Overview
In Luang Prabang you will be given the opportunity to be part of the community and teach in different diverse environments, making your volunteer experience both interesting and dynamic. You will work with a wide variety of students teaching both practical and conversational English across different levels. The challenging but rewarding role will provide a unique insight into the Laotian culture. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances. Many are from very poor families who subsist on rice farming and lead extremely challenging daily lives. Some are monks and novices from the local Buddhist temples. Attendees also include university, college, high school, and primary school students.
Regardless of their age, level or background, our students have one thing in common: a very keen interest to learn English! Many attends daily classes before or after school/work or during their lunch breaks and holidays!
They are eager, motivated, focused, energetic, enthusiastic, fun, gentle, and a sheer pleasure to work with every day.
See more photos in the teaching Gallery
Requirements to participate:
- We do not require a teaching certificate or any teaching experience, or even require being a native speaker. We will provide a basic teaching introduction to all volunteers at the start of their placement with advice on teaching tools and methods.
- Aged anywhere between 17 to 80 and If you are under the age of 17 must be accompanied by a parent to participate in this program.
- All volunteers are required to have adequate travel insurance
- To show respect for the local culture and customs in Laos
- Volunteers are applying to join this program will be required Emergency contact, Police check and Resume
Arrival
Upon arrival into LuangPrabang international airport “LPQ”, you will be greeted at the airport by our team, taken to your accommodation and introduced to your hosts. The rest of the day is free to settle in to the new environment. Those volunteers who are arriving overland or are already in Luangprabang prabang will be picked up from the Luangprabang bus station (Northern bus station or southern bus station), Luangprabang train station and Luangprabang boat pier or at a meeting point decided beforehand.
Arrival Day: Volunteers need to arrive in Luangprabang on the Saturday/Sunday before orientation.
Departure Day: Saturday/Sunday
Orientation
On your orientation day, you will have an orientation led by a member our team. The orientation is casual and relaxed, and designed to make you feel comfortable in your new home and prepared for your work. The orientation will go over the following:
Life in the field:
- Meeting our staff and other volunteers.
- Becoming familiar with the amenities and opportunities that are available to you (e.g. common area facilities and internet).
- Learning the general layout of Luang Prabang and the locations of conveniences like ATMs, convenience stores and internet shops.
Half -Day Discover the Magnificent LuangPrabang
Volunteer projects:
- Introducing you to your project supervisor and the other volunteers on your project.
- Discussing in further depth our project, your role and how you are making an impact.
- Putting together your weekly volunteering schedule and going over how to get to your project.
- Updating you on the latest happenings and workflow of your project so that you can seamlessly join the activities. We encourage you to ask many questions and never hesitate to communicate your thoughts. Please, do not be shy.
Volunteer Work Schedule
Volunteers normally spend 4-6 hours per day, Monday to Friday, supporting the teachers and students during the different classes and delivering English lessons using a variety of techniques, including playing games and singing songs. Volunteers are also encouraged to engage in the conversation sessions or participate in fun learning games with students. Weekends provide free time to relax after a hard week of work and explore the local area.
Volunteers work alongside Lao teachers in the classrooms, assisting them with pronunciation and providing context for foreign/western concepts present in the teaching materials. They also bring invaluable knowledge and exposure, allowing students to experience and appreciate different cultures. Our volunteers bring a little bit of fun, adventure and excitement to the classrooms!
We ask all volunteers to be flexible with program and a typical daily schedule is likely to go something like this:
- 7:00 AM Breakfast at the volunteer guesthouse.
- 8:00 AM Volunteers travel to the school
- 8:15 AM Pre-start meeting with the project supervisor
- 8:30 AM Volunteer duties start
- 11: 00 AM Volunteers break for lunch at local restaurant near by school or travel back to the volunteer guesthouse for relax.
- 3:45 PM Volunteers travel to the school.
- 4:00 PM Pre-start meeting with the project supervisor
- 4:30 PM Volunteer duties start
- 7:10 PM Volunteers return to the volunteer guesthouse for
dinner. After dinner, volunteers will have the rest of the evening free to
relax and use as they wish
Accommodation & WIFI
Volunteers will stay at the guesthouse by sharing a twin room with other same gender volunteers. The rooms in the guest house are comfortable and equipped with fans, Air-condition and have bathrooms with electric hot water showers and western style toilets. The accommodation has free wireless internet as well as a spacious kitchen volunteers can use. Coffee, tea and fruits are available at no charge.
