Cambodia Kids FAQs
You will find below answers to many frequently asked questions. If your question does not appear then please click
here to open the 'contact us' page to ask us your question.
01. Is Cambodia safe?
Siem Reap is a very safe and friendly town but, as always when travelling you must take the usual precautions to make sure you stay safe. Common sense and knowledge is the key phrase, and on arrival you will have an orientation meeting to advise you of any precautions you need to take. Your greatest risks are from road traffic accidents. Most visits to Cambodia are completely trouble free.
02. What languages do I need?
You need to be able to speak English as this will be the common language at the project. English does not need to be your first language but you will need to be proficient in English to teach. It is also courteous to learn some Khmer and you will be given help on arrival with the basics (Hello, Thank you etc)
03. What are the living conditions in my guest house?
Volunteers will stay in the Globalteer House close to shops and restaurants in the town of Siem Reap. Rooms are single occupancy or can be shared if volunteers are travelling together. The rooms are clean and comfortable, each with hot water, private toilet and shower. The rooms have fans but can be upgraded to air conditioning for a small fee. Cable TV is available in all rooms with channels in English.
The 26 rooms are used exclusively for volunteers, Globalteer staff and an office. A well stocked resource library of teaching aids and craft materials is available for volunteer use. The rooftop lounge with beautiful views of Siem Reap can be used to watch DVD's, relax and socialise with other volunteers. Globalteer House provides a friendly and social environment for volunteers and staff making it possible to offer unparalleled support, resources and guidance for volunteers. Globalteer House and office, TheaChamrat Road, Wat Bo Village, Salakamroeuk Commune, Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia. Tel: (+855) (0)63 761 802
04. What type of food will I be eating?
Siem Reap has hundreds of restaurants, cafes and market food stalls catering to all tastes and budgets. The town provides worldwide cuisine including Thai, Mexican, Indian, Japanese, Italian as well as menus catering to vegetarians and western tastes. Globalteer do not provide food at this project.
05. Will I have time for extra activities?
Yes, in fact we actively encourage it! Cambodia is a beautiful country and we wish you to experience it's culture, history and people. Our co-ordinator will give advice and arrange trips for you to Angkor, Tonle Sap and various activities in town.
06. How many hours will I be volunteering?
You will be volunteering for approximately 6 hours per day, 5 days per week. We can be flexible with your time as required - for example you may wish 3 consecutive days to visit the temples.
07. Do I need to be qualified to teach?
No, you will be given guidance and teach from text books with the help of local teaching staff and existing volunteers. If you don’t feel confident enough to teach at first then you may just help out the local teaching staff.
08. How do I get to the project?
If you arrive at Siem Reap international airport then we will meet you there and take you to your accommodation. If you arrive overland then we will supply you with directions to the guest house and meet you there.
09. Is there access to E-mail, telephone and post?
Globalteer house has computers for volunteers use. There is Wi-Fi internet access in the house for those wishing to travel with laptops. Siem Reap caters to many tourists and therefore the town has numerous internet cafes, telephone kiosks and a post office.
10. What vaccinations will I need for Cambodia?
We recommend that our volunteers consult a doctor for up to date advise about vaccinations. Do this as soon as possible as some vaccinations take time to be effective. General advice is to be up to date with tetanus and diphtheria, Hepatitis A & B and typhoid.
11. Do I need a visa?
Visas are easily obtained on arrival at Siem Reap and Phnom Penh international airports. Visas are available at border crossings with Thailand and Vietnam but not always with Laos.
A tourist visa costs US$20 for 30 days and can be extended for another 30 days only. A 'normal' visa (previously called a 'business visa') costs US$25 for 30 days and can be extended for an indefinite period of time.
Cambodia immigration authority ask that volunteers get a 'normal' (business) visa on arrival, even if they stay less than one month. By law, a 'normal' (business) visa permits visitors to volunteer.
Be aware that a passport with at least 6 months validity is required. You will also need to provide immigration with a passport size photograph.
