Volunteer in Asia with Friends for Asia!
Friends for Asia is a volunteer organization that specializes in placing foreign volunteers and interns and volunteer groups in projects in Bali, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam. Originally started in 2007, Friends for Asia has placed hundreds of volunteers, from more than 18 different nationalities, in our volunteer and intern projects. Our projects assist local communities with challenges related to their development and benefit volunteers via their volunteer (or intern) experience. Our local staff in our different volunteer locations is well educated individuals that work hard to allow you to make a difference in your volunteer project. We offer a variety of different projects – something for everyone.
Volunteer in Bali
A tropical paradise with some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, mountains and jungle – Bali is becoming increasingly popular with international tourists and visitors. However, our volunteers experience a lot more than the average backpacker, surfer or package tourist.
By volunteering with Friends for Asia in Bali, you’ll have the opportunity to truly immerse yourself in one of the world’s most beautiful and exotic places. And, by doing so, you’ll leave this tropical island with more than a tan, but a true insight into Balinese society, culture, and an experience that you’ll never forget. Whether it be teaching English and working with Balinese teachers at a local school or spending time and giving love to children at a small orphanage, you’ll have the opportunity to make a difference and contribute to Balinese society.
Volunteer in Thailand
Thailand’s tourist appeal is no secret, but there’s an important element missing from the average visitor’s itinerary – meaningful human contact. Transform your next Far-East adventure into a meaningful, cross-cultural experience by volunteering with Friends for Asia in Thailand.
Volunteer in Chiang Mai, Thailand
The ancient capitals, forested mountains and dynamic festivals of Thailand are captivating! Chiang Mai is our base for volunteering in Northern Thailand. Tourists venture for the chance to explore Lanna temples, enroll in cooking or massage courses and trek into the mountains to visit remote hill tribe villages. But our volunteers see a side of Thailand that the average visitor misses altogether. Better yet, our volunteers enjoy the satisfaction of changing lives in small but significant ways via their Thailand volunteer project.
Volunteer in Bangkok, Thailand
As a Volunteer in Bangkok go beyond the well-beaten tourist track and find yourself on the front lines of this amazing city. Apply for one of the volunteer projects coordinated by Friends for Asia, and you’ll do much more than visit temples, view the sights and sample the cuisine. Instead, you’ll join a dynamic group of people dedicated to changing lives and transforming communities by promoting better education, facilitating healthcare and providing support to those who need it most. By joining the volunteer Thailand ranks with Friends for Asia, you may find yourself taking lunch with a Buddhist monk in a Chiang Mai temple or bathing an elephant in a rustic river. Wherever your project takes you, you’ll be meeting needs and making connections through your volunteer experience.
Our volunteers here in Thailand are involved in a dynamic range of volunteer projects, from building homes for single mothers in crisis to working with children afflicted with HIV. In between are volunteer projects in orphanages, at private hospitals and on elephant camps. In every case, Friends for Asia Thailand Volunteers are going beyond the routine holiday and traveling with a difference.
Volunteer in Nepal
Volunteering in Nepal offers an experience like no other. Our volunteers live with Nepali families and make a real and lasting difference to the lives of the country’s most disadvantaged people. After the massive Nepali earthquake of 2015, we were one of the few organizations that did not close its doors. We opened them to the opportunity for people like yourself to make the trip and assist after such a terrible disaster. All of our projects are now back up and running, and needing volunteers more than ever!
Nestled among the peaks of the Himalayas, Nepal’s stunning beauty and unique culture has made it a must-see destination for travelers and trekkers for years. For those looking to get off the tourist trail and see a different view of life in Nepal, Friends for Asia offers a choice of Nepal volunteer opportunities that enrich the lives of volunteers and locals alike.
Friends for Asia’s Nepal volunteers find themselves in all kinds of unique situations and settings. Working with disadvantaged women on the streets of Kathmandu, taking care of kids a Buddhist temple or helping to build schools in the Nepal countryside are just some of the options available. All volunteers stay with Nepali host families and experience the culture, traditions and food of Nepal first-hand.
Volunteer in Vietnam
If ever a country deserved a helping hand it is Vietnam. Blighted by a turbulent and tragic past, this Southeast Asian gem is fast on the road to recovery and our Vietnam volunteers are doing their best. Every year hundreds of volunteers join our projects in schools, hospitals, monasteries and orphanages across Hanoi, Vietnam, making a real and lasting difference to the lives of the country’s most disadvantaged people.
Vietnam’s breathtaking scenery, rich culture, incredible food and welcoming people are no secret. Millions of tourists flock here each year. However, volunteering in Vietnam provides a completely different take on how life here really works. Volunteers eat, sleep and work amongst Vietnamese nationals, in local projects designed help the most under-privileged in society. And while some of our projects can be challenging, the positive impact our volunteers make is something that stays with them for the rest of their lives. Many return year after year.
A day in the life of our Volunteers
Volunteer in Bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh is in a placement site that we are interested in opening in future years. Please keep up to date with information about our Volunteer in Bangladesh opportunities here.
Volunteer in Myanmar
In very close proximity to our Chiang Mai and Bangkok based programs, Friends for Asia is looking into opportunities for projects in Myanmar. Please keep up to date with Volunteer in Myanmar opportunities here.