Volunteer in Asia | India, China, Thailand, Cambodia Programs Abroad

Updated for 2019

For many travelers, visiting Asia is the ultimate experience abroad: the world’s oldest living religion started in India, China is home to some of the world’s most ancient and powerful civilizations, and the cities and beaches of Thailand and beyond call to travelers worldwide.

With some of the most populous countries—with fast-growing economies alongside some of the poorest communities—on the planet, Asia has a great need for volunteers to assist with programs that provide education, support, and development to underserved areas. And the opportunity doesn’t stop with community building: many of Asia’s unique ecosystems and animal populations are endangered or at risk, meaning volunteers like you can make a difference in the region’s long-term sustainability.

Because of the need for volunteers of diverse skill sets, there’s no limit to the types of projects you can take on, whether you’re traveling solo or with a group or your family. From teaching to childcare, to sports coaching or NGO support, there are a huge number of volunteer abroad programs available to you, regardless of your age or background experience. There is a particularly strong demand for native-English speakers who are certified to teach English as a foreigh launch (TEFL). In particular, English teachers in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand can earn a very comfortable living. Check out this report that details the world of teaching English abroad, including salaries and hiring criteria.

Read on to learn more about just a few of the adventurous, impactful volunteer and teaching programs you can embark on in Asia!

International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ)

As one of the largest and most affordable volunteer abroad organizations in the world, International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) is a great place to start in your search to volunteer in Asia. IVHQ’s volunteer programs start from just $180 per week and since 2007, the company has placed more than 80,000 travelers on volunteer projects overseas.

Volunteering in Cambodia

IVHQ’s Cambodia volunteer program is open to travelers who’d like to visit Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, or the Pursat and Kampong Speu provinces. Program placements include:

• English teaching to children in local schools
• Working with NGOs for community development, human rights, health and HIV/AIDS awareness, gender issues, environmental issues, and education
• Caring for children who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS
• Special needs care for children aged 5 to 18
• Computer support for NGOs and community centers

You’ll stay with other volunteers in a shared house or homestay in Cambodia, and during your weekends and free time, you’re encouraged to explore temples, national parks, and beaches, and you may even travel to Laos, Vietnam, or Thailand during longer holidays. This program starts from just $350 for your first two weeks, and you’re invited to volunteer for up to six months.

Volunteering in China

If you’ve always wanted to visit China, IVHQ has two volunteer opportunities in China where you can make a difference and explore the country, including:

• Teaching conversational English to students at government-owned schools or community schools in Weinan – you can also take on educational outreach projects in the community while students are on their holiday breaks
• Special needs care for children with physical or mental disabilities, where you’ll work alongside staff in community and government centers to provide basic care and support

During your placement, you’ll stay in a shared house or with a local host family, and during your free time, you can visit Xi’an, Shanghai, Beijing, and other cities. IVHQ’s China volunteer program starts from one week at just $180, and you’re invited to stay up to six months.

Volunteering in Thailand

A great IVHQ program in Thailand takes you to Chiang Rai to volunteer with the Childcare Project. Work with children ages 2 to 6 years old from local villages and surrounding hill tribes and gain a greater appreciation of the Thai culture. Volunteers work alongside local teachers, performing daily tasks such as maintaining the classroom, helping with the children at mealtimes, and working in the garden after school. With direction from the teacher, you’ll help to plan lessons and develop resources, and you’ll have the opportunity to lead the class each day. No experience is necessary to sign up. Located in Northern Thailand, Chiang Rai is a popular destination for people wanting to escape the noise and traffic of Bangkok. Use your free time to explore the city’s morning markets, which offer a variety of foods and goods, as well as the Night Bazaar, which showcases handicrafts, silk garments, and more. To learn more about volunteering in Thailand, click here.

