About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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During it's years of isolation, heavy-hearted travellers were forced to plot routes avoiding Cambodia, and everyone who travelled to Asia returned home with the same regret. Even from the air, tightly packed jungle barred even the slightest glimpse, adding to the country’s mystery and cementing it's place at the top of everyone’s ‘must see’ list. Our tour certainly makes up for lost time! We start amongst the colonial architecture of Phnom Penh before heading to Siem Reap, gateway to the largest temple complex in the world including the legendary Angkor Wat on a tour that takes in the best of Cambodia’s stunning landscapes and culture.
Welcome to Cambodia! Today you will be met at the airport and taken directly to the accommodation where you will be staying during your time in Cambodia’s capital city.
You and your fellow arrivals will receive an orientation which will cover important information such as what it’s going to be like at your project and on the tour, dos and don’ts, fun things to do in Cambodia and how to stay safe on your trip. This is your prime opportunity to ask any burning questions that you haven’t yet had answered and to meet your fellow volunteers!
You will have the rest of the day to rest and recover from your journey. If you are feeling adventurous you can head out and start exploring your surroundings!
If you aren’t able to arrange a flight to get you into Phnom Penh on the specified arrival date we’d recommend you fly in a day early. We can arrange an early airport pick-up for you including one night’s accommodation, please call us for more information.
After breakfast you will visit the most beautiful and interesting spots that the capital city of Cambodia has to offer. You will visit the Royal Palace and the most important temple in Phnom Penh, Wat Phnom. Phnom Penh still has more to offer, especially when it comes to learning about the terrible history of the Khmer Rouge period. You will visit the Toul Sleng Museum and The Killing Fields to give you a clear understanding of the terrible cruelties committed during that era.
This morning you’ll be up bright and early for your first day volunteering! After breakfast you will be taken to your project for introductions with the staff and children. Today is all about settling in and getting to know your way around the project, and you’ll spend the rest of your day learning the ropes and starting to get stuck into some work.
Now’s your chance to really get involved with work at your project. Your time here is limited so get stuck in and make the most of it and you will be ale to really make a difference to the lives of the children at your project.
You’ll get involved with a variety of activities, which could include helping staff with the day to day running of the project - providing a safe shelter for the children by assisting with cooking, cleaning, washing and other general duties. You may also be playing games, singing songs and helping the children with their schoolwork. English lessons will also be a big part of your day, so come prepared with some ideas for lessons and get ready to be the centre of attention as your pupils will be eager to learn as much as possible from you!
You will be able to contact the i-to-i in-country team at any time during your volunteering period, and will have access to a bicycle for travel to and from your project, should you wish to use one.
Today is the day that you can do what you want! Explore more of Phnom Penh or just relax and take a beer at the side of the river, the choice is yours! Remember though that this is your last day in Phnom Penh so make the most of it!
After breakfast you’ll be taken to Phnom Penh bus station in time to catch the early morning bus to Siem Reap. The bus will have air-conditioning (what luxury!) and the journey takes approximately 6 hours, with a break halfway. You won’t be accompanied on the bus but don’t worry – a guide will be waiting to meet you when you arrive in Siem Reap.
Once you’ve settled into your new accommodation there will be a short orientation before you’ll be whisked off for a city tour by tuk tuk – hold onto your hats!
After breakfast this morning you will head off to explore the beautiful ancient temples of Angkor. You will visit Angkor Thom, The South Gate, Bayon, The Elephant Terrace, The Terrace of Leper King, Ta Prom and of course the most famous and important building: Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is not only famous for its breath-taking architecture but also for it’s unique decorations, and is such an important symbol in Cambodia that it appears on the country’s flag.
At the end of the day you will climb Phnom Bakeng mountain. The effort of the climb will all be worth it when you see the view of several temples and hopefully enjoy a beautiful sunset. This is where memories for life are made.
As Angkor is the largest temple complex in the world, it’s easy to understand that 1 day visiting the temples is just not enough, so today after breakfast you will explore some beautiful jungle temples. Your guide will provide you with more information on the ancient history of the Khmer empire. Just close your eyes and imagine yourself living during this glorious period. It isn't that hard to imagine how things might have been. You will visit Bantey Srey temple, Kbal Spean.
After breakfast on the morning of your final day in Siem Reap you will visit the Lolei temple and the Roluos group, which includes some of the earliest permanent structures built by Khmer. They mark the beginning of classical period of Khmer civilization, dating from the late 9th century A.D.
