About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
call
us on 978 587 3650
About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
Travel With over 25 countries in 4 continents to choose from we are confident you can find your perfect trip!
TEFL Courses Teach English Abroad - Travel the world and use your talents to inspire. Free paid job placements all over the world with our 100-hour Courses
Swing into action on this 14-day orangutan conservation tour on the magical 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 orangutan rehabilitation centres of Sarawak helping to sustain the orangutan population. 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, come meet the descendants of the infamous head-hunters of Borneo and explore the Bako, Kubah and Batang Ai national parks.
Welcome to Malaysia! Today you will be met at the airport and transferred to your guesthouse. Check in and get yourself settled; there is email here so you can let all your friends and family know you have arrived! There will be a welcome dinner at a local restaurant with an introduction to the programme so we hope you’re hungry for a Malaysian feast!
Your accommodation will be based on dormitory rooms with shared facilities. Dinner is included.
Enjoy a relaxing morning before heading to the Matang Wildlife Centre in the early afternoon. This wildlife centre is located near the Kubah National Park and you will get “back stage" passes to visit the Ape Centre. You will have a tour of the centre by senior staff and learn how this centre is the home of the Great Orangutan Project rehabilitation programme. It is also home to many other endangered Bornean animals, both captive and wild.
At the Ape Centre you will come face to face with a world famous orangutan called Aman. On the 16th of May 2007, after ten long years in the dark, Aman became the first orangutan in the world to receive eye cataract surgery. You can also meet Aman's beautiful daughters. You will see first-hand the efforts being made to rehabilitate orangutans back into the wild and to establish new populations in the Sarawak jungle.
After dinner, prepared for you by the animal keepers’ families, you will receive a detailed presentation on orangutans and their conservation from a resident animal expert.
You’ll stay overnight in lodges, in dormitory style rooms with shared facilities. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included.
Today you will enjoy the rare opportunity to spend an entire day in a busy rehabilitation centre, not just as a tourist, but as a member of the team! You will be walked through a day in the life of the orangutan, sun bear and other animals by rehabilitation officers and actually take part in many of the activities they perform - including the feeding of animals, cleaning of enclosures, enrichment of orangutan life and general centre maintenance. Such duties can be hot and hard work but will be tailored to the abilities of each individual. Please note there will be no touching or holding of orangutan or other animals for both their safety and yours.
You’ll stay overnight in lodges, in dormitory style rooms with shared facilities. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included.
This morning you will continue working at the centre with orangutan and other animals in the morning before departing the centre at mid-day and heading for Bako National Park with lunch on the way.
After a short boat ride around the impressive mangrove swamps on the South China sea’s shores (which is home to many crocodiles, so keep your eyes peeled!) you will then reach Sarawak’s oldest national park and settle into the chalets provided, based on dormitory style rooms with 4 sharing.
That evening there will be an optional night walk in the jungle. We’re sure all of you will take this option, as the jungle by night is an opportunity not to be missed!
You’ll stay overnight in park chalets in dormitory style rooms with shared facilities. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included.
You will find out today that Bako is one of the best places in Sarawak to see exotic wildlife in natural surroundings; such as the amazing proboscis monkey, langurs, macaques, silver leaf monkeys, boar, deer, civets, binturong and many species of snake. The jungle trails that you will walk are varied and beautiful, taking you through 5 different kinds of rainforest. There are trails suitable for all fitness levels and numerous idyllic sandy beaches that are safe to swim from against the backdrop of lush tropical rainforest.
You will most likely eat dinner with a view of one of Borneo’s famous and spectacular sunsets and stay overnight again in the park chalets. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included.
In the morning you may follow a different jungle trail, swim at a different beach or practice your photography on the abundant plant and animal life around you before transferring by boat back to the mainland. By the late afternoon you will transfer to another impressive beach/forest location, Damai beach, with a slightly different mix of primate life, where you will spend the night in very comfortable and peaceful accommodation in shared rooms with shared facilities. Breakfast lunch and dinner all are included.
Today you will transfer back to Kuching and visit the cultural village on the way. This is a ‘living museum’ to the Dayaks (indigenous tribes) of Borneo; from the famous head-hunters and fearsome pirates or sea Dayaks (the Iban), the more peaceful farmers or land Dayaks, (the Bidayuh) or the nomadic Penan. All are represented in colourful traditional dress in a realistic representation of how these tribes lived their lives inside a rainforest. There are demonstrations of their crafts, dances and traditions and you may even test your blowpipe skills!