Volunteering in India

There are more than 100 million street children living in India, most of them foraging, performing theatrics for tips, or working with their parents to sell goods. The Slum Teaching project by IVHQ is popular with the street children and their families because it offers them basic education and opportunities for hope. You’ll work in makeshift classrooms in the slums, teaching basic lessons, playing games after class, introducing the children to arts and crafts and providing one-on-one support. You’ll be based in Faridabad, southeast of New Delhi. Accommodations are home-stays operated by local families. You’ll have a chance to learn about the Indian way of life, meet people, speak the local language and engage in customs and traditions. Spend your weekends relaxing, or explore Delhi. Program fees start at $250 for one week. Learn more about volunteering in India here.

To learn more about volunteering in Asia with IVHQ, visit www.volunteerhq.org.

What Volunteers Say: Review from Ea Zere

With Ivhq you will get to learn and experience alot of diversities between volunteers itself and people of India. As a project I teached English to the Buddhist monks and I was fascinated by their will to learn and read more stories and books that were related to the language itself. They were kind, smart to volunteers and helped us to learn from their culture as well. If I would have an opportunity I would go and volunteer again!

Plan My Gap Year

Founded in 2011, Plan My Gap Year is another wonderful organization offering volunteer trips throughout Asia – right now, you can sign up for programs in conservation, childcare, teaching, and much more in Bali, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. PMGY’s trips are also very affordable, starting from only $225 for your first week abroad – and with recognition such as the Shell LiveWire Grand Idea Award, Thailand Green Excellence Award, and Special Recognition from the United Nations in Sri Lanka, PMGY is a great choice for sustainable and impactful volunteer experiences.

Volunteer in India

One trip you should check out through Plan My Gap Year brings you to India, where you’ll be able to support disabled children, teach English, work in a hospital, help with women’s empowerment programs, or even combine volunteering with adventure on guided tours of this amazing country. PMGY’s month-long Real India Experience takes you on a tour of the famed Golden Triangle and south to Kerala, where you’ll ride elephants, visit a monkey temple, watch the sunrise at the Taj Mahal, volunteer with communities in need, and much more. If you’d like to focus on just one program, PMGY’s India volunteer projects are based in Faridabad on the outskirts of Delhi, and depending on the initiative you sign up for, you can stay two weeks or longer starting at $330.

Volunteer in Cambodia

Another wonderful opportunity you can sign up for right now with Plan My Gap Year is their Cambodia volunteer program, where you can teach English, work with children, or combine travel and volunteering on a South East Asia Encounter or Ultimate Round the World Encounter. This is a great trip for independent travelers interested in grassroots community projects – a few highlights include visiting Angkor Wat and weekend travel opportunities to Phnom Penh and beyond. PMGY’s Cambodia volunteer programs start from $360 for your first two weeks, and you’re invited to stay up to six months.

Volunteer in Thailand

PMGY also has several trips throughout Thailand for volunteers who’d like to work with children, teach English, or travel and volunteer. Plan My Gap Year’s two-week Mini Thailand Experience is a great way to explore southern Thailand, with highlights including visiting the Grand Palace, Khao Sok National Park, and Cheow Larn Lake, going to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan, and going kayaking, elephant trekking, taking cooking classes, and much more. Depending on the program you sign up for, volunteering in Thailand with Plan My Gap Year starts from two weeks at $360.

Teach English to Monks in Nepal

Volunteer to teach English to boys in Nepal with Plan My Gap Year. This unique program places you in a Nepalese Buddhist monastery in Kathmandu or Chitwan, where many young men train as monks to seek a better life. Many children at the monasteries are refugees or from poor communities. By sharing your language and culture, you’ll be helping the young monks with their ability to translate religious text and communicate the teachings of Buddhism. They follow the Dalai Lama’s teaching and his sage command: “To learn English is to spread the word.” In addition to teaching English, you may have a chance to share your interest in math and science. Volunteers teach about three hours each day, leaving you with free time travel and learn about the Buddhist way of life. Monks want to teach you about their way of life, and you’ll gain insight into their religion a few people experience. Program fees start at $450 for two weeks.

