Gap Year in Vietnam

Have you given any thought to where you’re going to spend your gap year? Maybe you’ve already decided that you’re going to take one but you don’t quite know where you want to go or what you want to do just yet. Well, we’re here to tell you that you should take your gap year in Vietnam. You’ll have an amazing opportunity, get to meet some wonderful people and you’ll be able to give back in a community that could greatly use the help that you have to offer.

When it comes to traveling you want to know that you’re going to have a great time. For a gap year you also want to make sure that you’re making a difference, and that’s exactly what you’re going to do when you travel to Vietnam. You’ll be able to work with the amazing people here and you can do it in one of three great programs that will let you showcase your own skills to help others. No matter what you find most important, you can give back to this community in your own way, making improvements for the people of the region.

If you have experience with therapy and helping with physical, occupational, speech and physiotherapy you’ll be able to join this program, working with professionals in the field to help children and adults with their therapy needs. This will allow them to learn the skills necessary to improve their lives and to make a difference in their own level of independence as well. As a result, you and they will definitely notice a change in their way of life.

The next program gives you the opportunity to work with the education program where you’ll be able to help the children in the community to learn some of the basic things they need. You can work with them on learning about hygiene and the English language. You can also help them to have fun by engaging in arts and crafts, music, sports and a whole lot more. Each of these programs help them to just have fun.

Finally, you can work with children and adults through the child care program. This is where the programs are to help those with disabilities or those who need additional care. Either way, you’ll be able to get a great experience working with everyone and helping to improve their way of life. 

Vietnam has long been associated with war and with a number of terrible things that have happened throughout history. But the truth is, there’s a whole lot more to know about this country. Vietnam is also a place with amazing culture, food, architecture and much more. They have amazing people, beautiful beaches and rolling hills. In fact, just about anything that you could possibly want is found in Vietnam and you could see it all for yourself, firsthand, if you choose to spend your gap year in Vietnam. All you need to do is choose a program to start your gap year.

Overview

  • Project length:From 2 week to 8 weeks
  • Project Date:Year Round
  • Arrival airports:Da Nang International Airport (DAD)
, Long Thanh International Airport (Vi Thanh)
  • Accommodation:Volunteer Hostel
  • Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner daily (Vietnamese food)
  • Vaccinations:There are no compulsory vaccinations for Vietnam required by law for travelers from Western Countries to gain entry. However vaccinations for all travelers to Vietnam are strongly recommended: Poliomyelitis, Tetanus, Hep-A, Typhoid cdc.gov
 

Country Info

Vietnam Introduction

Da Nang

Da Nang is a coastal city in central Vietnam known for its sandy beaches and history as a French colonial port. It's a popular base for visiting the inland Bà Nà hills to the west of the city. Here the hillside Hải Vân Pass has views of Da Nang Bay and the Marble Mountains. These 5 limestone outcrops are topped with pagodas and hide caves containing Buddhist shrines.

Vi Thanh

vi thanh

VISA STEPS TO FOLLOW:

Volunteers are required to obtain a volunteer visa to volunteer with us. We will help volunteers to obtain this kind of visa. Here are the steps for getting the volunteer visa:

Document submission:

  1. Da Nang program: Volunteers need to submit a copy of their passport and a copy of educational degree ( high school graduation certificate OR a diploma in something OR college or university degree certificate OR a student ID) at around 45 days before their arrival
  2. Vi Thanh program: Volunteers need to submit a copy of their passport at around 30 days before their arrival (no copy of educational degree required for Vi Thanh program as province requirements are different)
    1. Travel details: Once volunteers have submitted their documents, they can start booking their flights at this time. Once they have booked their flights they need to let us know their travel dates in Vietnam right away. This includes arrival and departure dates. It will help us to get the visa approval suitable for their stay.
    2. Getting the visa:

a. If a volunteer stays in the country for less than 4 weeks 28 days. They are eligible to apply for an E Visa online. Therefore, once they have submitted the required documents to us and booked their flights, they can go ahead to apply for an E Visa online. Here are some steps on getting the E Visa:

  1. Go to the website: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en_US/web/guest/khai-thi- thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu
  2. Complete the application according to the information below
  3. Purchase of entry: we will provide this once you are confirmed in the program
  4. Inviting/guarantee organization: we will provide this once you are confirmed in the program
  5. Address: we will provide this once you are confirmed in the program
  6. Once completed with application and payment, they will send an E Visa (Volunteer Visa) to the volunteers by email a few days later

b. If a volunteer stays in the country for more than 28 days, we will help them obtain the volunteer visa by getting a visa approval letter from the Vietnamese immigration for them. Once she/he has submitted the documents, they need to book flights and let us know their travel dates in Vietnam. Based on those, we will process a visa approval letter for them. This takes a few weeks and this letter will be ready for the volunteer at around 02 weeks before their departure. With the visa approval letter from us, volunteers can obtain a volunteer visa on their arrival at the airport or other borders.

