Life as a Volunteer Abroad in Southeast Asia

Some aspects of volunteer life in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Nepal

Travel as a volunteer in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia or Nepal, not as a tourist! 

 

Helping others gives another meaning to your trip, a deeper meaning. You are no longer treated as a tourist.

 

When you impact local people in exchange they impact you! It’s a very gratifying experience. Face the unexpected and you have stories to tell. 

 

Try it with a local nonprofit, OpenmindProjects.
Contact us, let’s talk volunteer options!

 

Imagine yourself as a volunteer in Southeast Asia

Imagine yourself volunteering abroad, in Southeast Asia, immersed in another culture! Imagine living with local people abroad who speak another language, eat different food.

Imagine learning to appreciate the difference!

Imagine testing your comfort zone and and coping with the unexpected!

Then you can also imagine how it opens your mind, the many new skills you gain and how you grow as a volunteer!

 

It’s about cross-cultural understanding

Learning about another culture is as fascinating as it is enriching. You not only learn how people live, eat and dress, but also about their values, how people think and look at the world.

With Openmind Projects, a locally based nonprofit, you can experience all this!  

 

Food is cheap, delicious and spicy. You dress casually for the sun and neat for work, and when plans change, you go with the flow. 

A maybe can mean maybe, yes or no and a nice smile may also mean yes or no.

Standing in line, queuing, means standing in a crowd not a line. 

Imagine yourself in Southeast Asia!

 

Some dos and don’ts advice

Respect the royal Thai family, never say anything negative. Cover your shoulders, elbows and knees when visiting a temple. Use your fingers facing down and beckon towards yourself to hail a taxi or ask for a waiter to come to your table. 

Do not say no, say maybe not instead and with a smile.

Volunteers of the world, prepare yourselves for volunteer life abroad before you go.

We help you to learn about country and culture, some language and volunteer work, but you can also ask another volunteer. You are always welcome to ask us! 

 

Eat and live as a volunteer, eat and live as a local

Southeast Asia is full of nice guesthouses at decent prices for volunteers. There are also many expensive hotels for tourists. Same goes for food and eating out but always delicious!
Live and stay with a host family, at a school, national park or in a local guesthouse. 

Eat with your local friends and volunteers. You may need to find out how hot you like the food!

Explore Asia while volunteering

 Explore Thailand

We are happy to help you find excursions, activities and treks, including to the unseen places! There is so much to do and see. Go to the sea, the mountains, the rivers and jungles, or cities and towns from Bangkok to isolated villages!

Explore Laos

Laos is a small country with beautiful mountains and rivers, waterfalls and green jungles to explore. You’ll encounter many different ethnic groups and cultures in Laos, and speaking different languages!

Explore Cambodia

Cambodia has a very interesting and ancient culture, beautiful nature, mountains, jungles and the sea. Don’t miss the world famous and magnificent Angkor Wat outside Siem Reap, dating from the once-great Khmer empire.

Explore Nepal

This is one of the most beautiful countries in the world with its Himalayas, lush jungles and wildlife where you also meet people from many ethnic backgrounds. But it is also a very poor country!

Explore Myanmar

Another beautiful country, poor and presently with other problems. Another Southeast Asian country with many ethnic minorities and amazing nature. Ask us for more information: we’re happy to tell you and you may talk to a local too!