Experience the ‘Real Vietnam’

Spend four incredible weeks exploring Vietnam with Plan My Gap Year! North Vietnam has experienced rapid change during the past four decades, but it is still a country that strives to balance the old with the new. This is a land of diverse, breathtaking natural wonders and a profound, proud people who have overcome the ravages of war and tragedy. Plan My Gap Year’s Real Vietnam Experience combines volunteer work with an adventurous travel itinerary. Highlights include learning basic Vietnamese, visiting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, taking an overnight train journey to Lao Cai, trekking through rice terraces, spending an overnight stay with a local hill tribe, sailing the Ngo Dong River through the Tam Coc cave system, teaching English to children, an overnight cruise on Halong Bay, dinner on Cat Ba island, and a visit to the Perfume Pagoda, one of the most important religious sites in Buddhist Vietnam. Plan My Gap Year’s Real Vietnam Experience starts at $1,275 for four weeks.

Abroadly

No matter what your interests and future aspirations are, you can find a suitable volunteer abroad program in Asia. But with so many programs out there, searching can take a lot of time. To streamline that process, use Volunteer Forever’s booking platform, Abroadly.

On Abroadly’s search page, you can quickly search according to country, budget, activity and more. If you see a program you like, don’t hesitate. Go ahead and apply! Not only is your application fully refunded if you’re not accepted, but all programs have also been inspected for quality, safety, and ethical commitment.

Additionally, applying through Abroadly enters you for the chance to win a $500 scholarship. To make your volunteer trip to Asia even more affordable, you even can use Volunteer Forever’s crowdfunding platform for free. How great is that?

Volunteer for Medical Care in India

Join Plan My Gap Year in Faridabad, India, where you’ll serve as a healthcare volunteer at a free medical camp in a slum community. The camps provide services in all medical areas, from emergency care and anesthetics to surgery and occupational therapy. If you have education and experience in healthcare, you’ll be able to do more hands-on work.

The city of Faridabad is home to Nahar Singh cricket stadium and beautiful rose gardens and is just 15 miles from Delhi. So, you have plenty of options when you’re not volunteering. Costs start at $579 for two weeks. You can stay up to 24 weeks. Discover more and apply here!

Summer Volunteer Program in Cambodia

Make your mark as you discover Cambodia during Volunteering Solutions’ three-week program. The program is a mix of travel and volunteering. As a volunteer in Kampong Speu province, you’ll teach English to local students. English can open a lot of doors and work opportunities for disadvantaged youth in Cambodia, so your help will have a huge impact.

In addition to volunteering, the program takes you to some of Cambodia’s most notable sites, such as the Angkor Wat complex outside Siem Reap, which is one of the largest religious monuments in the world. You’ll also get to spend a few days exploring Phnom Penh, the country’s busy capital that’s home to many great historical and cultural sites, like the Royal Palace and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

The cost of the three-week program in Cambodia is $1,345. Discover more and apply here!

English Teaching Internship in Thailand

Whether you want to jumpstart an ESL teaching career or simply want to volunteer as a teacher while you explore Thailand, GROUND’s English teaching internship is a wonderful choice. You’ll teach students in Ban Ta Klang Village along with a local teacher. Through games and activities, you’ll help improve students’ English skills and give them a good foundation for mastering the language—which will open up opportunities for them in the future.

After teaching each day, you’re free to check out the village. Ban Ta Klang is famous for ethical elephant encounters. The program costs $655 for two weeks and you can stay up to 12 weeks. Discover more and apply here!

Cross-Cultural Solutions

Since 1995, Cross-Cultural Solutions has provided internships, gap year experiences, volunteer trips, and high school volunteering opportunities throughout Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. Programs you can sign up for include children’s development, girl and women empowerment, and global health, and so far, nearly 35,000 travelers have trusted Cross-Cultural Solutions (with a 99% approval rating from past participants), which is proud to boast some of the highest standards of safety and well-being in the volunteer abroad industry. Right now, Cross-Cultural Solutions’ volunteer trips in Asia bring you to Dharamsala or New Delhi, India, or to Bangkok, Thailand.

