Study Abroad Programs in Cambodia

Leaving South Africa to come teach in Cambodia was one of the craziest ideas I ever came up with, but it turned out to be the BEST times of my Life!! Working and getting to know amazing people from the start and the process was with no flaws from the word go. The ongoing & continuous support filled with amazing experiences is something I will never exchange for anything!!! Ok, I will exchange their contact details to others to experience amazing service and make lifelong memories!

The hardest part about doing something new, is always the first step. Moving to a new country and look to start down a new career path would definitely fall under "something new". Xplore Asia made the first step, and the second step AND the third step just easier. The support the team offers is genuine and very helpful. When I first arrived, I still hadn't gotten a placement at a school, which is normal considering it was near end of the term. However, the team worked hard every day to get me one and within a month I had a placement in Phnom Penh. They have a team locally that will answer any questions, give advice and sometimes plan events for the teachers in the area. Cambodia itself is incredible! The culture is rich, and the people are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. I have been here for two years so far and will be continuing for at least a few more. As with any journey there are challenges but if I ever needed help with any of them Xplore Asia's team helped. As a new teacher looking to build a solid teaching foundation, I appreciate all the support from the school and Xplore Asia!

I was lucky enough to be placed at a school in the province of Ratanakiri. Beautiful people, staff and children alike. The staff are so welcoming, the children so polite. It was extraordinarily difficult to leave my family at the age of 55, but the experience has been with it. And I get home as often as I can.

This was an incredibly full and insightful experience for me as a pre-physical therapy student. I had never had language or cultural experiences like this before, and I learned so much. Everyone at IMA and the hospital was patient and kind to me and supportive of all of my experiences (good or challenging). I loved this internship and would highly recommend it to other students interested in healthcare, rehabilitation, and global medicine. Thank you for everything! Cusco, Perú was a surprise, to say the least. I had not expected to fall more in love with healthcare—or with a place—quite so much. To start, I was nervous to begin my International Medical Aid (IMA) adventure, but I had been in uncomfortably new situations before. I had jumped into the unknown and reminded myself that it wouldn’t be unknown forever. When I first arrived, I remember thoroughly investigating the schedule and looking around at my fellow cohort members. Little did I know that my roommate would become one of my best friends and that I would learn more about what it means to become a healthcare provider—and future physical therapist—than I ever thought possible. One of the most memorable lectures given, in my opinion, was about the differences between Peruvian and U.S. healthcare systems. Dr. Fabricio began the lecture by asking us to define the word health. Health. This word is used in almost every sentence or conversation in the healthcare profession—it’s literally in the name of the field. So it was surprising when we all looked a little incredulous and were unable to give an articulate answer. Health is defined as the complete state of well-being (Fabricio 2025). This understanding—that all parts of being human are essential to understanding the whole—is fundamental to healthcare and especially meaningful in physical therapy, where we treat function, lifestyle, and the person as a whole. I loved this lecture in particular because it highlighted how being holistic is important in becoming and being a great clinician. One of the primary differences between Peruvian and American healthcare is the emphasis on understanding other approaches to medicine, including traditional or holistic methods, apart from symptom-based diagnoses. From herbal remedies such as coca tea to alternative religious or spiritual solutions, doctors in Peru look at a multitude of options when working with patients. “The investigation of plant mixtures used in traditional medicine in Northern Peru yielded a total of 974 herbal preparations used to treat 164 different afflictions” (Bussmann et al. 2010). Traditional medicine is given serious consideration alongside formally trained medicine. There isn’t always a black-or-white solution, but rather many different ways of solving a given issue. This holistic approach is incredibly different from how allopathic medical training in the United States often functions, which is primarily symptom-based. This was very impactful to me, as I think that holistic healthcare is often lacking in the United States. It is invaluable to look at the entirety of a person’s health rather than just their symptoms. One of the main aspects of healthcare that was further developed during my experience with International Medical Aid was the reminder that, whether as a physician, physical therapist, or any provider, you are working with people—not just their symptoms. Your patients are more than the sheet of paper in front of you. A very interesting traditional medicinal approach that was widely used was chewing coca leaves. “Andean Indians have used coca leaves (Erythroxylon coca and related species) for centuries to enhance physical performance” (Casikar et al. 2010). It was common knowledge that coca tea was invaluable at high altitudes and for physical exertion in the Andean climate. For many problems involving headaches, nausea, or other symptoms of altitude sickness, coca leaves were prescribed. While there are some traditional medicine types in the United States, most are not considered central in general practice and are rarely integrated into mainstream care. As I am from a moderate altitude, I did not drink coca tea very often, but the times that I did, I noticed that the caffeine and properties of the leaves helped to alleviate uncomfortable symptoms I was experiencing. One of the most memorable times that I took advantage of coca leaf properties was on IMA’s clinical outreach day in a rural community in the Andean mountains. The community was settled at approximately 13,000 feet in elevation, so I had a slight headache driving up. This was one of my favorite days during my IMA experience due to the connections I made with the doctors and community members, as well as the sheer amount of knowledge I gained. I learned more than I could have imagined about rural health clinics—how doctors and providers properly evaluate patients in low-income settings and how to ask genuine questions that look at an entire person, not just their pain. As someone interested in physical therapy, this was especially powerful: I saw that medicine and rehabilitation are about the health of a person’s life and who they are, not just their list of symptoms or their diagnosis. I was able to see the true care that doctors and providers put into their work and their patients. This is what I wish to emulate when I become a physical therapist. I want to truly see people for who they are, not just their problems or functional limitations. International Medical Aid was an incredibly impactful experience that I would recommend to any student interested in cross-cultural experiences in healthcare, especially those exploring careers in physical therapy, rehabilitation, or patient-centered care. I am incredibly grateful to the IMA staff and the doctors at EsSalud for their patience and guidance, without which I would not have created such valuable connections or learned so deeply about what it means to be a healthcare provider.

