Swing into action on this 14-day orangutan conservation tour on the mystical island of Borneo. By taking a walk on the wild side, animal lovers can observe these gentle giants and learn about them in their natural habitat. They can also enjoy exclusive "back stage passes" to the running of the orangutan rehabilitation centres of Sarawak, uncover the existing conservation problems and discover some of the solutions that are helping to sustain large and safe populations. The jungle is massive and you will have the opportunity to monkey around by hiking along the trails, exploring the rainforest's flora and fauna, and swimming in the jungle waters. So, if you fancy yourself as the next Tarzan or Jane then make the great escape, meet the descendants of the infamous head-hunters of Borneo and explore the Bako, Kubah and Batang Ai national parks. This tour requires a minimum of 5 people to run, please do not book your flights until the trip has been confirmed by The Asia Team. Photograph of orangutan and baby, copyright Keith Lloyd

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Kuching.
You will be met at the airport and transferred to your guesthouse. Check in and settle into the guesthouse, a welcome dinner is held at the local restaurant.

Day 2: Kuching.
Free and easy morning. In the afternoon there will be a visit to Semenggoh Nature Reserve which is located a short drive from the centre of Kuching for your first encounter with the great orangutans. This tour to the reserve will be arranged to correspond with the feeding time of the orangutans. Travel back to Kuching and overnight stay at the guesthouse. 

Days 3 to 7: Batang Ai National Park - Orangutan Country.
Welcome to orangutan country. Travel to Batang Ai National Park passing through the rubber, cocao and pepper plantations on the way. Stop en route to sample some of the local delicacies and see the local wildlife. Visit the colourful native market in Serian town where a variety of jungle produce including edible ferns, bamboo shoots and unusual tropical fruit. From the large reservoir catch a boat up the valleys past the forest fields and Iban longhouses.By visiting the longhouse you are contributing directly to a new eco tourism project and supporting the tribe`s efforts to maintain their way of life. Stay at the jungle lodge for the next few days. 

Live life according to nature, walking with the sun and falling asleep as darkness sets.Various activities including trekking into the jungle for the chance to see wild orangutans and participate in orangutan nest counting. You will participate in volunteer activities, tribal cooking and local agriculture, go trekking into the jungle on the lookout for orangutan nests and orangutans.

Please Note; you may find orangutans in the wild and should not approach them but appreciate them from a close and safe proximity. Jungle trekking can be hard work and it is expected that travellers are physically able to cope with the treks. Paths can go up and down hills.  

Day 8: 
After breakfast pack up and depart Batang Ai and make the journey back to Kuching. Arrive Kuching in the afternoon and back to a warm shower at the guesthouse.

Day 9 to 10: Bako National Park.
In the morning departure for Bako National Park. Take a 35 minute drive to Bako village. From the village take a 25 minute boat ride to the park. Bako is one of the best places in Sarawak to see wildlife in a natural surrounding such as the amazing proboscis monkey. Check in at the park chalets. There will be hiking through jungle trails, sunsets and swimming in the sea by secluded beaches. Note: there are spiders and snakes in the rainforest.

Day 11: Bako National Park to Kuching.
Return to Kuching in the early afternoon (schedule may depend on tide). Check in at the guesthouse.

Day 12: Free and easy
Time to spend a relaxing day in the town. No dinner or lunch is provided to encourage travellers to explore local restaurants at their own will. Overnight stay at a hostel.

Day 13: Orangutan and Wildlife Centre.
In the morning visit an animal wildlife centre in the vicinity of Kubah National Park, you will get back stage passes to visit the Ape Centre.

You will come face to face to with the world famous Aman. A great male orangutan who on May 16th 2007 had the worlds first eye cataract operation on a primate after being blind for 10 years. Meet Aman`s baby daughters and the efforts made to rehabilitate them back into the wild and establish new populations in the Sarawak jungle. Talks and light enrichment activities on orangutan and why they are endangered, see other animals that have been rescued from poachers, sun bears, behind the scenes of how the centre works to conserve animals and safeguard the future of the orangutans in Sarawak.

