
This project offers you the chance to work on enrichment with captive orangutans and sun bears at the world-renowned Samboja Lestari Rescue Centre.
Your main activities whilst volunteering with orangutans at Samboja Lestari include husbandry, enrichment, reforestation, maintenance and construction work for both the orangutans and the sun bears resident here. You will be treated as pseudo-staff whilst on the project, meaning full participation in all of the centre's work.
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.
Accommodation during your time on the project will be in twin-share rooms at the Samboja Ecolodge where all of the interior and exterior walls are built out of recycled materials! Each room comes equipped with fully working air conditioning, mosquito nets and an en-suite bathroom, with hot water and a western-style toilet.
You will have three meals per day provided for you while on this project. Breakfast is a variety of cereals, eggs, rice/noodle dishes, fruit, and fresh fruit juice. Lunches and dinners typically consist of rice with chicken, seafood, mutton or beef and vegetables, and sometimes noodles. Tofu and Soybean dishes are also provided for vegetarians, and each meal is served as a buffet. (Please contact us before booking if you have a severe nut allergy.)
This project is based at a rehabilitation sanctuary, and there are orangutans and sun bears 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 29-31°C (84-88°F) in the daytime and 24°C (75°F) at night.
You will need to fly into Balikpapan Airport on your project start date, arriving between 7am-5pm, with most international flight routes going via Jakarta International Airport (Soekarno-Hatta International Airport). Upon arrival into Balikpapan Airport, you will be met by a project representative in the arrivals hall who will then transfer you to Samboja Lodge. This transfer takes approximately one hour.
If you arrive a day early and stay in a hotel close to Balikpapan Airport, we will be able to arrange your transfer to Samboja Lodge from there. Please let us know if you would like any suggestions.
To join this project, you will need a tourist visa which you can get on arrival in Indonesia. The cost of this visa is approximately US$35.
If you plan to stay in Indonesia for longer than 30 days, you can get a 30-day tourist visa on arrival and then extend this visa for a further 30 days by going to the immigration office in Balikpapan (which we can arrange for you).
We advise that you speak to the embassy in your country to see if there are any requirements for travel. Please note that your passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from your date of entry into Indonesia.
The work undertaken on this project can be quite physical, often in humid conditions, so a moderate level of fitness is required. No skills or experience are required; all that we ask is that you arrive with a commitment to the project and its aims, a passion for wildlife conservation, and the willingness to work alongside your 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 the Covid-19 pandemic, 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 Borneo for an unforgettable adventure with orangutans and sun bears! From creating enrichment and assisting with construction projects, to visiting a local night market and trekking through one of the world's oldest primary rainforests, this project has it all!
Hear from volunteers Alex, Kye, Carrie, and Rita as they share their experiences, favourite moments and what you can expect from volunteering with orangutans at Samboja Lestari.
Join Kate, The Great Projects' Volunteer Coordinator at Samboja Lestari, as she explains how joining this project leaves a lasting impact on the resident wildlife and what you can expect from participating as a volunteer.
Take a look at wildlife adventurer Catherine Capon's trip to Samboja Lestari and discover what volunteering with orangutans is really like!
REVIEW | Jul 2025
Discover how a dad and his teenage daughter connected while volunteering with orangutans in Borneo. Read their inspiring journey at Samboja Lestari!
UPDATE | Jul 2025
June was a busy and meaningful month. Our volunteers built a new wooden platform in the Baby House, constructed a low-feeding platform as part of ongoing island renovations, and refurbished the sun bear holding areas by painting, replacing old hammocks, and adding steps for the older bears. Sadly, June also brought the heartbreaking news of Fani’s passing. She touched the hearts of so many who visited Samboja and is deeply missed!
UPDATE | Jun 2025
A tiny sun bear cub, later named Mia, was rescued from a muddy roadside on a palm oil plantation and brought to Samboja Lestari. Weighing just 135 grams and under a month old, she was handed over by a local and briefly stayed with authorities before arriving at the sanctuary. Now in good hands, Mia is being gently cared for and closely monitored as she begins her journey of recovery, hopefully one that leads her back to the wild.
The whole experience was fabulous. I took the trip with my sixteen year old daughter, and she loved it too. We were really well looked after, the coordinators were amazing, the accomodation and food great and the animals were out of this world. Loved every second of it and can't recommend it highly enough.
I have so much to say about this experience, and all of it good. I’ve been racking my brain trying to think of some areas to improve, but every part of my experience was incredible, and I wouldn’t change a thing. It seems so inadequate to rate such a life-changing experience five stars; those five stars are not enough! No words can adequately thank Kate for the experience she facilitated for our group. If I were to create a list of people in this world I respect and admire, Kate would be right at the top. Her knowledge of the project, the animals, the local culture, and her emotional intelligence to bring such a diverse group of people together; I’m actually speechless and wish I could articulate better just how much this experience has meant to me, and how much I appreciate Kate’s contagious dedication to the project. The project itself exceeded all my expectations. The amount of work was perfectly balanced; just enough to feel challenged and stretched, but still achievable so that we all started each new day with a sense of excitement and possibility. All the literature and marketing materials were very thoughtfully and intelligently prepared to... I have so much to say about this experience, and all of it good. I’ve been racking my brain trying to think of some areas to improve, but every part of my experience was incredible, and I wouldn’t change a thing. It seems so inadequate to rate such a life-changing experience five stars; those five stars are not enough! No words can adequately thank Kate for the experience she facilitated for our group. If I were to create a list of people in this world I respect and admire, Kate would be right at the top. Her knowledge of the project, the animals, the local culture, and her emotional intelligence to bring such a diverse group of people together; I’m actually speechless and wish I could articulate better just how much this experience has meant to me, and how much I appreciate Kate’s contagious dedication to the project. The project itself exceeded all my expectations. The amount of work was perfectly balanced; just enough to feel challenged and stretched, but still achievable so that we all started each new day with a sense of excitement and possibility. All the literature and marketing materials were very thoughtfully and intelligently prepared to keep our expectations for animal engagement at the right level; the amount of interaction was much higher than I was expecting which felt like winning the lottery. I didn’t expect to have such a strong emotional response to interacting with the orangutans. I thought I could just slot back into my old life after getting home, but I’m kinda struggling to believe that the experience is over. The accommodation was fantastic; the lodge is stunning, and the staff were welcoming and gracious. The team from BOS Foundation (Wik and Aril) were lovely. Such a highlight getting to meet them both, and getting to know them. I can't imagine games night without Wik lol. I’ve done a few other ‘group travel’ experiences (in Laos and Morocco), and have also done some short-term volunteer projects (in Malaysia and Australia). Those were great, but the Samboja Lestari project is in another league. Since I’ve been home I feel like a walking billboard for The Great Projects and BOS Foundation, because it’s all I can talk about. Thank you so much for all the work you do, and for inviting us to be a small part of it. It might’ve only been two weeks, but I’m confident it has rewired me in some profound and permanent way. (Show More)
I've taken part in a few volunteering projects before, but within just a few days, my two weeks at the BOS Foundation quickly climbed to the top of the list—and stayed there. From the incredibly delicious food, to the perfectly run and truly ethical organization dedicated to wildlife protection, and the respectful, appreciative way they treat their volunteers—everything was wonderful! The work itself was extremely varied and genuinely fun. But even the best experience can only become unforgettable when the people you work with make it so. And that’s exactly what happened here. Especially Kate, the coordinator, and the amazing BOS team (especially Wik&Arill! ) made saying goodbye the hardest part. I can wholeheartedly recommend this project and will definitely be back! Was that a promise or a warning? Thank you for the beautiful time!