Cambodia Student Reviews
Mark – 2014
"What was a typical day at the project?
An early morning start and breakfast at the volunteer house awakens the body for a full on day of hard work. You are mostly given the opportunity to choose which jobs you feel like helping out with or which bear keeper to work alongside with. You time and efforts is not to be there to cuddle with the bears, but more importantly to help maintain and improve their quality of life. You can expect to do any job from scooping up bear poop and cleaning the enclosures, creating new enrichment programmes, preparing food for the meals and even handy construction around the centre, such as building bear hammocks and painting. Be prepared to work hard but feel a huge level of satisfaction at the end of the day.
What did you find most rewarding?
Even though the bears may not recognise exactly the reason why you are there for them, the feeling of knowing that you are contributing to their much improved quality of life and rehabilitation from previous abuse and cruelty is a truly rewarding feeling.
What did you find most challenging?
The heat can prove challenging especially during the hottest times at the day, but the body does climates to it and there is always a room with a fan and fresh water available should you need to escape it.
What advice would you give to others considering doing this project?
If you want to work hard, make a valuable difference and learn about the stories of each bear at the sanctuary then just go for it. The reward is totally worth the efforts you put in. The team that looks after the bears are just amazing and you will learn as much as you want to about the bears.
Why do you think others should volunteer abroad?
Volunteering abroad not only gives you a great opportunity to travel and see another country, but it allows you to be a part of another community with completely different traditions, values and morals in life. The experience you gain from living in a community completely different to your own creates greater understanding of the diversity of the world and more so in a country less developed then your own gives you a better appreciation of your life and, hopefully, the desire to want to help improve others less fortunate than yourself.”
Petra – 2014
“The Bear Rescue project in Cambodia was a great place to do my first volunteer work ever! The people that work for this organisation are very professional. The have a great passion on bears and animal welfare. The sanctuary is in a zoo. It's the best maintained part of the zoo. With a lot of information and education for local and international visitors.
The volunteering I really enjoyed. It is a great and rather professional organisation. It was good to see how well organized they are. And the bears...I just fell in love with all 150 of them! Beautiful animals. I am really glad that I choose this project to volunteer. And also 2 weeks is very nice period to do.
The interaction with the bears and the bear keepers was great. It felt useful for me to work with the bears. And after a long day of work I got my reward: the swimming pool at the volunteer house!
What was a typical day at the project?
A typical day is getting up at 7 and leaving around 8 after breakfast. It is a half hour drive to the zoo/sanctuary. For 2 hours you give the bears breakfast, cleaning poo outdoor and scrub the cages. After 2 hours you can choose to paint, clean or prepare food enrichments for the bears.
Lunch we had in a local place. After eating it was nice to chill a bite in a hammock. Like all Cambodian do. After lunch you start with the preparing of food. A lot of cutting different kind of vegetables and fruit. You could help with scattering the food. This w ill stimulate the bears in a natural behavior to search for food. In the afternoon it was a half hour back to the volunteer house w here it is nice to take a swim after a long hot day.
What did you find most rewarding?
Working with the bear keepers was the most rewarding. It is nice to see their devotion to bears. It was sometimes hard work and sweaty but very rewarding.
What did you find most challenging?
To finish my hammock for the new moon bear house. It takes a lot of time and work. I w anted to finish before I left. I almost made it. A bit of a race against the clock.
It is the hottest month for Cambodia. That I noticed! I sweated a lot. But the physical work was good for resetting my mind and very nice to do. Every evening I was fell asleep very easy.
What advice would you give to others considering doing this project?
There is no TV or computer in the volunteer house. Take care of your own entertainment (books, cards, computer). I didn't mind but if you are attached it will not be there. Bring bug spray and use it in the zoo and volunteer house. There are mosquitos. Not a lot but enough to get you. You must not be afraid to get dirty or sweaty.
Why do you think others should volunteer abroad?
It is a good w ay to reset your mind. You give something to the project/organisation and you meet nice people. It is nice not to think about yourself for a while. Just focussing on giving is good for your mind.
Why did you choose PoD and would you recommend us to others?
Yes! PoD gave me good information and arranged the contacts with the organisation abroad. They responded very quickly. Good luck and who knows maybe I will get in contact in the future for a new challenge!”
Louise – 2013
“My time at the project was, without exaggeration, one of the best times in my life. And PoD were excellent, I can't ask for anything more.
This is my third volunteer project abroad and this one has actually been my favorite one in every sense. The work at the centre was very rewarding, the people lovely, the bears adorable - everything was great. After some culture shock I really came to fall in love with Cambodia as well. I was totally surrounded by human warmth all the time and I loved it.
