Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary
Help to rehabilitate the largest number of rescued orangutans in the world by volunteering at this orangutan sanctuary – made famous by the TV show Orangutan Jungle School!
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Activities
Itinerary
Below is an example of a typical two-week itinerary. Please note that some activities may be subject to change during your stay, as they are dependent on weather conditions and the requirements of the project at the time.
Day 1 - The Adventure Begins:
Upon arrival at Palangkaraya Airport, a project representative will meet you and transfer you to the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary. Once there, you will settle into your accommodation and meet your fellow volunteers. In the evening, you'll enjoy dinner before receiving a full orientation by the volunteer coordinator.
Day 2 - Orangutan Islands:
After breakfast, your morning will begin with an incredible river cruise around the orangutan islands. Here, you will have the chance to see the orangutans that are in the final stage of rehabilitation before their eventual release. After lunch, you will take part in your first enrichment activity for the orangutans!
Day 3 - Orangutan Enrichment:
This morning, you'll participate in an enrichment activity that might include making ice lollies or drilling coconut husks and filling the holes with pumpkin mix. After lunch, you'll head out to collect materials for the orangutans to build their nests with or take part in a small construction project on the islands, helping to provide a more stimulating living environment for the orangutans for years to come!
Day 4 - Bukit Tangkiling:
In the morning, you will work on food preparation or enrichment for the orangutans before heading to Bukit Tangkiling after lunch. Here you will embark on a hilltop trek to take in the scenery and learn a little about the local history and culture.
Day 5 - Supply Trip to Town:
Today, you'll head into Palangkaraya to purchase supply items for both the volunteers and the orangutans. You'll sit down for a social lunch in town before visiting a nearby traditional craft market. Today is the perfect day to pick up anything you need and perhaps donate items from the wish list for the orangutans. Once finished, you'll make your way back to the volunteer house to relax before enjoying dinner with your group.
Day 6 - Orangutan Enrichment:
Back to the orangutans! Today will be a full enrichment day, where you'll not only make a range of exciting enrichment items, but you will also distribute them to the orangutans - watching to see what they make of your work! In the afternoon, you'll head out to collect nesting materials and have the opportunity to observe the orangutans making their nest for the night!
Day 7 - Enrichment & Visit the Night Market:
This morning, you’ll meet some of the orangutans that are, unfortunately, unreleasable due to injury or illness. You will focus your attention on making a mix of bamboo, coconut, and ice block enrichment for the orangutans who need it most. Your afternoon will be spent continuing a possible construction project from earlier in the week or collecting more nesting materials for the orangutans to make a new nest for the night. This evening, you'll visit the local night market - a great opportunity to sample some amazing street food!
Day 8 - Relax & Visit the Coconut Café:
Today is your day off from activities at the sanctuary. You can enjoy a well-earned rest in the morning, followed by a relaxing trip to the Coconut Café in the afternoon. Here, you'll pick up coconut husks to later use in orangutan enrichment, alongside touring the on-site permaculture & sustainable farm. This is the perfect opportunity to indulge in an afternoon of snacks, drinks and live music!
Day 9 - Construction:
This morning, you will either work on more orangutan enrichment activities or get stuck into a construction and maintenance task - this could be building a feeding platform on the newly built orangutan islands or helping to fix the orangutan's baby playground. After a restful lunch break, you'll help create fun enrichment or head out to collect nesting materials.
Day 10 - Reforestation:
You'll participate in vital reforestation work this morning, helping to reforest areas that need it most. You'll also help care for the previously planted saplings by watering, mulching and weeding them. After lunch, you may help collect nesting materials or help make hammocks for the orangutans to sit or swing from.
Day 11 - Vet Clinic Tour & Babies at Play:
This morning, you'll participate in water enrichment with the orangutans, a favourite activity among the other volunteers! Later, you'll enjoy a special tour of the vet clinic with the renowned Dr Arga - this is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about your favourite orangutans and their future. In the afternoon, you will take part in enrichment activities or complete your construction project before an unforgettable experience, watching the young orangutans return from jungle school to play in the baby playground!
Day 12 - Orangutan Observation:
Today, you'll journey by boat around the orangutan islands, where you'll have the magical opportunity to get closer and observe the orangutans at the feeding platforms. It's the perfect way to round off your experience and see the impact of all your hard work. In the afternoon, you'll be working one last time alongside the orangutans before finishing the day with your fellow volunteers and coordinators and having your final celebratory dinner together.