Please Note: you will find orangutans in captivity and should not approach them but appreciate them from a close and safe proximity. Stay overnight at wildlife centre lodges.

Day 14: Kubah National Park.
After breakfast leave the centre and trek through Kubah National Park where you can visit the park`s beautiful waterfalls and swim the waters of a jungle river. Return for lunch at the wildlife centre. Bid a final farewell to resident orangutans at the centre and return back to Kuching. In the afternoon there will be time to spend a relaxing day in the town and some last minute shopping. Overnight at the hostel.

Day 15: Departure. Check out and depart for Kuching airport.

Please note that the itinerary is subject to change at the discretion of the tour leaders.There will be no touching of the animals as Borneo authorities are discouraging human contact for the benefit of rehabilitation of animals to be released in the wild.

Why the project needs visitors:
According to the World Wildlife Fund, fewer than 63,000 orangutans exist in the world today, and the majority of these call Borneo home. In the past 100 years, orangutan populations have fallen 91% due to destruction of their habitat, poachers, and illegal pet trading. Because orangutans give birth to a single offspring only 1 every 8 years or so, concentrated efforts are needed to conserve current populations and to promote and protect breeding programmes to encourage orangutan population growth. This tour gives you the opportunity to see a number of different orangutan conservation organisations, focusing on education and raising awareness.

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
Participants for this project should love animals. You should also have a love of the outdoors and adventure and enjoy trekking for which a moderate to good level of fitness is required. Since you will be part of a group, the ability to work as part of a team is essential.

Your role:
You will spend time searching for the orangutans in the wild and simply observing them, learning about them and counting nests.

Where the project is based:
The city of Kuching in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, located on the north-western shore of the island of Borneo, will be the starting and ending point for the tour. The city of Kuching is a perfect blend of traditional and modern, and there will be plenty of time for exploring the cities colourful markets, Chinese temples and interesting museums.

Minimum numbers apply; please call us for more information.

You should fly into Kuching airport for this project. Please ensure that you arrive into Kuching on the start date of the tour, early airport pick ups cannot be arranged if you arrive early.

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and project, and a DVD about how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching or Community Development project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time… especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country coordinator (ICC) will pick you up from the airport and conduct your orientation upon arrival. All ICC's are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country coordinators you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by i-to-i staff in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals Docleaf to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. At the end of 2006 we flew all our in-country coordinators to the UK for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly, but once a year they are all invited to apply for funding for special projects or resources from our registered charity arm, the i-to-i Foundation. i-to-i funds the operation of the i-to-i Foundation and is the largest single donor. Along with the generous support of our volunteers, we have distributed over US$200,000 in funding in the last two years alone! More  

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

What we will do after you've booked:

• Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account
• We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing further information and a t-shirt, the information in this pack should answer most things you need to know
• Community Development and Teaching customers will receive an email introducing them to their Online TEFL course
• Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant) or send through a reference
• We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.
• We will hound you to complete your forms and pay your final balance when they are due
• We are available for any questions you may have on 800 352 1794 or operations@i-to-i.com
• We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with final project and accommodation confirmation 21 days before you go

What you need to do after booking your place with us:

• Book your flights
• Arrange suitable travel insurance
• Fill out some extra details through our online interface:
  • application from
  • travel details
  • insurance details
  • medical information
  • emergency contacts
• Complete your police check or request your reference (where relevant)
• Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)
• Make final payment at least 60 days before you go
• Make sure you have a visa for your trip if its needed
• Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
• Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip
• Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!
• Get on the plane!

Orientation Information

You will arrive on the Arrival Date and will be met at the airport on that day. You will be taken to the Singgahsana Lodge (see contact details below) where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight.

Note: If you're arriving early we are not able to arrange a meet and greet for you and you should make your own way to the accommodation on the start date.

Singgahsana Lodge No 1

Temple Street

Kuching

93000

Sarawak

Borneo

Tel +060 082 429 277

Fax + 60 082 429 267

Your tour will start the next day.

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

If you have already booked but still need insurance then you may still be able to take our tailored policy. If, however it was more than a few days ago then try the links below:

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.