What was a typical day at the project?
In the morning (about 8.30 til 10) we often helped the bear keepers with cleaning in the bear houses and the enclosures. Between 10-12 we did different kind of tasks that needed to be done - painting, cleaning windows, making bear hammocks, gardening and so on. Between 12 and 13 it's lunch break which we ate at a nearby restaurant (which is outdoors and not anything like a western restaurant). Most dishes, that are vegetarian, only cost 1 USD. If you want meat/chicken it costs 4 USD. If you wanted to buy something to drink (Coca Cola, coconut and so on) it didn't cost more than 1 USD. After lunch we did some food prep. At food prep we weigh, chop and divide a lots of fruits and vegetables. Often we did some food enrichment to (like hiding banana pieces dipped in honey in a banana leaf). Thereafter we continued with tasks that needed to be done (painting, making hammocks and so on) until we ended for the day. Sometimes we went from food prep to scatter feeding before doing the other tasks. When scatter feeding you helped the bear keepers hiding all the food (that you chopped) in different places in the enclosure.
What did you find most rewarding?
It's really hard to choose one thing. We actually talked about this at the project what we preferred doing. I actually loved everything (and I'm not usually that kind of perky person that loves everything). But if I should try picking something I probably would say scatter feeding if you did stay and watch the bears looking for their food. And I really, really loved spending time at the quarantine were there were a few cubs (4 month old at the time). They actually often have cubs at the centre. The reason to this is that most of the bears coming to the centre are cubs because that their mothers have been killed during poaching. However, you won't get to touch the cubs (because they might hurt you unintentionally while playing with you) but it's really rewarding just watching them too.
What did you find most challenging?
Because I loved everything nothing really were challenging in a bad way. The scrubbing of cages in the bear houses was a little bit physically heavy but I didn't mind doing it. And if you would find something to challenging the staff wouldn't force you to do anything. They treat you really good. As an "animal rights-person" I didn't know what to expect with animals in captivity but I honestly do think that the bears have the best lives possible under the circumstances.
What advice would you give to others considering doing this project?
Do it and embrace the experience! It's my best advice. You won't regret it.
Why do you think others should volunteer abroad?
For the same reason that I keep on doing it - you get experiences you won't get as a usual tourist. You get to know a lot of new people - both locals and other volunteers. You get to know the country you're in and the everyday life there, especially if you're interested and ask the staff/locals a lot. I always learn so much during my volunteer trips. And you get to feel so pleased with yourself doing something really useful. If I didn't love volunteering abroad I wouldn't keep on doing it. Personally, I never feel so at home as when I do this kind of trips.
Why did you choose PoD and would you recommend us to others?
Yes! Mostly because they offered an interesting project with animals in Cambodia (since it was what I was looking for). But I also chose PoD because of their responsibility to societies, animals and so on. I really do value that. I’ve been really, really pleased with both the project and you at PoD. This I’ve told a lot of people as well. I couldn’t ask for anything else. You at PoD have taken excellent care of me from the very first beginning and I really appreciate that.”
Caroline – 2013
“The bear sanctuary is very well set up and it was great to be able to see this and in some way contribute to its development. The bears' environment was brilliant and they were very well cared for.
The centre did a lot of educational work to try to prevent more bears from ending up there, and it was sustainably run, e.g. by using the waste water to irrigate plants that would later be used for food. Most of the people working there were local and it appeared the centre provided important employment/training etc to the local community.
As a volunteer it was great to find out about and in some way contribute to this work. In a week it is difficult to feel as if you have contributed very much, but the time was very enjoyable and informative. The staff were very welcoming and we had plenty of time to watch all the bears and see the other animals at the centre.
What was a typical day at the project? Spending only 5 days there each day was quite varied, however we would usually arrive at the centre about 815. We would often prepare enrichment before lunch and prepare food after lunch. Other time was spent doing things such as maintenance tasks, assisting keepers and seeing the other animals at the park.
What did you find most rewarding? The opportunity to watch the bears so much more closely than as a visitor and see how happy and healthy they appeared. The tasks that directly contributed to their welfare were particularly rewarding, e.g. food and enrichment preparation. The centre was clearly very well set up and run, and every task that contributed to its continuing development was also very rewarding. It seemed as if the centre also benefited the local community as well as bears by providing employment and training etc for many local people.
What did you find most challenging? Working in the heat and humidity
What advice would you give to others considering this project? I would definitely recommend this placement, especially if you are looking for more of a personal experience as they don't have lots of volunteers at one time.”
