Typical Working Day

Let us start by emphasizing that there is no ‘typical working day’ on a MaD project. The nature of voluntary work in a developing country is that plans and priorities change at a moment’s notice. Volunteers will generally be working from Monday to Friday, though you may have to be flexible at times. You'll generally start early in the morning and finish mid afternoon - with a small break for lunch in the middle. You'll travel on the MaD medical Tuk Tuk in teams of 2-4 (including khmer staff and other volunteers), visiting schools and children's centres in rural siem reap.

Life Outside Volunteering

With everybody living in the same location, it makes getting to know the other volunteers a lot easier, and with cheap drinks available, you’ll never have a reason to leave! Many volunteers enjoy a brief nap after they have finished work for the day, and others sit back under a palm tree, or in the gardens and immerse themselves in a good book.

Always on hand to play chess or cards, have a story read to them or to engage in conversation with you about your life and country are the MaD Kids. We became their proud foster parents in early 2009, and they live with us at the MaD House.

For those that want to do more – Bakong/Roluos may not be the hub of entertainment but it is a trully amazing place to live. Watch the sun set from the top of Bakong Temple (just a km from the MaD House), or take a sunset ride around the area. The landscape and surroundings are full of sight and sounds of Cambodia and we guarantee what you will experience is nothing like those in Siem Reap would ever see... this is the real Cambodia.

Weekly days off normally end up as trips to somewhere pleasant and we try to assist volunteers in getting to know different hotel pools or restaurants and attractions of which there is a plethora.
Alternatively, volunteers can of course head to one of Siem Reap's many tourist attractions, such as Angkor Wat, the Tonle Sap Lake or one of the museums or cultural excursions. More information on Siem Reap attractions.

We also organize occasional social events and day-trips for the volunteers on Sundays – a good chance for everyone to relax outside of work. These include bike rides, picnics, parties at project locations - and we encourage volunteers to organise some events themselves (though be warned, organising anything in Cambodia is a challenge!)

A tuk tuk to and from Siem Reap town in the evening costs approximately $10 each way during the day, $15 at night and $30 after midnight.

There you will find an array of night entertainment options - mostly centred around the rather unimaginatively titled 'Pub Street' in the Old Market area. There are pubs, bars, restaurants and a few clubs for those that are into their nightlife - and there are a good few bars around town where a beer can be picked up for as little as 1.00!