Volunteer in Dharamsala, India

One of Cross-Cultural Solutions’ two volunteer opportunities in India brings you to the highland community of Dharamsala, home to the Dalai Lama and several thousand Tibetan refugees. Through this program, you will work in Lower Dharamsala with initiatives that provide basic social services, children’s education, and women’s rights. During your stay, you will tour the city, take Hindi language lessons, learn to prepare tandoori cuisine, and much more. This summer volunteer program starts from one week at $1,750. Learn more and sign up here.

Volunteer in New Delhi, India

If you’re looking for a more urban environment for your volunteer trip to India, check out Cross-Cultural Solutions’ trip to New Delhi, where you will be able to volunteer with initiatives focusing on children’s development, global health, and girls’ and women’s empowerment. Throughout your stay, you will take a tour of New Delhi, listen to classical Indian music, visit the Taj Mahal, ride an elephant, and much more. As with CCS’ Dharamsala volunteer program, volunteering in New Delhi starts from one week at $1,750 – click here to learn more and to register.

Volunteer in Thailand

Another wonderful volunteering opportunity you can check out right now with Cross-Cultural Solutions brings you to Bangkok, Thailand, where you will have the chance to volunteer for child development or global health. CCS has provided much-needed services in this beautiful country for 15 years and is a leader in early childhood education. During your trip, you will explore Chiang Rai, take Thai language lessons, learn about the history of Buddhism, and much more. This trip starts from one week at $1,750 – learn more and sign up here!

Projects Abroad

Since 1992, Projects Abroad has placed more than 100,000 volunteers aged 16 to 75 on programs in dozens of countries all over the world. In Asia, you’re invited to volunteer in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, or Vietnam.

Join Projects Abroad as a volunteer in Asia and work toward long-term, sustainable solutions in local communities. Choose the country that best matches your interests and goals from Cambodia, China, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Wherever you go in Asia, you’ll be working alongside passionate volunteers and have support from Project’s Abroad’s dedicated in-country staff 24/7.

Volunteer in Cambodia

Check out projects In Cambodia, working with childcare, public health, or microfinance. Projects Abroad partnered with Khemara, the oldest NGO in Cambodia, and identified areas of need in the community, then created projects to work together to address them.

At the Childcare Project, you’ll work at daycare centers for children from disadvantaged families with working parents. You’ll focus on helping kids with early childhood development skills. Through the Public Health Project, you assist with providing healthcare services where access to medical care is limited. With Microfinance, you’ll help entrepreneurs as they build businesses through interest-free loans, so they can better support their families.

When you’re not working, there’s plenty to see and do. The Projects Abroad staff can give you tips on how to make the most of your free time and weekends. Learn more about volunteering and interning in Cambodia.

Volunteer in the Philippines

Join Projects Abroad in the Philippines, where there are unique opportunities for you to volunteer. Help at a rehabilitation center – the only one of its kind on Cebu Island – where interns work with medical professionals to provide vital physical and occupational therapy treatments.

Projects Abroad is also building toilets to improve sanitation and stop the spread of disease. In San Remigio, it is estimated that 26% of homes don’t have a toilet. Volunteers can work toward solving this problem.

You also can choose to teach English in disadvantaged schools in the Philippines, supporting children in kindergartens. Projects Abroad also has a fantastic Public Health Project if you’re eager to learn more about healthcare and get practical medical experience. Once your work is done, you’ll be able to explore. Chat to the staff for tips on what to see and do. Learn more about volunteering and interning in the Philippines.

What Volunteers Say: Review from Venus, Medicine in Mongolia

“I wanted to do some volunteering to build a stronger resume to fulfill my future goals of getting into medical school. In order to get into medical school, you have to have so many hours of shadowing physicians and this is where my journey with Projects Abroad in Mongolia began.”

I-to-I

For more than 20 years, i-to-i has trained and placed travelers on certified English teaching programs worldwide – in fact, since 1994, i-to-i has graduated more than 175,000 TEFL instructors. And as one of the world’s top English teaching destinations, i-to-i has no shortage of opportunities for you to travel to Asia.