This Laos guesthouse was one of the first guest houses in this area and located in the centre. You can find many conveniences like banks, bars, coffee shops, telephone booths and restaurants.
The owner is very friendly and their manner is typical of the Lao style of hospitality that is guaranteed to make you feel welcome and it just 15 minutes walking to school from guesthouse.
Private room upgrades are available for individuals who want more privacy at an additional cost of $43 per week.
Volunteer Accommodation outside
Balcony volunteer Guesthouse
Typical Volunteer twin Room
Typical Volunteer bathroom
Private Room Upgrade
Volunteer dinning area
Volunteer dinning area.
Location
Luang Prabang
As the former royal capital of Laos, Luang Prabang today is the country’s spiritual centre with the highest concentration of temples located in the Old Quarter and surrounded by the typical Laos hilly and mountainous terrain, and situated on the banks of both the NamKhan river and the Mekong river, the landscape is absolutely breathtaking. The scenery, combined with the old colonial French architecture and mixed with the beautiful Buddhist Temples makes Luang Prabang an easy town to fall in love with.
In Luang Prabang you will be given the opportunity to be part of our community and teach in different diverse environments, making your volunteer experience both interesting and dynamic. You will be given the opportunity to teach both novice monks and children from rural villages who come to Luang Prabang to gain access to proper education. Volunteering in Laos will be an experience you are sure to keep with you for the rest of your life.
Meals
Volunteers are usually provided with Lao food for breakfast daily at the guesthouse during your stay in Laos and drinking water and fruit is freely available.
Lunch and dinner are also provided during working day Monday – Friday at a local restaurant near by the project site and if you have specific dietary requirements, we can customize to you but be flexible as well.
You can try other foods on your own at the weekend. There are many restaurants in Luangprabang that serve a variety of food. Excellent traditional Lao or Luangprabang style food, Thai, Indian, Chinese and European dishes are all available and are an excellent value and there is a great for market street, just 10 by walking away from your guesthouse and a nightly all you can eat a vegetarian street buffet for $2. Most restaurants are open from early in the morning till late at night.
Free Time On Weekend
Schedules are kept flexible to ensure that our volunteers have adequate time to experience the uniqueness of the Lao culture and discover the heritage city of Luang Prabang & surrounding areas. There are caves and rice paddies to explore, and nearby lagoons offer great opportunities for refreshing dips. You can partake in many outdoor activities, including cave exploring, hiking, kayaking, tubing and rock climbing. In town you can enjoy a fun and laid-back scene. There are bars and restaurants serving Lao and international foods, and you can stroll past Buddhist temples and colorful textile shops. Luangprabang is one of our most popular destinations, so there will be many other volunteers in the country with you during your trip. This gives you the freedom to spend your leisure time either exploring alone or in a group. We also highly recommend you take a trip to see Nongkhaiw or take a train down to visit vangvieng and vientaine.
Program Fee
you can join us for any amount of time from 1 week to 12 weeks. We recommend a trip of 8 to 12 weeks since it offers the best value. Regardless of the length of your stay, you will be able to learn some Laos and you will have time to get to know a new culture, come to know its people, and form relationships that will outlast the duration of your stay. with us, there are no Registration or processing fees. If you would like to arrange your start and end date or if you are travelling in a pair or group discount may be available, Please email us at: info@roost-leavevolunteer.org
All prices in USD
1 week | $295 Equivalent to $42/day |
2 weeks | $460 Equivalent to $33/day |
3 weeks | $620 Equivalent to $30/day |
4 weeks | $780 Equivalent to $28/day |
5 weeks | $940 Equivalent to $27/day |
6 weeks | $1,100 Equivalent to $26/day |
8 weeks | $1,320 Equivalent to $24/day |
10 weeks | $1,540 Equivalent to $22/day |
12 weeks | $1,760 Equivalent to $21/day |
Include and Exclude
Program Fees Include:
- Around transfer in & out
- Welcome meeting
- Support from long term experienced staff
- All necessary project training by experienced staff
- 24-hour in-country support
- Accommodations in a shared room with air conditioning
- Orientation & full safety briefing
- 3 Meals per day (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
- Donation to the Community
Program Fees do not include:
- Flights, Medical and travel insurance
- Visa costs
- Personal items
- Extra local excursions trekking, tours and etc.
- Transportation to your project location