Day 13 - Final Day:
Sadly, your final day at the project has arrived. Enjoy a lie-in this morning before packing your things and bidding farewell to the project staff, your new-found friends and, of course, the orangutans! You will then transfer back to the airport for your flight home or to commence your onward travel plans.
Durations & Prices
Accommodation
Volunteer Accommodation
You will stay in either an authentic longhouse or one of two houses situated opposite in the jungle surroundings of the sanctuary's grounds. Rooms are based on a twin-share, same-sex basis with 1 double room available for couples at request. Each room comes complete with bed linen, a fan, and mosquito nets. All rooms have their own en-suite bathrooms, complete with a western toilet, shower, sink and mirror. There is a kitchen and communal area in the longhouse, which is free for all volunteers to use, and has free Wi-Fi available, but please bear in mind that the signal can be intermittent. There is a free, regular cleaning service if you wish for your room to be cleaned and there are also laundry services available, though this come at a small fee.
Meals & Beverages
Volunteers enjoy three meals per day at the project, with all meals and drinking water included in the project fee. Your lunches and dinners will be prepared for you and will consist of typical Indonesian food, such as rice, noodles, and fried vegetables. Breakfast, however, is prepared by volunteers, but the food, such as cereal, yoghurt, bread and eggs is supplied. Vegetarians can be catered for but please let us know in advance so the appropriate food can be purchased. (If you have any severe nut allergies, please contact us prior to booking.)
Alcohol is permitted and beer can be purchased at the sanctuary but may only be consumed at the volunteer accommodation. Snacks are not currently available onsite, but they can be purchased from a small local store which is a 15 minutes walk from the accommodation.
Project Details
When Is The Best Time To Volunteer?
This project is based at a rehabilitation sanctuary, and there are orangutans here year-round, meaning there is no real preferred time to volunteer regarding the animals.
The weather is also quite constant throughout, and whilst it can rain at any time of the year due to the rainforest climate, you can expect mostly dry weather with temperatures averaging 32°C (90°F) in the daytime and 23°C (73°F) at night.
Getting There
You will need to fly into Palangkaraya Airport on your project start date, arriving between 8am-5pm, with most international flight routes going via Jakarta International Airport (Soekarno-Hatta International Airport). Upon arrival into Palangkaraya Airport, you will be met by a project representative in the arrivals hall who will then transfer you to the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary. This transfer takes approximately 40 minutes.
If you arrive a day early and stay in a hotel close to Palangkaraya Airport, we will be able to arrange your transfer to Nyaru Menteng from there.
Visa Requirements
To join this project, you will need a Social Visa (C6), which you must obtain prior to arrival in Indonesia. This visa permits a stay of up to 60 days and can be applied for with ‘My Visa Indonesia’. We will provide all the necessary documentation you require and the cost of this visa is approximately $250.
Please note, your passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from your date of entry into Indonesia.
Fitness & Skills
There is a moderate level of fitness required to take part in this project. There may be small construction tasks that will take place in humid conditions, as well as short walks which involve walking uphill. The other tasks are not too physically strenuous, but for the reasons mentioned above, we advise that you ensure you can cope with the few physically demanding tasks involved. There are no specific skill sets or experience that are required to join this project, but volunteers must always be willing to work as part of a team.
Vaccinations & Medical Requirements
To volunteer on this project, you must provide negative test results to show you do not have HIV or Hepatitis B or C prior to arrival. A chest x-ray or QuantiFERON blood test to show you do not have Tuberculosis is also required. These are ESSENTIAL, as without them, you will be unable to join the project.
Due to Covid-19, additional safety measures have also been introduced to ensure the safety of all volunteers, staff members and the orangutans. These can be viewed by clicking here and may change at any time.
No Contact Policy
We are often asked whether or not volunteers will have the chance to touch or play with the orangutans whilst on this project. Our answer to this question is, and always will be no, and this is for good reason.
Orangutans are highly susceptible to human diseases, many of which are far more dangerous to an orangutan than they are to us. Also, an environment of constant change, with new volunteers going to the project every two or four weeks and being in contact with the orangutans would be very detrimental to the orangutans' well-being. With no consistency in their lives, behavioural problems arise. They also have a tendency to begin to trust humans which is damaging should they be released back into the wild, as they will become easy targets for poachers. Finally, an orangutan is around 7 times stronger than an adult male human so a no-contact policy is just as crucial for your safety as theirs.