Southeast Asia Explorer Tour

If you’re up for an adventure and would like to teach abroad—but don’t have the time available yet to commit to a longer-term program—check out i-to-i’s Southeast Asia Explorer, where you’ll travel to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. You’ll spend four weeks teaching English in Surin, Thailand, and after that, you’ll kick off an adventure tour starting in Cambodia. You’ll visit Angkor Wat, Phnom Penh, and Sihanoukville, and from there, you’ll travel to Vietnam, where you’ll explore the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hanoi, and Halong Bay. After your extensive Vietnam tour, you’ll head off to Laos, where you’ll visit Vientiane, Vang Vieng, and Luang Prabang, and then go back to Thailand to wrap up your two-month adventure in Asia. You’ll have full support throughout your entire trip, and do not need prior teaching experience or language background other than English fluency to sign up.

Paid Vietnam TEFL Internship

Another excellent travel opportunity through i-to-i is their paid Vietnam TEFL internship, where you’ll spend five months teaching in a classroom in Ho Chi Minh City or in Hanoi. As with the China internship, this program includes 120 hours of online TEFL training, followed by 20 hours of in-classroom experience before your placement at the school begins. As an intern, you’ll work with students aged 4 to 18, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to find creative and fun ways to teach English to students of all different language levels. You’ll also earn a monthly living allowance of $700, plus housing with other interns who may be teaching at different schools.

To learn more about teaching in Asia with i-to-i, visit www.i-to-i.com.

GoEco

Founded by experienced volunteers in 2006, GoEco has community, environment, and education initiatives throughout Asia. Recommended by the likes of the Today Show and Boston Globe, GoEco has won several awards, like Top Volunteer Abroad Organization in 2015 from GoAbroad and Top Eco-Traveling Enthusiast in 2017 from Greenmatch. All projects have been vetted to ensure they meet high standards for safety and commitment to making an impact. Whether you want to help giant pandas in China or teach children in Thailand, you can find a high-quality, affordable volunteer program in Asia through GoEco. See a few recommended opportunities below.

Volunteer in Sri Lanka

If you want to visit Sri Lanka, GoEco has a variety of projects to suit your preferences. What’s also great is that most of them are held in seaside towns and cities. Enjoy the sandy beaches when you’re not volunteering.

Here’s what you could in Sri Lanka through GoEco:

1. Teach English to Buddhist monks (from $990 for two weeks): Engage in positive cultural exchange with monk students in the gorgeous town of Galle.
2. Rescue and rehabilitate sea turtles (from $1,080 for two weeks): Head to the oceanside town of Ambalangoda, and rescue turtles from dangers caused by human fishing activities.
3. Join a medical, nursing, and dentistry program (from $1,180 for two weeks): Gain international medical experience as you help local patients heal. This program is great for pre-med, dentistry, nursing, and medical students.

Volunteer in the Philippines

The Philippines is a wonderful place to volunteer if you’re interested in community development and education (and want to see an amazingly beautiful place!). GoEco offers numerous opportunities in the country to make a difference.

For example, you could teach children in Palawan, an archipelagic province famous for its clear waters and cozy beaches. By helping improve their English language skills, you’ll give the children a skill they can use to open up more doors in the future. Register here (from $580 for one week).

Or, you may wish to lend your hands to a renovation and construction effort in Palawan. Paint buildings, build walls, renovate furniture, and more. Find out even more details here (from $620 for one week).

Volunteer in India

Lend a hand in the community of Goa! In addition to teaching children of lower-income areas, volunteers can choose placements, including working at a women’s shelter, an elderly care facility, a construction site or at an additional teaching program. While in India, don’t forget to visit the Taj Mahal and other amazing sites!

Volunteer in China

Spend a week with China’s most fascinating wildlife species – the giant panda! The efforts of this center have been successful in removing the giant panda from the “endangered list” and now you can be a part of it! Volunteers will prepare food and feed the pandas, as well as care for their living areas.

What Volunteers Say: Review from Alexandra

I was so excited to begin my volunteer work. Volunteers can choose a morning project and an afternoon project. I chose to work with Kindergarten-age children in the slums in the mornings and the afternoons.