12. What cultural differences must I consider?
Cambodians are very friendly and a smile will go a long way. Be respectful to elders. Shouting, or public displays of over emotion are impolite. Remove shoes before entering a temple or someone's home. Dress respectfully, especially when visiting temples. Do not point at someone with your finger or naked foot, do not touch people's heads (including the children). Do not underestimate the importance of what you wear, Cambodians are very conservative when it comes to clothing and woman should cover up and when teaching you must cover shoulders, cleavage, belly and knees to be respectful and respected.
13. Is there etiquette when working with Buddhist Monks?
Yes, for women it is forbidden to touch a monk or even brush past his clothes. A woman may not directly pass anything to a monk, she must place it on a table for him to pick up.
14. When is the best time to go to Cambodia?
Cambodia has four seasons.
1. November to February, cool and dry.
2. March to May, hot and dry.
3. June to August, hot and wet.
4. September to October, cool and wet.
The hot season rarely reaches above 35C and the cool season may go as low as 20C. The monsoon rains follow a regular pattern of 1 to 3 hours of rain in the afternoon making them easy to plan around. Dry season can be dusty and in the wet season the countryside becomes spectacularly green.
15. Can I drink alcohol and smoke?
Of course, but we request that you use common sense.
Alcohol is not permitted whilst with the children and smoking must be done out of their sight as you are role models and influential to the children. There are many bars and clubs in Siem Reap for you to indulge when away from the children.
16. Is there a dress code?
Yes, Cambodia is a conservative country and we ask that you respect them by dressing accordingly especially as you may be in the company of Monks. Do not underestimate the importance of what you wear, Cambodians are very conservative when it comes to clothing and woman should cover up and when teaching you must cover shoulders, cleavage, belly and knees to be respectful and respected. T-shirts, sandals and anything that covers the knees are all acceptable.
17. Do I receive training and orientation?
Yes, on arrival you will receive orientation from our project coordinator, giving local information and advice. Globalteer has many resources at Globalteer House and at the project locations for volunteers to use. Our volunteer coordinator and educational coordinator are available to assist volunteers in achieving the project objectives.
18. What is the criteria of a volunteer?
Volunteers will be assessed on the information provided during the application process.
19. Should I bring presents for the children?
The greatest gifts you can give the children are love, respect and an education. Being part of this project is the best way to help the children in poverty and their community. Giving beggars money is not a sustainable activity and full information will be supplied during your orientation. If there are specific activities during your placement we will advise you, for example, you may wish to bring crayons if an arts project is in progress. An up to date wish list will be sent before your arrival.
20. Do I need travel Insurance?
Globalteer considers comprehensive travel insurance, provided by a well established company, to be of an absolutely essential nature. Please do not forget to take all documentation provided by your insurer with you when you travel. Travel insurance should be purchased upon confirmation of your volunteer placement, you must declare to your insurer the nature of your volunteer work.
21. Who usually volunteers at your projects?
The majority of volunteers are from the UK, United States, Australia, Canada and Ireland. We also place volunteers from Holland, Germany, Ireland, Japan and New Zealand although all nationalities are welcome. The majority of volunteers travel alone to the projects, although we also accommodate couples and groups. The project averages 15 volunteers at any one time of all ages and nationalities. The project usually has a great range of ages present in Cambodia 18-24(36%), 25-39(39%), 40+(25%).
22. Where does my money go?
A full explanation of where your money goes can be found on a link from the Globalteer home page including our full independent accounts as confirmed by the UK Charities commission.
23. I have read about corrupt NGO's and poor child protection in Cambodia. How can I be sure that Globalteer are not one of these NGO's exploiting children, donors and volunteers?
Globalteer is a registered UK charity and we are therefore required to abide by UK charity law. We have a robust child protection policy and accounting system that is posted online in the public domain. Any partner projects are required to achieve the same high standards required by the charities commission. We agree with many of the concerns raised about some NGO's in Cambodia and take great care to protect those we serve and those who serve with us from such exploitation.