That is not to say that you will have no interaction with the orangutans, it simply means that you will have no direct contact with them. You will still observe them on a daily basis and see how your contribution to their husbandry and enrichment makes a real difference to the lives of these apes. For more information, please view our article on hands-on contact with orangutans.
Videos
Discover the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary
Join us in the heart of the Bornean rainforest with the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, where you can help rescue and rehabilitate orphaned and displaced orangutans, all while experiencing the breathtaking beauty of Indonesia.
Volunteers share their experiences at Nyaru Menteng
Volunteers Rob, Ryan, Camille, and Lasse share their moments whilst taking part at Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary.
Orangutan Rehabilitation: Preparation For Life In The Wild
Arga, a dedicated Orangutan Veterinarian from the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, explains the journey of a young orangutan going through the rehabilitation process and the meticulous care required to prepare them for a life of independence.
Gallery
News & Stories
2
Temon and Lahei Update
UPDATE | Oct 2025
At just five and six years old, Temon and Lahei have advanced to the pre-release stage at Nyaru Menteng far earlier than most orangutans! After surviving ten days alone in the forest after a daring escape and excelling in forest school, they proved their natural readiness and are now thriving on Kaja Island. Both live independently, embodying courage, instinct, and the true spirit of the wild, they prove that readiness isn’t defined by years!
15
September Snapshots!
UPDATE | Sep 2025
September was buzzing with activity as new feeding platforms and cosy hammocks were built for the 160 unreleasable orangutans. Volunteers kept them happy with enrichment treats like popcorn and dried fruit, enjoyed time at a local eco café, and watched orangutans on the pre-release islands practice their jungle skills. Meanwhile, Jungle School favourite Rabia made sure everyone knew she was the star at the viewing window.
8
Volunteers Making Hammocks for 80 Orangutans
UPDATE | Aug 2025
Our volunteers are tackling an exciting challenge: crafting hammocks for over 80 orangutan enclosures! Each is fully funded through volunteer donations and fundraising, then handmade on-site. These hammocks aren’t just for lounging; they’re part of enrichment, offering comfort, stimulation, and a cosy retreat. Enjoy these snapshots of our incredible volunteers working together to make it happen!
Reviews
Volunteering at the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary at Palangkaraya was fantastic in every way. Matt and Niamh were great leaders. It was wonderful being able to get close to the orangutans and to feed them with the fresh leaves we cut. They love to eat the purple flowers of a shrub called Karamunting. A highlight of volunteering at the sanctuary were the two trips along the Kahayan river, to see the orangutans relatively free on the purpose built islands. It was magical; a dream come true.
Definitely a must do. So rewarding to be able to work with the technician team, provide enrichment materials for the orangutans and see how much they enjoy them. A real feel-good to help create the man-made islands for non-releasable orangutans and to plant trees that will support their future too. I highly recommend a 26 day stay if you are able to as you get more in-depth time with the orangutans plus 2 sessions watching the cheeky, energetic babies on their return from jungle school. Nyaru Menteng is a totally authentic, charming place to be and Matt and Niamh are dedicated, hard working hosts that make it all so amazing. If you're happy to work hard and sweat lots you'll have an unforgettable experience.
I just got back home, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat! It’s the experience of a life time! We had a wonderful team, and our project coordinators Matt, Niamh and Melda were incredible. And of course seeing the orangutans was the highlight! We observed them from a boat on the pre-release islands, made enrichments for them, built climbing towers and hammocks for them, and watched the toddlers in the playground. We also met the vet team, and explored the surroundings (cafe, night market, climbing a nearby hill). I can’t recommend this project enough!!! I loved it all!
Download Project Guide
What's Included
- Accommodation
- Three meals per day
- Airport transfers
- River cruise
- Hilltop trek
- A visit to the night market
- Conservation donation
What's Not Included
- Flights
- Visas
- Soft and alcoholic drinks
From
$2,510.00
$2,134.00
€1,434.00
€1,219.00
£1,195.00
£1,015.75
$1,614.00
$1,372.00
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Up to 8 Persons
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All Meals Included
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12 - 26 Nights
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Set dates between February and November
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Minimum Age 17 (Or From 15 Years Old With An Adult)
