temples of Angkor Wat
- Lake Tonle Sap – a town on the lake
In Reflection
I would highly recommend visiting Cambodia. While I hear the experience is a bit different for men and women, I wouldn’t trade my time there for anything in the world. I went with the non-profit United Planet, an organization that has a variety of volunteer programs (teaching, medical, orphanages, etc.) in several countries across the world. I chose United Planet because it was my first time traveling abroad, and I was traveling alone, so I wanted a bit more support. They provide transfer to and from the airport, an orientation in the country, and take you to the volunteer sites the first day. The cost to volunteer is a bit higher than some other organizations, but you can fundraise and it is tax-deductible, so that helped me offset the cost a bit.
Never have I experienced people that are so connected to one another and have such a strong sense of community. They depend on each other and help each other. This is a country that experienced an awful tragedy under the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970’s, but you would never know that something so terrible had ever happened. The people are so full of life and love. They want to share their culture with you and learn about yours.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
It sounds like a truly amazing experience; I volunteered at an orphanage outside of Phnom Penh and I always wonder if I got more out of the experience or the kids – it’s just so rewarding on each end
Will have to look into this orphanage when I head back to Cambodia!
Shannon – it was a great experience, and I wonder the same thing
Wonderful experience. The people of Cambodia were so incredible when we were there. They really did want to practice their English with us every chance that they got and this organization is providing them with great opportunity to climb out of poverty. It sounds like United Planet is a great way for solo travelers to venture out for the first time to countries like Cambodia. Well done.
Thanks Dave & Deb! It was a great experience for sure
I went to the Khmer Helping Khmer school last December/January with the University of Idaho through United Planet. It was one of, if not the greatest experiences of my life. I had so much fun, and learned so much. The kids eagerness to learn really made me glad I’m becoming a teacher. The people were so friendly, and the children were so much fun, and always asking questions to practice their English. Such a wonderful experience!
I bet, Kerie – I’m so glad to hear about your adventures as a teacher
I’m delighted to see this piece on Cambodia, and I’m glad to see so much commitment to volunteering there. Much help is needed to re-establish the professional and business class that was wiped out during the Khmer Rouge atrocities so that the country can rise to its former glory.
My family visited 2.5 years ago. We travelled on our own, though arranged private guides when we wanted to delve into things or go off the beaten track. Our daughter, 14 at the time, said she never wanted to leave.
Phnom Penh is not my favourite city, but it does have its high points. Where else would we have seen sewer lines being put into the ground on a main thoroughfare using a backhoe to dig the trenches and an elephant to lay the pipe into it!! Surprises like this are everywhere. The Royal Palace is spectacular and its diamond encrusted Buddha is something you will see no where else. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Centre is a vivid reminder of the recent holocaust. It proved too much for our daughter, though we thought we had prepared her, and we left after viewing about half of the site.
As noted in the article, Siem Reap in the north is a truly special place, with a totally different feel than Phnom Penh. It’s growing rapidly as more people come to view Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. The temples are easily in a class with the Pyramids and Machu Pichu – symbols of an artistic, brilliant, resilient people with an amazing culture who face the over whelming power of an ever creeping jungle and thousands of years of diverse influences from various conquering forces.
The floating village at Tonle Sap Lake is a must see! Imagine seeing a floating basketball court, a school, and a medical clinic among hundreds of ancient floating boats, many newly equipped with flat screen TVs powered by generators. I’ll never forget hearing the peal of delighted laughter and seeing a little girl and her brother swim out from a thick patch of lily pads along with their pet cat (yes, a cat in the water) and their 4 foot boa constrictor.
On a more functional note, if you visit be sure to bring something to cover bare skin. The sun is strong, but more importantly, there are quite a number of places where you need to show respect by covering up. It’s OK to wear a T-shirt and shorts/skirt in most public places as long as you have a couple of light shawls you can throw over bare shoulders and tie around your waist to cover bare legs when you go in a temple.
The Khmer food is tasty, mildly spiced, and very filling – lots of root vegetables. You can get wine, but I don’t recommend it. It’s imported from reputable wineries in Australia and New Zealand, but is often stored upright in the warm climate and there aren’t many consumers so it is oxidized more often than not. Stick to the local beers, which are excellent!
Cambodia may have a horrific recent history, but it is truly is a magical place. I highly recommend you put it on your list of must-see destinations!