Volunteer in Sihanoukville

T2T has long wanted to expand our volunteer programs into more areas of Cambodia and has recently added Sihanoukville as a volunteer location. Sihanoukville has become one of the most popular destinations in Cambodia with tourists and the Khmer people alike.

Sihanoukville is a coastal port town southwest of Phnom Penh which sits on a small peninsula within the Gulf of Thailand. Sihanoukville is a spread out tourist town where one can catch glimpses of traditional Khmer life and enjoy some of the amenities of home in a tropical setting. Even with the influx of many tourists and new businesses there are many people whom remain in abject poverty and most noticeable of these are the children. While reclining in your chair on the sand there is often a parade of children and adults streaming by hawking goods. The ‘beach kids’ often sell handmade jewelry and fruit and do this in order to help out their family and put food in their stomachs. One of the main volunteer projects we work with helps these ‘beach kids’.

In the beginning our volunteer program in Sihanoukville will focus on English teaching and community work but we hope to include environmental conservation in the near future.

Volunteer Programs in Sihanoukville

Cambodian Children’s Painting Project - English, Art and Computer Teaching
The Cambodian Children’s Painting Project is located on Serendipity beach with the aim of supporting, educating, and taking general care of Sihanoukville’s beach kids. The CCPP is a place where the kids can come to paint, be creative and inspired. They can also sell their paintings in order to make a small income.

This project was initially initiated and inspired by a painter from Spain who was on the beach painting while visiting and was soon surrounded by many children asking if they could also paint. Thus the project was started in 2004 and just a few years later the project became a full-fledged Cambodian NGO with the aim to help these children and provide a safe environment for them. The project is now being expanded with a new classroom to teach English and computers. Volunteers with this project will help teach English, Art, or Computers.

General Sihanoukville Info

Accomodation
Travel to Teach volunteers stay in very nice house close to Serendipity beach. The house is newly built and housing up to six volunteers and has cooking facilities and a living with TV and DVD player.

Food and Cooking
Sihanoukville has a variety of restaurants including those with Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese and Western cuisine. There is excellent seafood available and many street stalls selling Khmer dishes and snacks. A typical meal costs between $1-$5 depending on the type of restaurant, western food being the most expensive. There are two night markets where a variety of goods can be found including fresh fruit and other foods. There is also a supermarket which has imported western goods.

Weather
The weather in Cambodia is hot and humid throughout the year with 2 distinct seasons, hot, from December to April, and rainy (although still hot) from May to November. The coolest time of the year is November – February where temperatures average approximately 22 degrees Celsius.

How to get to Sihanoukville
Most people arrive in Sihanoukville from the capital Phnom Penh. Buses run several times daily and bus fare costs around $6 US and takes 5 hours. There is also a railway running from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, however its in very bad condition meaning that trains are currently only running once a week and the service is slow and unreliable.

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