Having both of my projects there really allowed me to develop relationships with the kids, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed every minute that I spent with them. One day, I designed a scavenger hunt of numbers and letters that I hid beforehand that the kids would have to find and match to a board I made with the same numbers and shapes. The kids were so excited when they would find one, and would jump up and down and yell “Teacher! Teacher!”

Ultimately I realized that even though I came prepared with lesson plans every day, the kids probably ended up teaching me more than I taught them. I left India with gifts I couldn’t possibly buy in any market: unconditional love, kindness, and gratitude. Coming to Goa was the best decision I ever made.”

Idex

Since 2002, Idex has offered meaningful volunteer placements throughout Asia for more than 12,000 volunteers from all over the world. Through Idex, you can visit and volunteer in India, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, or Vietnam. As a volunteer, you can choose from a variety of service experiences through Idex, including:

• Childcare
• Orphanage assistance
• Women’s empowerment
• Teaching
• Animal rescue and care
• Elephant volunteering
• Sports coaching
• HIV/AIDS support
• Elderly care
• Health care

Idex also has volunteer-travel programs and volunteer-only programs available, depending on your interests. Individuals, groups, students, and families are invited to volunteer with Idex, and if you take on a volunteer-and-travel program, you’ll have the opportunity to go on weekend excursions, both guided or on your own.

To learn more about volunteering in Asia with Idex, visit: www.idexvolunteer.com.

What Volunteers Say: Review from Ben

I volunteered through this program for 4 weeks and it was truly an amazing experience! Every day was perfectly structured–I was never too busy or bored, all the volunteer locations were unique and fun, and there was a great balance of fun and service. Personally, I was assigned a child to teach for the month at a school for mentally challenged children, and it was life-changing to create a bond with him and see his life change even over the mere month I was there. Every week, there was a trip I could go on (and of course I went on them all!). Every trip had a well-planned itinerary and immersed me in the diverse cultures of India. All of the staff where I was housed were always friendly, helpful, and comforting–like a second family. I recommend this volunteer trip to anyone. Make sure to stay at least a month to get the full experience.

Love Volunteers

Love Volunteers is a fantastic organization that partners with local NGOs to provide the best volunteer experience you can have while also making a difference for a community in need. If you want to visit Asia with Love Volunteers, you can choose from a number of destinations, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, or Vietnam.

Volunteer in India

With Love Volunteers, you can volunteer in India either in Jaipur or in New Delhi for just $310 for your first week abroad. Programs you can choose from include:

• Teaching and providing support in schools
• Women’s empowerment
• Working with children in a children’s home
• Working with street children
• Medical internship

There also are volunteer and travel excursions you can embark on, where you’ll volunteer in education, childcare, or English teaching program, then visit the Taj Mahal, Tiger Trail in Ranthambhore, the Holy City of Pushkar, and take a camel safari in Jaisalmer for each weekend of your stay.

Volunteer in Thailand

Love Volunteers also has an extensive volunteer abroad program in Thailand, where you can visit Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Surin, Kanchanaburi, or Koh Samui Island. Your volunteer placement starts from just $425 for your first week, and you can extend your stay much longer to gain the most from your experience overseas. With Love Volunteers’ Thailand program, you can choose from any of these placements:

• Elephant camp
• Women’s empowerment
• Education
• Outdoor work, including gardening and construction
• Teaching English to Buddhist monks
• Teaching English in a school
• School renovation
• Wildlife rescue center
• Medical internship

To learn more about volunteering in Asia with Love Volunteers, visit: www.lovevolunteers.org.

What Volunteers Say: Review from Michael

Love Volunteers is a great organization. They were seamless with all of the pre-event discussions and preparations. The support was top notch. Responses to emails and calls were speedy. The Green Living Planet (ngo) i worked with, suggested by Love Volunteers was very helpful and a safe, reliable and honest organization.I highly recommend Love Volunteers and will use them in the future for my other adventures. Also, how can you go wrong with a name like that?