In the afternoon you will take a trip to the floating village to see how people have adapted to a life on water. The villagers have their own floating school, clinic, shops, bars – everything you would expect, but all floating! It’s a unique way of life and will be a fascinating way to spend your afternoon.
After breakfast today there’s a visit to projects such as the Sangkheum Centre for Children, where you can help the children with English lessons or handicraft classes. You will also visit the Artisan Angkor centre, which helps young craftsmen and women train and earn a living. You will see traditional Khmer handicrafts and have the chance to pick up some souvenirs!
Having said goodbye to all your new friends, taken your final photos and packed your bag full of souvenirs you’ll travel back to the airport. The return transfer from Siem Reap to your departure airport is not covered within your project fee, but i-to-i staff will be able to make recommendations.
Note: Minimum numbers apply for this trip; please contact us for more information.
Please note the details are subject to alteration due to local conditions.
Approximately 35% of all people in Phnom Penh city live under the poverty line. In order to obtain money for their parents a lot of children beg on the streets, or work as cart pullers or scrap collectors and therefore are not able to have the opportunity to study at school due to the high payments needed. The projects we work with were set up to provide non formal education to children and provide English classes so that they may be able to be educated and earn a better living for themselves later in life. The project also provides reading books for the poor children and offers the love and attention they desperately need and deserve.
The staff at the projects are very dedicated but resources are low and any spare pairs of hands are massively appreciated. The children are aged from 5 to 18 and are from poor backgrounds. They will be keen to learn as much as possible from you so be prepared for some eager pupils! This is the prefect project for anyone who loves children and wants to help. You should be flexible, proactive, have perseverance and be ready to work in a new environment. A genuine love for this kind of work is required, but you’ll get back so much love and gratitude from the children that their smiling faces means all the hard work is more than worth it!
You will need to be flexible to the needs of the project, but an average day at the project will be from 9am until 5pm. You will be involved in teaching English to the children through methods such as flashcards, games and much more. You’ll also be involved with the general care of the children – cooking and feeding them, washing, cleaning, keeping them entertained with songs, games, sports, art… the list goes on! The key is to be flexible, open to anything and willing to work hard with a smile on your face!
If volunteers would like to bring donations then stickers, balloons and things to make learning more interesting for the children are fantastic; and English books to help the projects expand their libraries would also be very beneficial. If you prefer, you can bring money to buy supplies while in country, which has the added benefit of boosting the local economy in Cambodia.
Please remember to dress modestly when at your project. Ladies should avoid short skirts and low cut tops. Please keep your shoulders covered and avoid slogan t-shirts that could offend! Remember that you will be a role model for the children, and should dress appropriately.
It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you fora the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.
Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….
We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More
Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.
Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.
It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time - especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.
Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!
Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More
Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More
Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More
The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More
We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do.
We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.
Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here
It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.
The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.
EU Customers – find out more here >>
Australian customers - find out more here >>
All other customers - find out more here >>
As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.
If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night a
The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 20.00
While in Phnom Penh you’ll be staying in the Narin 1 Guesthouse, which is home to all of our Phnom Penh volunteers. Rooms are shared by up to 3 volunteers of the same sex (couples can normally be accommodated – pleas ask us if you are travelling as a couple and require a private room) and bathrooms are also shared with other volunteers. The lounge area at Narin 1 is a great place to relax with your fellow volunteers and watch some television on the guesthouse’s cable TV.
In Siem Reap you will stay at the Angkor Spirit Palace Hotel. Rooms are shared by up to 3 volunteers of the same sex (couples can normally be accommodated – pleas ask us if you are travelling as a couple and require a private room) and bathrooms are also shared with other volunteers. The lounge area at Angkor Spirit is a great place to relax with your fellow volunteers and for a chat about the day’s exciting activities, and there’s also a swimming pool if you fancy a dip!
Narin 1
Bedrooms are equipped with fans and a safety deposit box can be requested from reception if you would like one for your valuables. There is a laundry service at the guesthouse which volunteers can use, as well as commercial facilities in the nearby town. Internet is available at the guesthouse for approximately US$0.50 per hour, so there’s no excuse not to send an email home gloating about how much fun you’re having! Pure drinking water can be refilled for free, and there is electricity for charging mobile phones and ipods!
Bathrooms have western style toilets, running water and showers. A small charge of US$1-2 per day is payable if you require hot water, but in sweaty Cambodia a cool shower may be just what you’re after!