Check visa options here: Ivisa.com

Weather

What is the best time of year in Vietnam

Here are some average weather facts we collected from our historical climate data:

During the month of January and December you are most likely to experience good weather with pleasant average temperatures that fall between 20 degrees Celsius (68°F) and 25 degrees Celsius (77°F).

  • On average, the temperatures are always high.
  • A lot of rain (rainy season) falls in the month: September, October, November and December.
  • On average, the warmest month is August.
  • On average, the coolest month is January.
  • October is the wettest month. This month should be avoided if you are not a big fan of rain.
  • March is the driest month.

Coordinators

 vietnam leslievietnam suongvietnam viet

Welcome to Vietnam￰.  Our names are Viet, Leslie, and we are your ABV coordinators while you are staying in Vietnam in Da Nang or Vi Tranh. Our country has one big city, Hanoi. But you will be working in different areas depending of your program. We will be ready for support 24/7 in case you need to contact me urgently. I will introduce you to your volunteer location and staff.

You are most welcome to seek my assistance and don’t hesitate to ask me questions while in country.

Reviews & Multimedia

Reviews

My trip to Kenya was one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences of my life. Everyone is so wonderful there and understands that going to their country is a big culture shock for you.



Kaitlyn

Nationality: USA

Age: 31

This was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The kids, the staff, and the country are all incredible. I feel honored to be able to meet them all. I miss them terribly and hopefully I'll have the opportunity to see them all again!!



Melissa

Nationality: USA

Age: 27

This trip was such an experience for me. It really open up my perspective of the world. You soon realize that being abroad changes your perspective of where you come from. I feel like we take a lot of things for granted at home.



Tiffany T.

Nationality: USA

Age: 28

Photos Gallery

Prices for Vietnam

Program Fees

Since A Broader View Volunteers is a 501c(3) charitable organization, You can fundraise (optional) for the expenses of the trip after you get confirmed in our programs. Prices are per person and in US dollars (US$).

Length of programProgram Fee $USD
1 week $890
2 weeks $1020
3 weeks $1280
4 weeks $1540
5 weeks $1800
6 weeks $2060
7 weeks $2340
8 weeks $2600

Inclusions

  • Accommodation: Beach Front Guest / Homestay
  • Meals: week 3 meals a day, weekend only breakfast Saturday
  • Arrival: Airport meet and greet by ABV Staff
  • Orientation: Project Overview and city tour on arrival
  • Support: Pre-trip written guide, In-country ABV staff available 24/7
  • Departure: ABV Staff Escorted Airport Transfer

Extra costs: Flights. Entry Visa (if applicable). Departure taxes. Vaccinations. Local Transportation. Background Check, Travel & Health Insurance (US$53 Premium plan). Laundry and Internet (US$10-15)

Extras

Tour and weekend trips

Once in country our local coordinator can help you find the most reliable and safe tour agencies for weekend trips, you can pay in cash or in most locations with a credit card. These tours are not part of the ABV fees.

Can Tho City: Can Tho is the capital of Mekong Delta and is one hour away from the volunteer house by car or bus. There you can explore floating markets and the traditional Mekong Delta lifestyle. There are many tours available in this area.

  • Phu Quoc Islands: Phu Quoc is an island paradise known for beautiful white sand beaches. Volunteers can take a 1 hour bus ride to Rach Gia Harbor, and from there catch a speed boat to the islands. This area is highly recommended during your stay in southern Vietnam!
  • Da Lat city: Da Lat is a mountainous city known for the beautiful landscape, flowers and cool weather. It is one hour flight from Can Tho International airport. There are daily flights between these two places. Our staff can help arrange this trip for you.
  • Ho Chi Minh City: Volunteers can spend weekends in the city taking either a 3 hour bus ride or by catching a flight from nearby Can Tho airport. Ho Chi Minh is a large, vibrant Vietnamese city with many activities for volunteers to enjoy. Spend a weekend away shopping in markets, enjoying a wide array of dining options, or visiting cultural & historical landmarks.

Language Immersion:
No

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* Price in US dollars
Toll Free: US/CA (1) 866-423-3258