Global Vision International (GVI)

GVI is another excellent organization to check out for opportunities to volunteer in Asia. With dozens of volunteer placements to choose from ranging from childcare to wildlife conservation, to education and beyond, you’re bound to find an exciting, impactful volunteer opportunity through GVI.

Volunteering in Thailand

If Thailand is on your must-visit list, GVI has two internships and two volunteer abroad placements open right now in Chiang Mai, including:

• Elephant conservation internship, where you’ll teach English, assist with biodiversity studies, and help rehabilitate rescued elephants in a sanctuary
• Wildlife conservation internship to help conserve animal populations and promote sustainable ecotourism
• Shorter-term elephant conservation volunteer program, which invites you to help rehabilitate elephants rescued from tourist camps
• Marine and wildlife conservation volunteer project, where you’ll contribute to ongoing sustainable development programs

The shortest volunteer placement through GVI Thailand right now starts from one week at $1,840, and longer-term internships are available from six weeks at $3,590. Depending on the time of year that you travel, your project focus may change based on the needs of the community, so your work will be both impactful and varied. During your stay, you’ll live in a shared house, with upgrades available if you prefer a private residence, and in your free time, GVI invites you to explore the country, try local dishes, and much more.

Volunteering in India

GVI also has several volunteer abroad and intern abroad programs in India, where you can take on exciting projects in:

• Women’s empowerment
• Special needs and childcare
• Construction
• Healthcare for children with disabilities
• Sports education for children in different communities
• English teaching

For travelers under 18, GVI is offering a volunteer adventure in India where you’ll help with basic construction work in Kerala while also embarking on side trips to tourist sites, a traditional dance show, and much more. As an organization providing a variety of volunteer adventures for teens, GVI is dedicated to traveler safety: their more than 200 employees worldwide work hard to ensure all of their projects and trips run smoothly, and the GVI Live system provides real-time updates about life in the field – something parents and teens both can track from anywhere, anytime.

GVI’s India volunteering programs start from $1,600 for one week and depending on the program, you’re invited to stay up to six months to gain a fully immersive experience while also making the greatest impact through your work in India.

To learn more about GVI’s volunteer programs in Asia, visit: www.gviusa.com.

What Volunteers Say: Review from Louise

I spent 6 weeks in the beautiful region of Phang Nga in Phuket, Thailand taking part in the Marine Coastal Expedition. I had a variety of different experiences varying from teaching English to cleaning little hatchling turtles.I fell in love with the village of Baan Nam Khem in which i lived. Me and the whole GVI team were well known to the locals and were always greeted on our way to a days work!

The food, atmosphere and pure beauty of Phuket is unreal, now that I am home I truly appreciate my time there.

I have gained lifelong friends and feel truly blessed to have been a part of this experience!

A Broader View

One of the largest volunteer abroad organizations in the world, A Broader View offers more than 245 meaningful placements in 25 countries. Founded in 2007, this charity’s volunteer programs in Asia include opportunities in Cambodia, China, India, Nepal, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Volunteer in China

For one week to eight weeks, you’re invited to volunteer in China with A Broader View in the Shandong province. Through this program, you’ll teach conversational English in a local school, either in a kindergarten, primary school, high school, or college. You’ll work alongside the teacher to provide support to students in language comprehension and speaking Monday through Friday each week. A Broader View’s China volunteer program starts from $900, and throughout your stay, you’ll live in a private dorm room and receive three meals per day plus orientation and support from in-country staff.

Volunteer in India

For travelers who want to visit India, A Broader View has a large number of volunteer opportunities in Jaipur and Udaipur, including:

• Construction and renovation
• Childcare
• Animal welfare or animal rescue center support
• Elephant volunteering
• Orphanage program
• English teaching, as well as teaching other subjects
• Women’s empowerment
• Special needs support
• Medical care and health care

A Broader View’s India volunteer program lasts two to eight weeks and starts from $860 for your first two weeks. Accommodations are provided in a shared volunteer house, and you’ll volunteer each week Monday through Friday, with weekends free to travel or relax.

To learn more about volunteering in Asia with A Broader View, visit: www.abroaderview.org.

