Help to rehabilitate the largest number of rescued orangutans in the world by volunteering at this orangutan sanctuary!
Below is an example of a typical two-week itinerary. Please note however, some activities may be subject to change during the time of your stay, as they are dependent on weather conditions and the requirements of the project at the time.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To join this project, you will need a Volunteer Visa (C6B), 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
UPDATE | Aug 2024
This morning at Nyaru Menteng Forest School, young orangutan Greta made an attempt to escape! She spotted an enrichment item in a nearby socialisation complex for adult male orangutans and quickly darted through the entrance gate. However, Greta's adventure was short-lived as Ibu Sri, one of the dedicated surrogate mothers, shortly found her and brought her back.
UPDATE | Jun 2024
This month volunteers have planted 100 trees on the new island, cleaned, renovated, and repainted the jungle gym, and have consistently achieved enrichment targets!
UPDATE | Apr 2024
The first volunteer groups of 2024 arrived at Nyaru Menteng this month, and they have been getting stuck into a whole range of different activities. These have included planting trees on one of the orangutan islands, creating various forms of enrichment, hammock making, boat cruises to observe those orangutans in their final stage of the rehabilitation process, and a unique opportunity to attend a traditional Dayak wedding.
It was an adventure and a challenge, we are proud and happy that we did it. The accommodations are simple, but you have everything you need. We had to go beyond our comfort zone, especially because of the humidity, but you can manage it well for 2 weeks. Time flew by because variety of different activities, enough breaks, e.g. after lunch, before we continued. But do not be afraid, the effort you spend is up to you and your condition, no one is forced to go beyond borders. The other activities such as a boat tour, night market, trip to Palangkaraya, rainforest tour with guide and hilltop trek were interesting and fun. The two volunteer coordinators Cess and Melda were great, warm-hearted and they had an eagle eye on our safety. They had a lot of information about the orangutans. We were a great group and grew together after two weeks. We will never forget the encounters with the wonderful orangutans. We had many opportunities to get closer to them (without touching). And we are so impressed by the team of BOS Foundation at Nyaru Menteng, they are doing such a great job. The whole organisation with The Great Projects... It was an adventure and a challenge, we are proud and happy that we did it. The accommodations are simple, but you have everything you need. We had to go beyond our comfort zone, especially because of the humidity, but you can manage it well for 2 weeks. Time flew by because variety of different activities, enough breaks, e.g. after lunch, before we continued. But do not be afraid, the effort you spend is up to you and your condition, no one is forced to go beyond borders. The other activities such as a boat tour, night market, trip to Palangkaraya, rainforest tour with guide and hilltop trek were interesting and fun. The two volunteer coordinators Cess and Melda were great, warm-hearted and they had an eagle eye on our safety. They had a lot of information about the orangutans. We were a great group and grew together after two weeks. We will never forget the encounters with the wonderful orangutans. We had many opportunities to get closer to them (without touching). And we are so impressed by the team of BOS Foundation at Nyaru Menteng, they are doing such a great job. The whole organisation with The Great Projects went smooth. (Show More)
What an experience! Volunteer coordinators Cecily Kingston and Melda Monica were always very helpful, friendly and happy to share their knowledge. I am forever thankful to both of them. My fellow volunteers were all fantastic people (a mix from England, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and Mexico) and we got alone perfectly. I enjoyed the orangutan-related activities (preparing pumpkin pure, fruity ice lollies, coconut treats, bamboo treats, planting trees, collecting nesting materials, etc.) as well as the leisure activities (going to the top of Bukit Tangkiling, visiting the tourist market, eating at the Kampung Lauk restaurant and visiting an organic farm-cafe). Of course, the best part was to see the orangutans in the flesh. We learned about the orangutans’ background, health, personalities, likes and dislikes, and the possibilities of living in the wild in the near future. Watching the infants returning from the orangutan school was fantastic. They spent some time at the orangutan gym playing and eating a few treats before going to bed. They were full of energy, really cute and mischievous at the same time. The surrogate mothers do a great job looking after these orangutans and teaching them the skills to be independent. While on the river cruses,... What an experience! Volunteer coordinators Cecily Kingston and Melda Monica were always very helpful, friendly and happy to share their knowledge. I am forever thankful to both of them. My fellow volunteers were all fantastic people (a mix from England, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and Mexico) and we got alone perfectly. I enjoyed the orangutan-related activities (preparing pumpkin pure, fruity ice lollies, coconut treats, bamboo treats, planting trees, collecting nesting materials, etc.) as well as the leisure activities (going to the top of Bukit Tangkiling, visiting the tourist market, eating at the Kampung Lauk restaurant and visiting an organic farm-cafe). Of course, the best part was to see the orangutans in the flesh. We learned about the orangutans’ background, health, personalities, likes and dislikes, and the possibilities of living in the wild in the near future. Watching the infants returning from the orangutan school was fantastic. They spent some time at the orangutan gym playing and eating a few treats before going to bed. They were full of energy, really cute and mischievous at the same time. The surrogate mothers do a great job looking after these orangutans and teaching them the skills to be independent. While on the river cruses, we spotted several orangutans and even a few new born babies living on the pre-release islands, it was amazing! My favourite part was to see the whole family enjoying a few snacks on a feeding platform, in the company of long-tail grey macaques. (Show More)
This was an incredible journey, life-changing especially if you adore orangutans. Seeing the orangutans and caring for them is an experience that will stay with you forever. Watching the young ones come back from Jungle School was absolutely amazing. All thanks to our guide Cecily, she was very kind, present, and informative throughout the whole trip. Another thanks to Melda who helped us a lot within and outside of the sanctuary.