A gap year in Cambodia
Gap years in Cambodia
Tentative peace has arrived in Cambodia, but its violent past still prevents many from visiting the awe-inspiring temples and landscape. Taking a Gap year here gives you the unique opportunity to witness all of Cambodia’s beauty, and to make a difference at ground level too. Living below the poverty line and plagued by disaster and disease, the population is one of the sunniest you’ll ever meet. Prepare yourself for the surprising peace in this incredible country…
Gap Year Opportunities
Torn apart by civil war and living beneath the world poverty line, Cambodia is a place in need of aid. A Cambodian GAP project is far more than just a paid holiday: it’s the chance to make a difference to the lives of many children, young people and adults, in communities and rural settings. Help promote women’s rights, teach English to the Khmer community, and help restore the country’s confidence and world worth.
Opportunites for volunteering in Cambodia are likely to include helping out at a medical centre or mobile surgery,
providing basic health services to those in need; working on conservation or safari projects to help preserve the
country’s natural assets and working with local communities on a meaningful tour.
About Cambodia
Occupying a spot that borders Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Cambodia is dominated by low agricultural paddies. May to November is monsoon season, and the country is susceptible to flooding. Poverty, natural disasters and AIDS have had a dramatic effect on population figures. Today only 3.1% of the population is 65 or over, and 2.6% has contracted AIDS. Economically, the country is reviving from the effects of long-term war: the tourist and textile industries are bringing economic growth, but in rural areas poverty still reigns.
Cambodia’s modern history is complex and disturbing; after independence from France in 1953, and a few years of relative peace, elected leader Prince Sihanouk was deposed by one of his Lieutenants, who took leadership. The Prince’s army, the Khmer Rouge, went into exile with him and eventually came back and regained control in 1975, appointing Pol Pot and beginning a reign of terror. It’s estimated that up to three million people died in the subsequent “experiment”, which was supposed to socially re-engineer the population.
It wasn’t until 1979 that neighbouring Vietnam invaded and replaced the Communist regime with the ‘People’s Revolutionary Council’. Resistance continued for years, driving thousands of Cambodian refugees into Thailand. Finally the UN stepped in, helping to develop a peace framework, which was agreed in 1992. Even then, the Khmer Rouge continued to fight against the government – until 1998, when Pol Pot died and was cremated on live television. By 1999 the resistance forces surrendered, trials began for some of the key figures, and thousands of refugees had returned. In the last few years (despite bickering between elected parties, arrests and legal cases between parliamentary figures) government rule has become more stable, and tourism has increased as a result.
What’s to see in Cambodia?
Angkor Wat is Cambodia’s number one must-see. This ancient temple is set within Angkor Archaeological Park, designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and filled with temples and traditional Cambodian architecture dating back to the 12th Century.
Phnom Penh is Cambodia’s capital, and although it’s a bit crumbly, it’s the best place to learn about the country’s history and culture. After a taste of the city, head out into rural paddies or jungle, where you can find a shack or eco-lodge for as little as £5 per night.
Cambodia’s rural villages are also quite remarkable; travel to Siem Reap and take a boat along the Tonte Sap river, lined with villages on stilts. You might like to finish your travels with a relaxing stay on one of Cambodia’s quiet islands floating in the Gulf of Thailand.