What Volunteers Say: Review from Jennifer

This was the best experience of my life. The ABV team was really helpful both in the USA and in-country. I was very prepared for the trip. It was really easy to get settled and used to the new surroundings. There was never a time that I felt uncomfortable or unclear on travel instructions or anything. Definitely going to go back some day!

Global Nomadic

Global Nomadic works hard to make sure that all of their volunteers and interns gain hands-on experience in programs providing direct support to communities in need. Volunteers work alongside local organizations to take on impactful, meaningful work while building their skill sets and furthering their education and careers.

Paid Teaching and TEFL Training in China

On this one-year program, Global Nomadic invites you first to Thailand, where you’ll receive a four-week / 12-hour, internationally-accredited TEFL training course in Koh Samui. From there, you’ll travel to China to teach English in one of many different locations throughout the country. Your course costs $1,500 to complete, and after that, you’ll receive $800 to $1,100 per month during your work placement. In China, you’ll teach in a public school, language learning center, or university, and you can expect to work five days per week, depending on the placement, with evening and weekend teaching placements in the community center.

To learn more about volunteering and teaching abroad in Asia through Global Nomadic, visit: https://globalnomadic.com.

What Volunteers Say: Review from Beth

I did the India road trip earlier on this year with a friend, there were 2 other girls who came by themselves and we all got on really well as a group, which was great. The guides are brilliant, they totally know what they are doing, which was perfect and at no point did we feel unsafe with them. With the amount of bus rides and travelling around we did, it was good to have someone who could communicate with the locals without having to resort to acting out everything, and who helped us not get too badly ripped off at the markets.The tour itself was great because it covered so much of India, starting up in Shimla where I got to climb my first ever mountain, then heading down to the chilled out beaches of Goa where the sea is warm and the sun is HOT…Overall this was the perfect tour as it covered so much of India, I felt safe and would totally recommend it to anyone, male or female, but especially females who don’t feel comfortable going on their own. India is such an exciting and different place to visit, I would definitely say go

International TEFL Academy (ITA)

Since 2010, International TEFL Academy (ITA) has offered internationally accredited online and in-person TEFL courses in 25 locations that open you up to English teaching jobs all over the world. To ensure that you’re matched with the best program for you, ITA provides extensive pre-enrollment guidance from expert advisors, after which you’ll receive excellent training from a university-level professor. ITA also offers tons of resources for students and alumni, including a job search manual, cover letter and resume workshops, contact information for more than 20,000 schools and employers worldwide, and lifetime job search assistance. Click here to learn more about being one of the 5,000 people expected to earn their TEFL certification with International TEFL Academy this year!

Chiang Mai TEFL Certification

One of ITA’s TEFL certification programs invites you to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where you will spend four weeks training to teach English in Asia and beyond. Each weekday, you can expect to be in class from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm learning about classroom management, lesson planning, conversational English, and much more – plus you’ll have the chance to practice teaching with local ESL students. During your weekends and evenings, you’re free to explore Chiang Mai or just relax and reflect on what you’ve learned throughout your course. Learn more and register here!

Ho Chi Minh City TEFL Certification

Another excellent program you should check out with ITA brings you to Vietnam, where you can earn your TEFL certification in the country’s economic and cultural center. As with ITA’s Chiang Mai program, you will spend four weeks taking full-time courses to become a certified English teacher. For the first three weeks of this placement, you will be in class from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, and for the fourth week, you’ll focus on written assessment tasks and job placement. During your weekends, you’ll have the chance to explore the area, travel to the historic Ben Thanh Market, and much more. Sign up here!

Ready to Travel?

If you’re inspired to travel to Asia and find the perfect volunteer abroad program, click here to sign up for an account on Volunteer Forever and begin fundraising for your perfect trip overseas! To learn more about making a difference for communities in Asia, check out these volunteer abroad programs, intern abroad placements, and teach abroad opportunities.

And if you want to explore other parts of the world, here are a few articles to get started:

Volunteer Abroad in Africa

Volunteer Abroad in Central America

Volunteer Abroad in South America & Latin America