My experience so far in Cambodia is truly a great experience. When I first arrived, I definitely had a culture shock but with the help of Xplore Asia, my transition into a new country has been a lot smoother. I’ve learned that the Cambodians/ Khmer people are extremely kind, generous and helpful also. If you need any assistance with anything, there isn’t a helping hand that’s far away. I really adore the Cambodia/ Khmer community- they’re all about community and teamwork! The food here is amazing! My favorite dish is the Curry Chicken and Rice. I have it maybe once a week but there’s plenty of food you can choose from. Last but not least, I really love being a teacher here. My students are eager and ready to learn everyday! I learn a lot from them as well. Overall my experience in Cambodia has been one of the most rewarding experiences and plan to stay for a while to fully immerse in the culture!

It's an excellent opportunity to make a short film in Less than a month. We learn to work with a team successfully that we had never met. We ended up making a good movie despite the problems that we encountered, and it became fun and straightforward. Overall it was great. I sincerely recommended it.

Actuality Abroad responded to this reviewApril 28, 2020

We are glad that you had such a good experience and would recommend it to others. Of course problems always arise when making films abroad (and making films in general - a big portion of film production is solving problems) and we're glad we equipped your crew with the skills they needed to succeed!

My experience with Actuality Media was not what I expected - but what I hoped for. As a relative novice to documentary filmmaking, it was hard, stressful and frustrating work, but making a film with three other incredibly talented and intelligent women was so rewarding and an incredible learning experience. Also shout out to our incredible production supervisors who I would not have gotten through editing week without!

Actuality Abroad responded to this reviewApril 28, 2020

We are very glad you had such a good experience traveling with us! Our Production Supervisors certainly are incredible, and so is the film that your crew made!

Amazing experience working in Da Nang, Vietnam. I started with little experience or knowledge of film production and came away feeling confident to pursue this as a career, thanks to Actuality Media's comprehensive and rigorous training programme. And what better place to learn than in a totally unfamiliar environment with a bunch of new people. Had a great time getting to know the various characters and personalities of the community surrounding our change maker placement, and even opted to stay after the programme ended and volunteer with this organization. Thanks AM!

Actuality Abroad responded to this reviewApril 28, 2020

You are most welcome! We're so glad you had such a good experience. Keep going on great adventures!

My 4 weeks in Belize making a film really helped give me an indicator of where my career and future projects are going. It was incredible to create an entire film, start to finish, and be proud of the end product. Besides that, I made some lifetime friendships. 9/10 too much Belikin.

Actuality Abroad responded to this reviewApril 28, 2020

We are very glad you had an incredible experience in Belize with us on a Documentary Outreach. Have you found a source for Belikin back home yet?

This trip was invaluable to me. Someone coming from a non-film school background, I didn’t have a lot in the way of technical film production education. However, after this trip I feel much more well educated, and gained experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my career.

It was an amazing experience and will definitely be something I remember for my whole life. The friendships and connections I made on the trip are ones I hope to keep for the rest of my life. Everyone seemed genuine and real.

This was my first time leaving the country, and I had an amazing time! My instructors (Karsu and Steph) were the best and I couldn’t be happier that this was my first time directing a documentary. I loved having the opportunity to also work with a producer/editor and cinematographer, as this taught me a lot about the importance of collaboration.