Angkor Spirit Palace
Bedrooms are in air-conditioned luxury and the reception offers a safety deposit box for your valuables. There is a laundry service at the hotel which volunteers can use for a small fee, and the bathrooms have hot water and western style toilets. Breakfast is included at the hotel, and there’s also a bar to enjoy a relaxing evening drink with your fellow travellers.
Narin 1
The guesthouse is located near Orussei Market so you can easily pop over for some shopping! It is approximately 1.5kms from the Cambodia in country team office. Banks are found just 250m away and there is a modern hospital with good facilities 1km away, although we hope you won’t need to use it!
Angkor Spirit Palace
Angkor Spirit Palace is located away from the direct noise and bustle of the city but just a short drive from the airport (20-minutes), Angkor Wat (20-minutes) and the centre of Siem Reap (10-minutes).
While working at the project you will stay at Narin 1, which is between 2 - 9km from the project, depending on where you are volunteering. You will have access to a bicycle to travel to your project should you wish to use one, or you could take a fun filled, hair raising tuk-tuk ride lasting 15 to 30 minutes. You should budget approximately US$12 per week for this journey.
Note: Minimum numbers apply for this trip; please contact us for more information.
Cambodia has a relatively short history that is nonetheless littered with conflicts both internal and external. From the 1st Century AD the country belonged to the Indianised kingdom of Funan, which developed Cambodia’s politics, art and culture until its collapse in the 5th century and the rise of the Khmer Empire. With Angkor as the capital, the empire built its famous temples between 900 and 1200AD, transforming the city into a regional powerhouse that had a population of one million when London had only 50,000.
The kingdom’s decline culminated with the sacking of Angkor by the Thais in 1431, followed by a succession of wars and weak kings, until the signing of a treaty in 1863 which brought Cambodia under the protection and control of France. The country remained relatively peaceful until independence was gained in 1953 by King Norodom Sihanouk, who was then ousted by US-backed General Lon Nol at the height of the US-Vietnam war in 1970.
The communist opposition gained increasing influence, and in 1975, the infamous Khmer Rouge came to power. Under the guidance of Pol Pot, the regime killed over 2 million “enemies of state” – effectively anyone who was not a peasant farmer. Cambodia emerged from the shadow of the Khmer Rouge and its brutal war with the Vietnamese, with a UN-brokered peace deal signed in 1991 and eventual democratic elections. Today, the country is striding towards becoming a fully democratic state with an improved economy.
Cambodia seasons are simple – hot and dry, or hot and raining! December to February is the most weather-friendly time, with relatively low temperatures and little rain. However, 70-80% of Cambodia’s rainfall occurs during the monsoon from May to October, with temperatures regularly above 35°C and humidity at 80-90%. Although the weather at this time is energy-sapping, the reduced tourist crowds make it much more bearable.
Notable events in the Cambodian calendar are Chaul Chnam (Khmer New Year) in mid-April – a jovial time when Khmers throw water and talcum powder at each other and tourists; Visakha Puja (Buddha’s birth), when monks form a candlelit procession at Angkor Wat; and Bon Om Tuk, celebrating the reversal of the Tonle Sap river’s current, which sees boat races on the river in Phnom Penh and the moat around Angkor Wat.
Cambodia is a surprisingly easy country to get around, considering the damage done to its transport system during the 70s and 80s. There are a plethora of companies offering air-conditioned luxury on the major route between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, but don’t be surprised if the driver knows a reasonable hotel that he’ll offer with a hardened salesman’s tenacity. If you decline, there will be plenty of tuk-tuk drivers at your final destination offering a similar service! There are ample bus and minibus services to smaller towns and villages, and shared taxis are popular among tourists, but the roads in Cambodia can be “an experience” - although driving standards are better than in neighbouring Vietnam, the roads themselves aren’t. In particular, the road between Siem Reap and the Thai border can resemble a swamp during the monsoon – excellent for dirt-biking, but not good for much else.
Train travel is possible, but slow and uncomfortable, while plane services are frequent but relatively expensive. However, with 190km of navigable waterways, boat travel forms an important part of the transport system. Speed boats travel daily between Phnom Penh and both the Vietnam border and Siem Reap, and can easily be taken to smaller towns such as Battambang and Kratie.
We work in partnership with hundreds of established projects that are run by local communities. The information on our website comes directly from the projects and we work with them to ensure this information is as accurate as possible. However, due to the very nature of the projects themselves the exact details of what happens on a daily basis can change with little or no notice. If you have travelled with us and have any updates to this information, please let us know.
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