Volunteer in Halong Bay Vietnam through well established
local projects.

Join this amazing experience in the north of Vietnam, near Hanoi.. Every single day you’re doing something that gets your adrenaline going, and experience the local culture.

One minute you’re wandering through these gorgeous lantern-lit streets in the Old Quarter, next thing you know you’re up early experiencing the peaceful vibe of a morning market.

You’ll be exploring stuff, actually making things with your own hands, and connecting with people in ways that… well, it just hits different than regular travel.

So you’re based in Ha Long Bay – which, by the way, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and absolutely stunning – and this whole cultural adventure shows you both the quiet, peaceful landscapes and the super vibrant local traditions.

Each day’s a mix of getting out there and making real connections. We’re talking temple visits, hands-on cultural workshops, strolling through markets, and heading out to explore those jaw-dropping limestone formations in the bay.

You’ll get to dig into Ha Long’s history at this place called the Quang Ninh Museum, figure out the real secrets behind Vietnamese coffee and food, and do some creative stuff like making bracelets.

It’s this perfect balance of really getting into the culture while also having these epic natural adventures. Plus, let’s be honest, Ha Long Bay’s pretty much the ideal spot for young travelers who want something meaningful but also, you know, fun.

Schedule

Day 1 – Sunday
Arrival in Vietnam, airport pickup, and transfer directly to Ha Long Bay
Check in, relax, and prepare for your adventure

Day 2 – Monday
Morning: Meet your local team, enjoy a walking tour of Ha Long’s streets
Afternoon: Vietnamese language & culture lessons
Evening: Welcome dinner & program briefing

Day 3 – Tuesday
Morning: Visit Quang Ninh Museum and Long Tien Pagoda
Afternoon: Swim at Hon Gai Beach
Evening: Free time in town or local cafés

Day 4 – Wednesday
Morning: Vietnamese coffee workshop – brew, taste, and learn the ritual
Afternoon: Relax at Bãi Cháy Beach, stroll the Old Quarter
Evening: Free time

Day 5 – Thursday
Morning: Board your cruise, enjoy lunch as you sail among limestone islands
Afternoon: Explore Sung Sot Cave, kayak/bamboo boat* at Luon Cave, swim or hike at Titov Island
Evening: Free time onboard

This is an optional upgrade: kayak or bamboo boat during the cruise

Day 6 – Friday
Morning: Visit the morning market, followed by a Vietnamese cooking class
Afternoon: Bracelet-making workshop
Evening: Free evening

Day 7 – Saturday
Breakfast & departure (optional upgrade available for extended stay)

* The schedule can be changed as per local conditions and unforeseen circumstances

At the Kindergarten you’re working right alongside the local teachers helping out with kids who are 2 to 5 years old.

You’re doing stuff like playing with them, helping them pick up some basic English, assisting with the everyday routines – that kind of thing.

Early childhood education? It’s literally the foundation for everything that comes later in a kid’s life. And the reality in Vietnam is that a lot of kindergartens – especially the local ones in areas that don’t get as much support – they’re dealing with some real challenges. We’re talking limited resources, classes that are way too big, and honestly just not enough one-on-one time for each kid.

That’s where this program comes in. They place volunteers in these kindergartens so you can actually help the teachers out and bring some joy, some creativity, and yeah, an international perspective into the classroom.

Things you could be doing:

– You’re directly impacting early childhood development in actual Vietnamese communities – like, real grassroots stuff.
– You get hands-on experience in international education and working with young children.
– You’re helping with English language exposure, but it’s all done through natural, interactive ways – nothing forced or awkward.
– You experience authentic cultural exchange. Just everyday Vietnamese life, which is pretty amazing.
– You’re assisting teachers with the daily routines and whatever’s happening in the classroom.
– Helping welcome the kids when they arrive in the morning and then helping out again when they’re leaving.
– Supporting them with basic hygiene stuff and during meal times.
– Organizing and leading these fun, interactive games, songs, arts and crafts activities.
– Introducing the children to simple English words and phrases, but doing it through play – keeping it light and fun.

Schedule

Monday to Friday

Every day you will have two sessions as follows:

Morning Session:
8:00 – 8:30: Welcome children to class
8:30 – 10:30: Teach basic English or assist in care/play activities
10:30 – 11:30: Help with lunchtime and hygiene
11:30 – 14:00: Return to accommodation for lunch and rest

Afternoon Session:
14:00 – 14:15: Walk back to kindergarten
14:15 – 15:00: Change children’s clothes and help with snacks
15:00 – 15:30: Teach or assist teacher in activities and play
15:30 – 16:00: Outdoor games and pick-up time

* The schedule can be changed as per local conditions and unforeseen circumstances

Ha Long Bay Recycling Project
You’re working right alongside this local cooperative, collecting stuff and repurposing it, creatively transforming things like glass bottles, fabric scraps, tires, even old advertising tarps into sustainable products.

We’re talking tote bags, floor mats, hats, chairs – real stuff people can use. And you’re involved from the collection part all the way through to the actual crafting.

Plus you’re learning about circular economy principles while doing it and helping make the community cleaner and greener.

This project partners with a local women-led cooperative that’s all about reducing waste through creative reuse. You will be working with this cooperative to collect, repurpose, and transform glass bottles, fabric scraps, tires, and those advertising tarps into sustainable products like tote bags, floor mats, hats, chairs.

You’re hands-on with everything from collection to crafting, learning about how a circular economy actually works, and contributing to making the community cleaner and greener.

