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Culture & Adventure in Cambodia for Teenagers

Discover Cambodia’s history and culture first hand, from the Khmer Rouge to Angkor Wat

Destination

Cambodia

Age

14-18 y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

During school holidays

Accommodation

Hotel

Service Hours

What’s included

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.

Transportation

To and from the airport, plus everything in between. Daily transport to your placement and back.

Certification

Certified record of service hours, workshops, and activities for your CV.

Pre-departure Support

Everything you need to prepare for your trip, including visa advice, cultural awareness training, access to your dedicated pre-departure portal, and more.

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Starting at £2,095 for 2 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments
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Trip Overview

Immerse in Cambodian culture

Immerse in the culture and history of Cambodia with fascinating workshops and classes, including visits to the Killing Fields and Angkor Wat.

Enjoy adventurous excursions

Visit the seaside paradise of Koh Rong and snorkel among the coral, browse artisanal markets in the city, and explore the Mekong River on a boat tour.

Support community initiatives

Live and work alongside the local community, contributing to bear conservation efforts and supporting the education of children in Phnom Penh.

High School Special volunteers go sightseeing during their Care & Community project in Cambodia.

Develop your personal skills

Build confidence, independence, and a global perspective by travelling to a new country, engaging with the locals, and learning the language.

Make new friends

Share your adventure with teens from around the world, navigating Cambodia’s culture and creating new lifelong friendships and memories.

View Itinerary

What you need to know

Overview

This Culture and Adventure Project in Cambodia offers a unique opportunity to engage with and learn from Cambodian culture. You’ll have the chance to participate in authentic Khmer cultural practices, collaborate with a community to support local initiatives, and develop your personal skills.

The main aim of this project is to fully absorb the essence of Cambodian culture, appreciate how it contrasts with your own, and gain a fresh outlook on the world. You’ll investigate the influence of Buddhism by meeting with local monks, participate in a range of traditional craft and performance workshops, and taste the flavours of authentic Khmer cuisine.

You’ll also get to see the country’s famous sights. In fact, you’ll visit beautiful areas of the country with unique vibes and learning opportunities. These include the stunning sights of the capital, Phnom Penh, and unforgettable excursions to the majestic Angkor Wat and the tropical island of Koh Rong.

The most effective learning opportunities in life come from outside the classroom, discovering the world and learning directly from new cultures, people, and personal experience. Immersing in a new culture boosts confidence, builds communication skills (especially when you don’t speak the same language), and helps develop your independence.

Our High School Specials run over fixed dates during school holidays. This means you’ll also travel with a group of people your age from all over the world, sharing your experience and forging lifelong friendships.

Activities

As a culture and adventure participant in Cambodia, you’ll take the driving seat in your own education. You’ll get an amazing international experience with cultural immersion at its heart, providing a fantastic opportunity to grow your personal skills, enhance your global perspective, and step boldly beyond your comfort zone.

Here are a few of the tasks you can expect to do on your travels:

Historical exploration

Discover the chequered history of Cambodia through a detailed tour of the Choeung Ek Killing Fields and S21 Genocide Museum. Learn about the devastating impact of the Khmer Rouge regime and how it shaped the country today.

Thrilling excursions

Travel to beautiful areas of historical and natural significance over several days. Enjoy a three-day trip to the paradise island of Koh Rong where you can rest, relax, and snorkel at the beach, and visit Siem Reap and the magnificent Angkor Wat.

Cultural workshops

Engage with fascinating cultural workshops to fully immerse in local living. Attend a Khmer boxing lesson and watch a match live, meditate with monks at a Buddhist temple, receive a water blessing, play traditional games, and learn basic Khmer.

Cambodia - Volunteer putting plants in a school flowerbed

Community initiatives

Get involved with conservation and community initiatives near Phnom Penh. You will work at a wildlife rescue centre to support the rehabilitation of trafficked bears and later conduct educational activities with children in rural communities.

Our culture and adventure volunteer projects give you the chance to live and learn in a totally new environment. You’ll meet amazing people, try incredible food, and learn to see the world from a totally new perspective.

In Cambodia, you’ll develop your social skills, global perspective, and independence while in a safe, supportive, and fully-supervised environment. You’ll also learn from Cambodian people directly, joining cultural workshops and visiting historic landmarks.

Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime cultural experience, where no two days are the same, and find out for yourself why travel can be such a transformative experience.

Aims & Impact

The aim of this culture and adventure project is to provide you with an incredible international experience where you can immerse in and learn from a new culture. This means putting yourself in the shoes of someone from that culture, trying relevant cultural workshops, and developing your skills.

This experience will help build key personal skills that are crucial throughout all stages of life, especially for university and job opportunities. Building confidence, adaptability, and independence is at the core of this experience, which comes as part of navigating life in a new environment and embracing different ways of thinking.

Also crucial to this experience is to enhance your global perspective, cultural awareness, and intercultural communication. You’ll develop a sense of empathy and see the world in new ways, interacting with and learning from local people and enhancing your critical thinking skills.

Additionally, you’ll learn basic Khmer, discover the history, religion, and culture of this fascinating nation, and learn about traditional crafts and ceremonies.

Join us on this project to learn about life around the world, pick up new and transferable skills that will help you throughout your life, and meet like-minded teens from around the world!

Map & Location

Uncover the magic of Cambodia, a Southeast Asian gem with ancient wonders and modern marvels. Here, the legendary Angkor Wat stands as a testament to the Khmer Empire’s power, but it’s more than just temples. Beautiful beaches, stunning skyscrapers, and roaring rivers can be found everywhere you look.

It’s a country on the rise, with tourism and agriculture driving its economy. Though marked by a complex past, Cambodia is developing as a tourist destination and offers an unforgettable experience.

Siem Reap

Siem Reap is Cambodia’s second largest city and the gateway to the magnificent Angkor Archaeological Park. This area was the heart of the ancient Khmer Empire and is home to Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument, attracting millions of tourists every year.

Steeped in history, it is one of the best places to see traditional Apsara dance and theatre performances. It is also the home of the APOPO Centre, training rats to detect landmines and unexploded ordnance to create a safer world.

Koh Rong

Koh Rong is Cambodia’s second-largest island, a tropical retreat famed for its white-sand beaches and turquoise waters in the Gulf of Thailand. It’s the perfect place for a seaside getaway, where you can disconnect from the world, soak up the sun, and simply listen to the lapping waves.

With a small permanent population of just over 1,000, the island’s culture is laid-back, mainly focused on fishing and nature. While there, try to catch a glimpse of the magnificent bioluminescent plankton visible at night.

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, lies where the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers meet. This busy city blends French colonial architecture with ornate Buddhist temples and is home to 2.5 million people. It has a tropical wet and dry climate, meaning it can be hot all year.

Filled with artisan markets, excellent Khmer cuisine, and historic landmarks, Phnom Penh has something for everyone. It is also well connected, offering easy access to the countryside and the wonders of Angkor Wat.

Food & Accommodation

During your journey across Cambodia, you will stay in comfortable hotels or guesthouses, depending on availability. These will have all the amenities you need including three meals a day, drinking water, and a comfortable bed.

All our accommodation options are carefully selected for cleanliness and safety. We always try to ensure that you share a room with at least one other Projects Abroad participant of the same gender and similar age.

While there, you’ll get the chance to try some of the excellent Khmer cuisine on offer, like fish amok (a sweet coconut curry), nom banh chok (Khmer-style noodles), and beef lok lak (stir-fried beef).

If you’re feeling really adventurous, you could try a staple of the Cambodian diet, deep fried insects!

Meet your team

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Cambodia Arrival Procedures page.