When and where is the weekend excursion?
All participants are provided a weekend trip to Siem Reap, home to the temples of Angkor. The temples, most constructed during the period 900-1200 BC represent the rich jewels of Cambodian culture. Some suffered heavy damage during the conflict period from the late 1960s through the late 1990s. Significant restoration work is underway at many temples. GSC provides a three-day and two night excursion to this historically significant and beautiful site. All meals, transportation, and accommodations are covered by participant program fees.

Two weekend trips to Phnom Penh, including meals, transportation, and accommodations are also covered by participant program fees.

Participants may wish to take advantage of other long weekends or holidays to visit the beaches on the Gulf of Thailand and other historical sites close to Phnom Penh and Kandal.

What is the food like?
In Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, international cuisine is available. Traditional Khmer cuisine includes meat and vegetable stir fries, coconut curries, rice and noodle dishes. It is less spicy than Thai cuisine and often includes a fish paste that is used as flavoring.

Are there ATM machines available?
ATM machines are available in Phnom Penh, immediately surrounding areas, Siem Reap, and the beach town of Sihanoukville. Most accept international ATM cards, although service fees may be high. Volunteers are cautioned to secure their cash carefully.

How much spending money is appropriate?
Volunteers will have the chance to do some shopping and sightseeing during the orientation and visits to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. All basic expenses are covered during official trips; but, if a participant wants to do additional traveling, they should budget extra funds. In most locales, guest houses can be found for $20 or less per night and round trip bus transportation is around $20. $10 per day covers basic food needs. Overall, $300-$500 should be sufficient for all “extras” of your choosing.

How do volunteer participants get around?
Transportation from/to the airport and from/to the placement site at the start and end of the program will be provided by car. Tuk tuk’s are the preferred mode of travel in the cities. Volunteers are strongly cautioned against riding motorcycle taxis in the cities due to high accident rates.

How will I communicate with GSC staff in country?
Our in-country staff can be reached by mobile phone.

Will I need a phone while I’m there? How can I contact home?
Cambodia cell phones operate using SIM cards. You can bring your US phone with you as long as it has a SIM card. Once in-country, you can purchase a SIM card locally, which should allow you to make and receive international calls. You will want to double-check with your cell phone carrier to see if your phone model and service are compatible with Cambodian cellular services.

Of course, you will also have the option of keeping in touch with family and friends via email.

Will there be internet access?
Internet cafes are readily available in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and may have better connection times than the office.

What are the accommodations like?
During the first week of orientation, participants will be housed in a local guesthouse, which will serve lunch and dinner. After orientation, you will either stay in a local guesthouse or in your placement’s on-site accommodations.

What kinds of gifts should I bring?
You may wish to bring supplies to share with the organization with which you are placed. For example, if working with children, non-toxic art and school supplies and used (clean) children’s clothing are appreciated and should be provided to the director for distribution, rather than given to the children directly. Children should never be given candy or other non-nutritious food items.