"What was a typical day at the project?
An early morning start and breakfast at the volunteer house awakens the body for a full on day of hard work. You are mostly given the opportunity to choose which jobs you feel like helping out with or which bear keeper to work alongside with. You time and efforts is not to be there to cuddle with the bears, but more importantly to help maintain and improve their quality of life. You can expect to do any job from scooping up bear poop and cleaning the enclosures, creating new enrichment programmes, preparing food for the meals and even handy construction around the centre, such as building bear hammocks and painting. Be prepared to work hard but feel a huge level of satisfaction at the end of the day.
What did you find most rewarding?
Even though the bears may not recognise exactly the reason why you are there for them, the feeling of knowing that you are contributing to their much improved quality of life and rehabilitation from previous abuse and cruelty is a truly rewarding feeling.
What did you find most challenging?
The heat can prove challenging especially during the hottest times at the day, but the body does climates to it and there is always a room with a fan and fresh water available should you need to escape it.
What advice would you give to others considering doing this project?
If you want to work hard, make a valuable difference and learn about the stories of each bear at the sanctuary then just go for it. The reward is totally worth the efforts you put in. The team that looks after the bears are just amazing and you will learn as much as you want to about the bears.
Why do you think others should volunteer abroad?
Volunteering abroad not only gives you a great opportunity to travel and see another country, but it allows you to be a part of another community with completely different traditions, values and morals in life. The experience you gain from living in a community completely different to your own creates greater understanding of the diversity of the world and more so in a country less developed then your own gives you a better appreciation of your life and, hopefully, the desire to want to help improve others less fortunate than yourself.”
Petra – 2014
“The Bear Rescue project in Cambodia was a great place to do my first volunteer work ever! The people that work for this organisation are very professional. The have a great passion on bears and animal welfare. The sanctuary is in a zoo. It's the best maintained part of the zoo. With a lot of information and education for local and international visitors.
The volunteering I really enjoyed. It is a great and rather professional organisation. It was good to see how well organized they are. And the bears...I just fell in love with all 150 of them! Beautiful animals. I am really glad that I choose this project to volunteer. And also 2 weeks is very nice period to do.
The interaction with the bears and the bear keepers was great. It felt useful for me to work with the bears. And after a long day of work I got my reward: the swimming pool at the volunteer house!
What was a typical day at the project?
A typical day is getting up at 7 and leaving around 8 after breakfast. It is a half hour drive to the zoo/sanctuary. For 2 hours you give the bears breakfast, cleaning poo outdoor and scrub the cages. After 2 hours you can choose to paint, clean or prepare food enrichments for the bears.
Lunch we had in a local place. After eating it was nice to chill a bite in a hammock. Like all Cambodian do. After lunch you start with the preparing of food. A lot of cutting different kind of vegetables and fruit. You could help with scattering the food. This w ill stimulate the bears in a natural behavior to search for food. In the afternoon it was a half hour back to the volunteer house w here it is nice to take a swim after a long hot day.
What did you find most rewarding?
Working with the bear keepers was the most rewarding. It is nice to see their devotion to bears. It was sometimes hard work and sweaty but very rewarding.
What did you find most challenging?
To finish my hammock for the new moon bear house. It takes a lot of time and work. I w anted to finish before I left. I almost made it. A bit of a race against the clock.
It is the hottest month for Cambodia. That I noticed! I sweated a lot. But the physical work was good for resetting my mind and very nice to do. Every evening I was fell asleep very easy.
What advice would you give to others considering doing this project?
There is no TV or computer in the volunteer house. Take care of your own entertainment (books, cards, computer). I didn't mind but if you are attached it will not be there. Bring bug spray and use it in the zoo and volunteer house. There are mosquitos. Not a lot but enough to get you. You must not be afraid to get dirty or sweaty.
Why do you think others should volunteer abroad?
It is a good w ay to reset your mind. You give something to the project/organisation and you meet nice people. It is nice not to think about yourself for a while. Just focussing on giving is good for your mind.
Why did you choose PoD and would you recommend us to others?
Yes! PoD gave me good information and arranged the contacts with the organisation abroad. They responded very quickly. Good luck and who knows maybe I will get in contact in the future for a new challenge!”
Louise – 2013
“My time at the project was, without exaggeration, one of the best times in my life. And PoD were excellent, I can't ask for anything more.
This is my third volunteer project abroad and this one has actually been my favorite one in every sense. The work at the centre was very rewarding, the people lovely, the bears adorable - everything was great. After some culture shock I really came to fall in love with Cambodia as well. I was totally surrounded by human warmth all the time and I loved it.