I enjoyed my time in Thailand. Robin did not spend as much time as I hoped with my group. I feel like we where just thrown into filming without really knowing anything or how to work the camera. Im glad we had someone on our team who was a film major.

Actuality Abroad responded to this reviewApril 02, 2019

We're very glad that you had a good experience on your project in Thailand. Ideally we have more staff in-country to help guide and mentor crews for the project but with the unfortunate family emergency of one of the professors (who was planned to lead the camera workshop en route to Thailand) we did find ourselves short-handed. Other work was shifted off Robin to free him as much as possible for firsthand work in Thailand but we understand if you feel you didn't get enough hands on time with him working with your group. <br/>On any project it is up to any instructor of ours to assess which crews need the most direct help - but we are also always pushing crews to take on work and challenges themselves, to make the film more their own. Additionally it is common to have an occasional crew member with no film experience so they may not always be at the same level as others - but that is part of what the project experience is for. We, too, are glad you had a person on your crew that is a film major - the one position where we require experience to travel is for those wanting to be the cinematographer.<br/>We look forward to seeing your finished film!

It was definitely ok. Chiang Mai is really loud, especially at night, and as someone who has never visited Asia before, it was a bit unexpected, but it had a good amount of history to behold when you go looking for it. I'd definitely recommend getting out of the city and into the countryside while you're in country.

Actuality Abroad responded to this reviewApril 02, 2019

We are very glad you found things to enjoy on the program in Chiang Mai.<br/>Like most big cities it does indeed have a lot of round-the-clock noise that can be startling to new visitors. We love to get out of the city when we can, but many of the changemakers we work with for films have offices in those same busy cities so that is where we find ourselves basing to film.

The outreach programme offers you the opportunity to learn first hand the challenges and joys of developing documentary. It is a deep immersion to the culture and the film making process, working closely with your team to uncover a local story which affects the people f the town. You have the opportunity to understand and see how the people really live and the challenges that affect them, which as a tourist you wouldn't have access to.

As an overall summary: I'm glad that I went. The Lake is absolutely stunning, and the people in the communities around it are just wonderful. I did learn a lot, and I'm grateful for the friendships & connections made ... but I definitely think improvements can & should occur for future Outreach programs.

To anyone considering study abroad programs, I cannot recommend it enough. It truly opened my eyes to the possibilities that surround me, how I can help others, and how much I can learn. It is definitely challenging to encounter another culture and language, but asking questions and truly emerging yourself is all you need to do. I am a better students, and most importantly a better filmmaker after this experience. I cannot wait to learn more and travel to new places. I'm inspired to seek knowledge elsewhere.

From visiting the ancient temples, to making friends with local Khmer people, and interviewing and telling powerful stories, the whole experience was unforgettable. The program is organized and structured; they set the foundation for your documentary film by finding the change-maker and location, but lets you and the crew take creative control from there. In Cambodia, the colors were beautiful, and the people were kind. May/June was a perfect time to visit because it was the rainy season and it isn't as packed with tourists. Each day we explored and learned something new. My perspectives on the world and on storytelling are forever changed thanks to this experience. Actuality Media gave me a chance to do what I love while exploring a new part of the world. Not only did I grow as a producer, but I grew as a person. The instructors are supportive, knowledgeable, and easygoing. It was a blast getting to spend a whole month in a new city, because you really got to know the ins and outs of the area, the way of life, the language, and the people. I highly recommend that every student travels abroad, you learn more by being out of your comfort zone and from people with different lifestyles than you could ever learn in a classroom. All the while, you'll get daily lessons on production and learn new storytelling skills. I've been graduated and working in my field, and I still feel like I took away new knowledge. Thank you Actuality Media for the experience of a lifetime!

My semester with Pacific Discovery surprised me in the best way possible. I don’t know what I expected going into the trip, but what I got was an adventure full of ups and downs, personal growth, adventure, physical, mental, and emotional challenge, new friends, life long memories, and a widened perspective. Having traveled alone before, I was surprised by how this program in specific is unlike any trip I could have planned on my own. The effort and heart put into it really shows and it was the perfect way to be introduced to South East Asia.

My time is Southeast Asia was something I will never forget. I got to build incredibly friendships with people and experience a lot of firsts. We went zip lining , snorkeling, to the beach and we volunteered with amazing foundations. We learned Thai and experienced what it was like to live with a host family. Overall this trip has taught me a lot about myself and I would recommend that everyone study abroad.