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.
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.
| 2 Weeks | 4 Weeks | 8 Weeks | 12 Weeks | 24 Weeks | Extra Weeks |
| €550 | €650 | €850 | €1050 | €1650 | €50 |
Read how your fees are spent or compare our
prices with other volunteer organisations.
View our prices in other volunteer locations's or
combine your stay in Vietnam with stays in other locations as part of a
combination
stay.
What you receive
- Pick-up service from the airport
- Orientation upon arrival
- 24 hour support
- Accommodation
- Regular follow-up meetings
- Transportation between projects
- Beginner's Vietnamese language classes
Apart from our fees, you must pay for:
- Your transport to Nha Trang
- Vaccinations
- Travel and health insurance
- Food and other personal expenses
Our application process typically takes two or three weeks, but can
be speeded up if there is a need for that. When we receive the initial
application from you, we will send you our full application form.
(1) Complete the Initial Application Form:
The first stage of the application process is to fill out the brief initial application form. Upon
receiving this we will send you the full application form.
(2) Complete the Full Application Form:
Fill out the application form. After receiving this we will assess your
suitability and place you on one of our programs.
(3) Placement info:
We will return detailed placement information and an invoice. If you
accept the placement you should pay the invoice and send us receipt of
payment by email or fax.
(4) Program Fee:
The program fee should be paid to us at least 2 months before you are
due to start your placement. However please be aware that we have a limited
amount of placements, so placements will only be secured when we
have received your payment.
(5) Communication:
Once you have made your traveling arrangements you should mail your time
of arrival and the means of transportation and we will confirm pickup.
All of the projects are ongoing. Schools in Vietnam open on 5 September and close on 19 May the following year with a Tet holiday of 1 week sometime in January or February. Summer is from late May to early September but many children still go to school for summer classes, especially for English and computer lessons.
Dates for the Year 2010:
|
September: Sat 4, Sat 18 October: Sat 2, Sat 16, Sat 30 November: Sat 13, Sat 27 December: Sat 11, Sat 25 |
| January: Sat 8, Sat 22 February: Sat 5, Sat 19 March: Sat 5, Sat 19 April: Sat 2, Sat 16, Sat 30 |
May: Sat 14, Sat 28 June: Sat 11, Sat 25 July: Sat 9, Sat 23 August: Sat 6, Sat 20 |
September: Sat 3, Sat 17 October: Sat 1, Sat 15, Sat 29 November: Sat 12, Sat 26 December: Sat 10, Sat 24 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nha Trang Weather Chart
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.
You must arrange a visa for Vietnam in advance from your local consulate or embassy. A one month single entry tourist visa costs from $43-48 (depending on processing time). Some embassy's will process the visa the same day. Visa's can be extended for another month in some towns. Please note that your visa is valid from the date printed and not from the date you enter the country.
See your doctor at least 4-6 weeks before your trip to allow time for immunizations to take effect. We principally do not advise on vaccinations but refer you to your local clinic.
Also visit the WHO's (World Health Organization) Travellers health information.
One of the conditions of entry onto our programs is that volunteers have travel insurance. Most importantly the insurance needs to include medical treatment and repatriation in case of unforeseen accidents or illnesses. Volunteers should purchase insurance independently and bring a copy of their insurance certificate with them for their local co-ordinator to check before starting their program. Read our terms and conditions.
Read our Terms & Conditions
Download our Teach Terms and Conditions as a PDF File