What was a typical day at the project?
In the morning (about 8.30 til 10) we often helped the bear keepers with cleaning in the bear houses and the enclosures. Between 10-12 we did different kind of tasks that needed to be done - painting, cleaning windows, making bear hammocks, gardening and so on. Between 12 and 13 it's lunch break which we ate at a nearby restaurant (which is outdoors and not anything like a western restaurant). Most dishes, that are vegetarian, only cost 1 USD. If you want meat/chicken it costs 4 USD. If you wanted to buy something to drink (Coca Cola, coconut and so on) it didn't cost more than 1 USD. After lunch we did some food prep. At food prep we weigh, chop and divide a lots of fruits and vegetables. Often we did some food enrichment to (like hiding banana pieces dipped in honey in a banana leaf). Thereafter we continued with tasks that needed to be done (painting, making hammocks and so on) until we ended for the day. Sometimes we went from food prep to scatter feeding before doing the other tasks. When scatter feeding you helped the bear keepers hiding all the food (that you chopped) in different places in the enclosure.
What did you find most rewarding?
It's really hard to choose one thing. We actually talked about this at the project what we preferred doing. I actually loved everything (and I'm not usually that kind of perky person that loves everything). But if I should try picking something I probably would say scatter feeding if you did stay and watch the bears looking for their food. And I really, really loved spending time at the quarantine were there were a few cubs (4 month old at the time). They actually often have cubs at the centre. The reason to this is that most of the bears coming to the centre are cubs because that their mothers have been killed during poaching. However, you won't get to touch the cubs (because they might hurt you unintentionally while playing with you) but it's really rewarding just watching them too.
What did you find most challenging?
Because I loved everything nothing really were challenging in a bad way. The scrubbing of cages in the bear houses was a little bit physically heavy but I didn't mind doing it. And if you would find something to challenging the staff wouldn't force you to do anything. They treat you really good. As an "animal rights-person" I didn't know what to expect with animals in captivity but I honestly do think that the bears have the best lives possible under the circumstances.
What advice would you give to others considering doing this project?
Do it and embrace the experience! It's my best advice. You won't regret it.
Why do you think others should volunteer abroad?
For the same reason that I keep on doing it - you get experiences you won't get as a usual tourist. You get to know a lot of new people - both locals and other volunteers. You get to know the country you're in and the everyday life there, especially if you're interested and ask the staff/locals a lot. I always learn so much during my volunteer trips. And you get to feel so pleased with yourself doing something really useful. If I didn't love volunteering abroad I wouldn't keep on doing it. Personally, I never feel so at home as when I do this kind of trips.
Why did you choose PoD and would you recommend us to others?
Yes! Mostly because they offered an interesting project with animals in Cambodia (since it was what I was looking for). But I also chose PoD because of their responsibility to societies, animals and so on. I really do value that. I’ve been really, really pleased with both the project and you at PoD. This I’ve told a lot of people as well. I couldn’t ask for anything else. You at PoD have taken excellent care of me from the very first beginning and I really appreciate that.”
Caroline – 2013
“The bear sanctuary is very well set up and it was great to be able to see this and in some way contribute to its development. The bears' environment was brilliant and they were very well cared for.
The centre did a lot of educational work to try to prevent more bears from ending up there, and it was sustainably run, e.g. by using the waste water to irrigate plants that would later be used for food. Most of the people working there were local and it appeared the centre provided important employment/training etc to the local community.
As a volunteer it was great to find out about and in some way contribute to this work. In a week it is difficult to feel as if you have contributed very much, but the time was very enjoyable and informative. The staff were very welcoming and we had plenty of time to watch all the bears and see the other animals at the centre.
What was a typical day at the project? Spending only 5 days there each day was quite varied, however we would usually arrive at the centre about 815. We would often prepare enrichment before lunch and prepare food after lunch. Other time was spent doing things such as maintenance tasks, assisting keepers and seeing the other animals at the park.
What did you find most rewarding? The opportunity to watch the bears so much more closely than as a visitor and see how happy and healthy they appeared. The tasks that directly contributed to their welfare were particularly rewarding, e.g. food and enrichment preparation. The centre was clearly very well set up and run, and every task that contributed to its continuing development was also very rewarding. It seemed as if the centre also benefited the local community as well as bears by providing employment and training etc for many local people.
What did you find most challenging? Working in the heat and humidity
What advice would you give to others considering this project? I would definitely recommend this placement, especially if you are looking for more of a personal experience as they don't have lots of volunteers at one time.”