![Accommodation in Sukau - Double Room](https://cdn.ahead4.com/thegreatprojects/images/4/4/3/3/9/44339c4023caa9b9b5628a16028ba404.jpg?width=300&height=200&format=jpg)
Help to restore Borneo’s rainforest and provide a safe home for wild orangutans and pygmy elephants.
Whilst the main focus of this project is habitat restoration, you will also take part in activities in and around Sukau village and along the Kinabatangan River as you assist with wildlife monitoring during river cruises and a rainforest trek.
Please note, itineraries are subject to change and what follows is simply a rough guideline.
Most of your time on the project will be spent in Sukau, where you will stay in a small local village B&B situated close to the riverbank, with a common area overlooking the river itself. Rooms here will be on a same-sex, twin-share basis and each room has an en-suite bathroom with warm showers and western toilets. If, however, you are joining as a couple, you will be accommodated together. While the accommodation is basic, it is comfortable, coming complete with bed linen and bath towels. What’s more, you’ll be situated right in the middle of Sukau village, offering you ample opportunity to get to know your hosts and learn all about their way of life!
Your first and final night’s accommodation will be close to Sandakan to make for easy airport transfers. Rooms will be provided on either a twin-share or dormitory-style basis, again with warm showers and western toilets. It is possible to book a single room for the duration of your time on the project, with the exception of your first night in Sandakan. This can be done for an additional $282, but is subject to availability.
Three meals are provided each day and are included in the price of the project. Whilst in Sukau, breakfast will be served at your accommodation, however, lunch and dinner will be prepared by local villagers in their homes, presenting a great opportunity to hear about their daily lives, and see how the community has been living for centuries. Most meals will consist of traditional Malaysian food, however, those with dietary requirements can be catered for but we do kindly request that you let us know in advance so that appropriate food items can be purchased. Tea, coffee and water are provided at the accommodation in Sukau, but all other beverages are not included.
There is no specific 'best' time to join this project, as wildlife is visible all year round.
The weather is also quite constant throughout, with temperatures averaging 29-33°C (84-91°F) in the daytime and 24°C (75°F) at night. Whilst it can rain all year round due to it being a rainforest climate, the rainy season is typically between November and February, making March to October a popular time to volunteer.
You will need to fly into Sandakan Airport (SDK) on your project start date, arriving between 8am - 4pm. Upon arrival, you will be met by a project representative in the arrivals hall who will transfer you to your first night’s accommodation. This transfer takes approximately 40 minutes.
If you arrive a day early and stay in a hotel close to Sandakan Airport, we may be able to arrange your transfer to your first night’s accommodation from there.
Most nationalities do not need to obtain a visa in advance of travelling to Malaysia, as a 90-day tourist visa is granted on arrival. We do, however, recommend checking with your local embassy regarding visa requirements as visas are the volunteer's own responsibility.
This project involves physical work in the way of reforestation activities, often in humid conditions, therefore, a good level of fitness is required. No specific skills are required to join this project: just a love of animals, a strong work ethic, and an ability to work in a team.
There are no specific vaccination or medical requirements needed to join this project and as such, the vaccinations you require will depend on your medical history. We, therefore, recommend that you consult your GP/Doctor regarding your own immunisation needs.
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 will always be no, and this is for good reason.
Orangutans are highly susceptible to human diseases and something as minor as the common cold can prove fatal to these great apes. 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 their 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 well-being as orangutan welfare.
That is not to say that as a volunteer you will have no interaction with orangutans, it simply means that you will have no direct contact with them. You will still observe them when visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and from the boats when on the river if you are lucky enough to see them! For more information please view our article on hands-on contact with orangutans here.
This was my first volunteering trip and without doubt THE best thing I have ever done. From booking this trip nearly a year ago I was in good hands right up to my departure date The Great Projects Team were on hand to assist with any questions and were so helpful. I arrived in Sandakan, Borneo a little weary from the flights (understandably)! and met up with some fellow volunteers on route which was great - The Great Projects had put me in touch with some of the people going. Our driver was already at the arrivals waiting to take us onto our accommodation. When we arrived we were all so impressed by how friendly the staff were and the rooms were great, we had a dorm style room for the one night which was fun. If you love being in the great outdoors then this is the place to go. There were toilets and showers and mozzy nets over the bed and although basis (what do you expect) really comfortable and we all thoroughly enjoyed our first night there. Second day we moved on to the village where we would be staying for the next 8-9 days. The staff... This was my first volunteering trip and without doubt THE best thing I have ever done. From booking this trip nearly a year ago I was in good hands right up to my departure date The Great Projects Team were on hand to assist with any questions and were so helpful. I arrived in Sandakan, Borneo a little weary from the flights (understandably)! and met up with some fellow volunteers on route which was great - The Great Projects had put me in touch with some of the people going. Our driver was already at the arrivals waiting to take us onto our accommodation. When we arrived we were all so impressed by how friendly the staff were and the rooms were great, we had a dorm style room for the one night which was fun. If you love being in the great outdoors then this is the place to go. There were toilets and showers and mozzy nets over the bed and although basis (what do you expect) really comfortable and we all thoroughly enjoyed our first night there. Second day we moved on to the village where we would be staying for the next 8-9 days. The staff were great, the food delicious and the accommodation was comfortable. There were Macaque monkeys everywhere! We saw a beautiful owl that would visit the pier every night and a lovely snake - harmless, coiled round a big tree next to where we would sit and have our meals. Our tour guides Mark and his apprentice Mus were magnificent, so full of knowledge on the area and the animals we saw - which were A LOT!!! They were a lot of fun. Along our river tour we took every day, we saw a variety of beautiful birds from eagles to hornbills, kites to egrets. We saw Orangutans, twice we saw a mother and her baby - I was overwhelmed when we saw them. Proboscis monkeys, gibbons, long tailed macaques, pig tailed macaques, a crocodile, a water monitor lizard. A feast for the eyes for animal and bird lovers! During our stay we were volunteering in the forest maintaining the newly planted trees from last year and planting new ones - we planted 500 trees between the 8 of us in our group. The work is so rewarding at the end so you don't mind the heat and the odd mozzy bite. The work they do there is helping the wildlife - in particular the orangutans and sun bears enabling them to move through the forest safely. Due to the deforestation of the area from logging and the palm oil plantations, there has been a significant reduction of forest area for these beautiful animals to live in. The planting of these trees is vital and the restoration of the forest will repair the damage caused by years of destruction. Go and volunteer and make a difference - I promise you it will be the best thing you will ever do!!! (Show More)
Trip of a lifetime. Something I didn't realise until I was there, as a tree planter, you get access to the sanctuary that not even the locals get. Extremely rewarding, hard work sure, but it's such an important job, and you get a very balanced perspective on Palm plantations and how we can do better as consumers by choosing products made with sustainably farmed Palm oil, it's up to us to apply pressure to the western companies. We saw all the critters. Woken up in the middle of the night by the sounds of bulls calling out to the herd across the river, saw baby elephants, young orangutans making their nest for the night, so many birds, crocs, and literally hundreds of monkeys. Meals were amazing, some at the place we were staying, many in the homes of local villagers, where we learned recipes and more about the culture. I signed up for this trip by myself and met the most amazing like-minded folks. Highly recommend, I'll be returning for certain.