Accommodation will be overnight in Kuching in dormitory style rooms with shared facilities. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
After breakfast you will visit the Semenggoh orangutan rehabilitation centre just in time to see the orangutan feeding. You will also have a very good chance of watching orangutan in the trees above you. This is an amazing photographic opportunity and a chance to really observe how the largest arboreal animal in the world navigates through the trees.
You will then travel to Batang Ai National Park, passing through rubber, cocoa and pepper plantations on the way. You will stop en-route to sample some of the local delicacies visiting the colourful native market town of Serian where a variety of jungle produce including edible ferns, bamboo shoots and unusual tropical fruit can be enjoyed as your guide stocks up on provisions for your jungle adventure.
Travelling over two hundred kilometres in a comfortable coach you will then reach the mountainous border with Indonesia where you will transfer to light weight traditional longboats and begin a marvellous boat journey into the heart of Borneo, and look out upon the vastness of untouched tropical rainforest - perhaps catching a glimpse of the wildlife that lies within.
After a full day’s travel you will reach your accommodation which taking into account the location in the very middle of a rainforest, is a basic but comfortable wooden lodge with shared rooms and facilities.
You will find yourself that evening in the vast garden of the remaining wild orangutan; there are no phones, shops or even roads for miles and miles around - just the sounds of the forest and a scattering of small tribal longhouses. This is a fantastic, back to nature experience!
The sites of accommodation will vary at different times of the year, depending on river access, weather conditions and tribal customs, and can be subject to change at short notice. You will however always be based either out of the national park itself or in a dedicated lodge alongside one of the several longhouses that border the national park. You’ll be in dormitory style rooms with shared facilities. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included.
During your stay in the rainforest activities will vary greatly depending on the weather and time of year, but also with regards to the customs and daily lives of the indigenous tribes e.g. weddings, rituals, periods of mourning or relocations. You can expect regular activities to include:
As you can see there will be plenty to do during your time here so now is the chance to make the most of living with an indigenous tribe!
Please note: Batang Ai is an extremely remote location as well as a very real jungle; many of the tribes people living there have very little contact with the outside world and much less with foreign visitors. You must be prepared to be tolerant of their way of life, which is very slow and different compared to the developed world, and respectful of their customs and beliefs at all times. Your guide and various community members will be with you every step of the way to look after you. In the jungle, for your safety, their advice must be followed at all times.
Jungle trekking can be hard work and a medium level of fitness in order to appreciate the treks is required.
You’ll be staying in dormitory style rooms with shared facilities. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included.
After breakfast you will say farewell to the new friends that you have made and will make the journey back to Kuching. There is an opportunity to visit the Semenggoh rehabilitation centre on the return journey, to see more beautiful orangutan.
You will arrive back into Kuching in the early evening and back to the luxury of beds and a warm shower! You’ll stay overnight in dormitory style rooms with shared facilities. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included.
Say your goodbyes and continue on to your next adventure or back to the airport. This journey is not included in the price of your trip, but our team can help you make arrangements if you’d like them to. Breakfast is included.
NOTE: Please be advised that throughout the trip touching of the animals is strongly discouraged by the Borneo authorities.
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 by over 90% due to destruction of their habitat, poachers, and illegal pet trading. Because orangutans give birth to a single offspring only 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.
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.
You’ll also call the Malaysian jungle home during this tour, staying in Batang Ai alongside the indigenous tribes people.
Participants in this project should be passionate about animals. You should also have a love of the outdoors and adventure and enjoy trekking, and because of this 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 14 days is jam packed and fun filled. The detailed “itinerary” tab will tell you what you’ll be up to each day. We can guarentee you won’t be bored!
You will be mucking in with the staff at the orangutan centre and be treated as part of the team. You should dress appropriately for this – wear working clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty! We suggest combat style trousers and your chic i-to-i t-shirt! Closed toes shoes are recommended at the centre, and don’t forget your trekking shoes and socks, and a hat to protect yourself from the jungle sun.
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 fora the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.
Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….
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
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.
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 how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.
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.
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 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
Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams 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
Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More
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. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More
We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do.
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.
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
You will arrive on the Arrival Date and will be met at the airport on that day. You will be taken to the Basaga Holiday Residences (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.
Basaga Holiday Residences Basaga House Lot 69 - 70 Jalan Tabuan Off Chong Lin Park 93220 Kuching Sarawak Borneo Tel :+6.082.416069, +6.082.417069 Fax +6.082.411069Your tour will start the next day.
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.
EU Customers – find out more here >>
Australian customers - find out more here >>
All other customers - find out more here >>
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.
