Work Travel Volunteer

Spicy foods, exotic cities, picture perfect beaches, lush jungle, burning incense plus more motorbikes and mopeds than you would know what to do with; Southeast Asia remains a dominant location for independent travellers. Unfortunately, this popularity is also starting to kill areas of Southeast Asia (See Ko Phi Phi article) where over-development is happening without a thought to the damage its doing to the local economy, community and the environment.

What else can you do apart from travel?

As with India and Nepal, areas of Southeast Asia such as Thailand offer a plethora of cultural courses. As well as yoga and Buddhism, try cookery or martial arts. Teaching English is the main choice for people who want to work here. Other paid opportunities are rare. Voluntary efforts meanwhile are in abundance, with many humanitarian projects in operation.

What to expect

• Other travellers.
• Beaches a plenty.
• Hawkers around every corner.
• Unhurried gentle local people.
• Politeness -never touch people's heads or show the soles of your feet. It's extremely rude.

Highlights of SE Asia

• Lazing on one of Thailand's many gorgeous beaches
• Spotting monks at Angkor Wat
• Trekking in Chiang Mai
• Learning about the Vietnam war in Ho Chi Min
• Buying tailored clothes in Hoi An
• Wondering at the Plain of Jars in Laos
• Banaue in the Philippines
• Trekking through the oldest rainforest in the world in Malaysia
• Spotting Orangutans in Borneo
• Living it up at Raffles hotel in Singapore
• Island hopping in Indonesia

Tell us about your highlights. Email kate@worktravelvolunteer.com and we'll print the best.

There are hundreds of volunteer opportunities in Southeast Asia. Teaching English is also extremely popular if you want a paid wage.

Don't forget to search our directory to find out what you can do in Southeast Asia. Whether you want to work in Thailand, travel in Laos or volunteer in Cambodia, we have hundreds of organisations that can help you.