Borneo Wildlife Safari – 1 Week

Immerse yourself in the enchanting Bornean rainforest by joining the Borneo Wildlife Safari Program for 7 days along the Lower Kinabatangan River.

This wildlife sanctuary is teeming with remarkable creatures, including singing gibbons, orangutans, proboscis monkeys, sun bears, hornbills, and the elusive pygmy elephant.

Your main base will be in Sukau village, where you’ll have the opportunity to live alongside the gentle Orang Sungai, or ‘People of the River.’ You’ll experience their way of life firsthand, sharing meals in their homes. Your participation will make a meaningful impact through habitat restoration efforts, as you’ll help plant trees and maintain vital planting sites for orangutans and pygmy elephants.

This program is perfect for wildlife and nature enthusiasts, looking to volunteer for a shorter period of time.

Experience the goodness of living amidst nature and get closer to the wildlife in Borneo!

Want to see other ways to make an impact? Check out our Volunteer in Asia programs.

Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

In a span of 7 days, this project will let you have an insight into the lives of the people as well as observe the animals closely. As a part of this program, you’ll get to play a significant role in the following areas:

• Wildlife Population Observation – This entails cruising along the river to observe the endangered wildlife roaming the forest along the river banks. A lot of time is spent observing wildlife and their habitat. This will be done from a boat cruising along the main river and its tributaries within the wildlife sanctuary.

• Habitat Restoration – The most crucial activity in ensuring the survival of wildlife. You will take part in tree-planting, nursery care, and seedling generation, sapling maintenance, mulching, composting, clearing invasive species and tree growth data recording.

• Jungle Trekking – As an introduction to the flora and fauna of the rainforest, you will go for a trek to understand what the rainforest traditionally offers the inhabitants in terms of medication, food & survival.

• Cultural & Community Interaction – Contributing back to the community is a big part of this project. Most lunch and dinners will be in the private homes of individual villagers. You may get to hear about their daily lives, chat with the children, learn their family structure and see how the Orang Sungai have been living off the rivers and jungles for centuries.

Note: Not all activities will be included on your itinerary. Changes to the activities will occur subject to weather conditions, school calendar, community and project requirements.

Requirements & eligibility

Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of joining the project. You need to have an open mind and a flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. The volunteer should bring energy and enthusiasm to make a difference. Participants must be fit and healthy at the time of joining the program.