You will stay in various accommodations during your trip – please see the detailed itinerary for specific information. All accommodations have shared bedrooms and bathrooms. A sleeping bag is not required on this trip, unless you particularly want to bring one!
While in Kuching you will stay at the Singgahsana Lodge. This guesthouse is comfortable with all the modern amenities including: internet, shower with warm water, phones and television. You will be sharing a dormitory style bedroom with fellow travelers.
While visiting the Matang Wildlife Centre, you will be staying in a basic dormitory at the centre.
While in the rainforest at Batang Ai National Park, you will be staying in a basic jungle lodge. This is jungle living at its best but you should not expect luxury. The shower is run by cold water from the nearby waterfall and electricity is produced by a generator which is not switched on all the time. A mosquito net is provided - you will need it! However the geckos tend to help keep the insect population down for you!
Malaysia was created in 1963 when Sabah and Sarawak (north Borneo states), and for a brief time Singapore, joined Malaya to form the 13 state federation that exists today. The earliest Malay settlers are believed to have arrived around 10,000 years ago on the Malaya Peninsular from the north. Malaya’s prime maritime position made it an attractive location for traders and colonists alike. While Indian and Chinese traders had long held an attachment to the country, by the early 16th century Portuguese colonists lay claim to the land. In 1641, the Dutch gained control until they were overthrown by the British in1795. Malaya achieved independence by 1954 but not before the country was occupied by the Japanese during WW II and Chinese communists attempted to gain power.
Initially, the formation of Malaysia was marred by external and internal tensions; during the late 1960s conflict between Indonesia and escalating racial tensions, mainly between the Malay and Chinese, threatened the country’s stability. Steps were made to ensure economic and political security when in 1968 Malaysia became a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and in 1971 a new economic policy was devised to give Malays a greater economic foothold. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Malaysia experienced a strong economy and the rapid development of its manufacturing and industry sectors. It continues to have a stable economy despite the Asian economic crisis in 1997 and the effects of the Tsunami in 2004.
Malaysia enjoys a constant hot and humid climate, averaging at around 30°C, with the highland areas several degrees cooler. The main hindrance to enjoying all that the country has to offer is the monsoon season which pelts the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, Sabah’s north east region and the west of Sarawak with heavy rains from November to February. During this time, many resorts close and boat services come to a halt. A scattering of thunderstorms can occur on the Peninsula’s west coast during April and May. Weather wise, April through to October are the best times to visit.
The country is at its most populous with an influx of tourists from early December to late January and during the peak summer season which runs from June to August. It’s advisable to book travel and accommodation in advance if visiting during these times.
Flying is the only practical way of crossing the South China Sea to get to the Peninsular from East Malaysia and back. Main domestic carrier Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia fly between the two regions and it tends to be cheaper to fly to East Malaysia from Johor Bahru than from Kuala Lumpur.
Train services are comfortable and efficient, albeit limited. Peninsular Malaysia has two rail lines, one running from Singapore to Thailand via Kuala Lumpur and a line branching out at Gemas and running to the north east of the country; it’s also known as the Jungle Train. There is also a line that runs from Tenom to Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia.
An extensive system and cheap fares makes bus travel a top choice for long distances. There are a number of bus companies such as Transnasional which run regular services to major towns in air-conditioned comfort. But you can sometimes have too much of a good thing and the air-con can feel like an arctic chill so it’s advisable to travel with a thick jumper or blanket.
With a well developed highway system and the presence of major car rental firms in towns and cities, driving is a feasible option. There are different packages available with some agencies offering unlimited mileage, while some rentals include a driver. Petrol prices are comparatively reasonable and tolls are charged on some roads. Parking spaces in major cities is limited.
For travelling shorter distances, there are regular bus services between the main cities, while 4 wheel drive vehicles are the vehicles of choice in the rural areas of Sabah and Sarawak. There’s an abundance of taxis, which can also be hired for long distances, and most are metered. Bicycle rickshaws are a novel way to get around and appear to be in existence primarily for the tourist trade; you’ll be pressed to find them in Kuala Lumpur, though they can be found in Penang and Malacca. It’s advisable to negotiate a fare before you board.
We work in partnership with hundreds of established projects that are run by local communities. The information on our website comes directly from the projects and we work with them to ensure this information is as accurate as possible. However, due to the very nature of the projects themselves the exact details of what happens on a daily basis can change with little or no notice. If you have travelled with us and have any updates to this information, please let us know.
Bookmark this page with... GoogleFacebookMSN LiveYahoodel.icio.usDigg What are these links?
* We can be held responsible for any starry-eyed and amazing journeys of enlightenment, discovery and thorough enjoyment...
User Options
