Volunteer Vietnam: Nha Trang

We are not currently sending volunteers to our programs in Vietnam, however we will hopefully be running them again shortly.

The beautiful seaside resort town of Nha Trang proves an excellent volunteering destination. Nha Trang, which lies 442 km north of Saigon and far to the south of Hanoi, is the perfect antidote to hectic city life. Even with a population of 300,000, Nha Trang retains its small town, relaxed atmosphere. The city center is located just meters from the beach and much of the town is easily traversed by foot. The combination of the kids eagerness to learn along with the scenery and atmosphere of the city make this the ideal combination between volunteer work and play.

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Volunteer Projects in Nha Trang

English and Computer Teaching - Disadvantaged Children

Travel to Teach works with Kimmy Le and the School for Street Kids. The school was started by Vietnamese/Canadian systems engineer Kim Le, who, shortly after opening her popular restaurant, noticed the numerous children working and selling various items on the streets. Most of these kids did not go to school as they had to work to earn money for themselves and/or their family instead of attending school. Thus, she created a schoolroom in the back of her restaurant as a place where these kids could receive an education while also providing a safe haven from the streets. Kim has also been an active and loud voice in opposition of the pedophilia problem that plagues much of Southeast Asia and last year was featured in a report by the UK's Sky News.Watch the article Sky News article.

The school consists of two classrooms including eight computers and some musical instruments and is located behind Kim’s popular restaurant and bar. T2T volunteers mostly teach English but have the opportunity to include other subjects in daily lessons.

Daytime Classes
School is in session from 9:30 – 11:30 Monday-Saturday. From 9:30 – 10:30 is the beginners class in the downstairs classroom, these students are generally around 10 and 11 years old. And from 10:30 – 11:30 is the intermediate and advanced class, this is held in the classroom upstairs.

60% of the children at the school do not attend any other school; this is their sole source of classroom education. The other 40% attend night school.

Summer School
The regular schools are on holiday from the end of May through the end of August. During this time three classes are held as opposed to two because many of the local kids like to attend classes.
9:30 – 10:30 beginners (downstairs)
9:30 – 10:30 intermediate (upstairs)
10:30- 11:30 advanced (upstairs)

Evening Community Classes
These classes run from 5:00 – 6:00 Monday through Saturday. They are conversational English classes for the general community and everybody is welcome. Students are from 10 – 60 years old and the level of English varies from beginning to advanced. It is best to work in teams and split the class up according to English level.

General Nha Trang Info

Where Will I Stay?

Travel to Teach has a volunteer flat located close to central Nha Trang. The dorm has a western bathroom, 2 bedrooms, a kitchen with fridge, microwave and cooking facilities and a living room.

Food

Nha Trang is packed with places to eat. From local street food such as noodles and baguettes to international favorites such as pizza and steak there are also two supermarkets with a good selection of products. We have a fridge but no cooking facilities in the dorm so you can store things such as yoghurt and milk.

Weather

Nha Trang is reported to have the best weather in Vietnam with an estimated 250 days of sunshine. The rain starts at the end of October and lasts until January. The rest of the year is fine and dry however temperatures can reach in excess of 38 degrees.

Free Time

Nha Trang has an excellent reputation for scuba diving, other activities available to local residents include jet ski-ing, swimming, fitness, tennis and kayaking. On any given day, between 5:00 am to 8:00 am Nha Trang beach is filled with local people taking in the fresh sea breeze, socializing, playing soccer, badminton or practicing Tai Chi.

Where Is?/ Getting To Nha Trang

Nha Trang is 445km from Saigon and 1299km from Hanoi. There is a small domestic airport in Nha Trang, regular train connections between Hanoi and Saigon stop here and bus tickets are easily available from Saigon, Dalat, Hoi An, Danag, Hue and Hanoi.