Schedule

Monday
Morning Session: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Sort materials, cut fabric, clean collected items
Afternoon Session: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Dry and collect previously washed materials

Tuesday
Morning Session: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Collect recyclable materials from local homes and markets
Afternoon Session: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Wash, dry, and trim materials in preparation for upcycling

Wednesday to Friday
Morning Session: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Continue sorting, cleaning, and cutting materials
Afternoon Session: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Begin crafting and upcycling items (e.g., bags, mats, accessories)

Optional Add-On Workshops
Turning Waste into Art & Utility: Learn creative techniques for transforming waste into functional and decorative items
Local Craft Skills from Recycled Materials: Discover traditional Vietnamese craft methods adapted for recycled goods
Environmental Awareness & Green Innovation: Explore sustainability challenges and innovative solutions in waste management

* The schedule can be changed as per local conditions and unforeseen circumstances

Ha Long Bay Compost Project
The Waste & Compost Program in Ha Long City is a hands-on opportunity to be part of something that’s sustainable and community-driven – all focused on organic waste management.

It’s a really meaningful initiative that takes organic waste and turns it into compost that brings new life to public green spaces, school gardens, and local community plots. You work right alongside these dedicated local teams and you’re helping reshape how people think about waste. Not as this burden we’re stuck with, but as something valuable that can actually help create a healthier planet.

The project partners with local environmental cooperatives that lead these grassroots initiatives in sustainable waste management and urban greening.

As a participant, you’re involved in the entire cycle of compost production. From collecting organic waste at local markets and households, to sorting it, layering it, aerating it, and then harvesting the finished compost. You’ll also help with education and outreach efforts to get people thinking about proper waste segregation and being better environmental stewards in their community.

This is way more than just an environmental project. It’s this immersive cultural experience that connects you with local sustainability champions – people who are genuinely making a difference. Plus you get exposed to the real-world impact of circular waste practices in an urban Vietnamese setting, which is pretty eye-opening.

Schedule

Monday to Friday

Everyday you will have two sessions as follows:

Morning Shift: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Afternoon Shift: 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Morning Tasks include:

Digging compost pits
Sorting collected organic waste
Layering and treating compost piles
Aerating and turning the compost
Afternoon Tasks include:

Collecting organic waste from local sources
Transporting waste to the compost site
Cleaning and organizing tools and materials

The compost is regularly monitored as it matures. Once fully developed, it is harvested and donated to local schools and community gardens, and used to help restore urban green spaces.

* The schedule can be changed as per local conditions and unforeseen circumstances

Ha Long Bay Construction Project
In a lot of rural Vietnamese communities, quality education resources are pretty hard to come by. Schools don’t always have the funding they need, and finding a quiet, safe spot where kids can just sit and read outside of school hours? Yeah, that’s usually not even an option.

That’s the problem we’re trying to fix here — building a dedicated library that’s not just a place to store books, but somewhere that gets kids excited about learning and exploring new ideas.

And your part in all this? You’re there from the start. You’ll be doing actual construction work, sure, but also helping prep the space in creative and educational ways. What you’re building won’t just disappear when you leave — it’ll be there for years, supporting kids with knowledge and inspiration they might never have had access to otherwise.

Here’s what you can expect from the experience itself:

– You’re contributing to something permanent that’ll keep helping people long after you’re gone.
– You’ll learn a ton about sustainable community development through actually doing it.
– You’re directly helping kids get free access to education and literacy resources.
– You’ll work closely with local educators and community members, which is pretty amazing for cultural exchange.

And honestly, there’s something special about that kind of grassroots teamwork where everyone’s working toward the same goal.

Schedule

Monday to Friday

Every day you will have two sessions as follows:

Morning Shift: 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Afternoon Shift: 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Your Tasks include:

Groundwork: digging, laying bricks, building base structure
Painting, decoration, and setting up book storage
Creating a kid-friendly reading area

* The schedule can be changed as per local conditions and unforeseen circumstances

Join the medical project in Halong Bay and work at one of Quang Ninh Province’s top general hospitals. If you’re studying medicine or already working in healthcare and want to see how it all goes down in a totally different setting, this could be pretty eye-opening.

You’re learning straight from Vietnamese doctors and medical staff, getting an inside view of how a government hospital operates over there.

This program lets you dive into Vietnam’s public healthcare world and see how different medical specialties handle things when they’re working with limited resources. It’s a completely different ballgame from what you might be used to.

In accordance with Vietnamese government regulations, this is a strictly observational program. Participants will not engage in any hands-on medical procedures or direct patient care.

You’re going to walk away with a totally different perspective on how healthcare works globally – the challenges, the creative solutions, all of it.

You can access more than 25 medical departments – everything from Cardiology and Neurology to Pediatrics, Surgery, Oncology, Rehabilitation, and Traditional Medicine. That’s insane variety.

It’s a genuine cultural exchange. You’ll see how Vietnamese healthcare blends modern medicine with traditional practices, which is pretty unique.

You’re learning from people who do this every day. Watching real procedures, picking up knowledge from specialists who actually know their stuff.

You’ll understand how Vietnam’s healthcare system actually functions. Not just theory – the real deal.

You get to observe local medical staff doing their thing at the hospital. See their techniques, their approaches, how they interact with patients.

Your whole perspective on international medical care broadens. You’ll see treatment models that might be totally different from home.

And the cultural side? You can’t underestimate that. Seeing how local culture influences healthcare delivery and medical practices – that’s something textbooks just can’t teach you.

Schedule

Monday to Friday

Your placement begins with a comprehensive orientation to the hospital, including an introduction to the facility, its protocols, and your observational role.

You will then begin shadowing local medical professionals—doctors, nurses, and therapists—across various departments within the hospital in Quang Ninh (Ha Long Bay).

Throughout the week, you may have the opportunity to observe and assist with non-invasive, basic procedures such as triage, wound care, blood pressure monitoring, and medication preparation, under the supervision of hospital staff.

There is a long lunch break in the middle of the day.

* The schedule can be changed as per local conditions and unforeseen circumstances