Here at The Great Projects, we love hearing all about our volunteers’ experiences. Today, we’re fortunate to have a lovely blog written by Lynn to share with you all – read on to learn all about her time on The Orangutan and Tribes Voluntour!
‘As a much older traveller who missed out on a gap year (72 but with a much younger outlook), the Orangutan and Tribes tour completely fulfilled my desire to get back to nature with wildlife, live with the locals, and enjoy their cooking. And volunteering at the Matang Wildlife Centre was the icing on the cake.
Here, with our team aged from 20 to me, I helped cut branches from the jungle and jungly-fy a cage which others had scrubbed clean. Our reward was to see a young orangutan investigate every nook of its new playground, swinging on freshly-strung rope and playing with a rugby ball.
During the 14 days that followed, we enjoyed wildlife both in national parks and in the wild, interspersed with cleaning up beaches where turtles nest, visiting a school, going for long hikes in the rainforest, swimming in waterfalls, and staying in traditional longhouses with three different groups of locals.
The first was with a Malay (Muslim) family on a magnificent, secluded beach; the next with the Bidayau, where we joined in tribal dancing, learnt to drink rice whisky, and taught them some British drinking games! Finally, after a long road and boat ride, we stayed across a river from a remote Iban village, which isn't visited by any other groups.
Everywhere we went, we enjoyed delicious Malaysian food - in particular, when our guide, Jagga, took charge of the kitchen. And by clever planning, despite being in deep jungle, there was always a cold beer to go with it, if you wished! And, of course, rice whisky!
Everyone on this tour will find something different to label 'special', but for me it was the day with Val and his team, rafting through the jungle. The start was sedate, with the team punting rafts each carrying three of us. As more poles were cut from the jungle, we all joined in, helping to get the craft over rapids and ensuring that everyone stayed really wet!
In addition to sitting on bamboo, when we stopped for lunch, a raft was used for a work surface, a fire was made from dry bamboo, and food cooked on a grill of green stems. Those so inclined helped the team wrap raw rice in leaves from the jungle before stuffing them inside large bamboo stems. These were propped against the fire for the contents to steam. Cooked in the same way were parcels of chicken and spices with freshly-dug bamboo shoots. With slow-cooked pork and a fiery sambal concocted by Jagga, plus the obligatory rice whisky, it was certainly memorable!’
Has Lynn’s volunteer experience left you with a taste for adventure? See how you can get involved by visiting the tour page now!
