Orangutan conservation tour
| country: | Borneo |
| location: | Sabah & Sarawak |
| departures: | 2008: 2 Aug, 2 Sep, 2 Oct, 2 Nov |
| price: | From £995 (14 days) excluding flights. We can help arrange flights from the UK. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Packed full of lush jungles, towering mountains and national parks, Malaysia is a nature-lovers paradise and this tour will give you the perfect opportunity to explore it. You will begin your journey in Kuching, a city well-known for its rich cultural heritage which stretches back to the early days of the White Rajahs of Sarawak. They chose the city as their ancient capital and it’s not difficult to see why. From here you will travel through Malaysia’s most cherished national parks where you will find yourself surrounded by tropical jungles, cascading waterfalls and secluded beaches. Not only do these national parks offer breathtaking views and unforgettable scenery, but they’re also the perfect location to see the country’s vast array of native wildlife and you’ll be doing just that as you volunteer at local orangutan rehabilitation centres.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrival in Kuching. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. |
| Day 2: | Kuching. In the afternoon you will take a tour of the city visiting buildings that date back to the days of the White Rajah, ancient Chinese temples, colourful markets and the Sarawak Museum with its excellent collection of Bornean ethnological and archaeological artefacts. |
| Day 3: | Kuching. In the afternoon you will travel to the Semengoh Orangutan Centre. Your tour of the centre will be specially arranged to ensure that you can observe the feeding of the orangutans. |
| Day 4: | Bako National Park. In the morning you will set out for the Bako national park. On the way you will stop at Bako village before taking a short boat ride to the park itself. In the evening you will take a hike through the jungle where you can watch the sun set and swim in sea by one of the parks secluded beaches. |
| Day 5: | Bako National Park. Today you will take a hike through the mangrove forest where you will search for native birds and monkeys. |
| Day 6: | Kubah National Park. Transfer to Kubah National Park. Today you will trek through the park where you can visit the park’s beautiful waterfalls and swim in the crystal clear waters of a jungle river. |
| Day 7: | Kubah National Park. Today you will visit the local Ape Centre, where you will be given a talk and demonstration on how to care for an orangutan. Transfer back to Kuching. |
| Day 8: | Batang Ai National Park. Transfer to the Batang Ai National Park, stopping along the way for a number of cultural excursions. You will visit the lively local market at Serian town where a variety of jungle goods are on offer including edible ferns, bamboo shoots and unusual tropical fruits. In the evening you will have the chance to visit local longhouses. |
| Day 9: | Batang Ai National Park. Today you will take a hike along the river trails towards the beautiful Enseluai Waterfall. Your afternoon will be spent exploring the rainforest, swimming in the river and fishing in traditional Iban style. In the evening you can help your guide to gather bamboo shoots and edible ferns for the evening meal. |
| Day 10-12: | Batang Ai National Park. Over the next three days you will trek through the jungle in search of wild orangutans and learn how to observe and survey orangutan nests. You will be helping to carry out research that will help scientists to monitor orangutan populations. |
| Day 13: | Kuching. Today you will travel down the river by longboat before heading overland to Kuching. |
| Day 14: | Kuching. Today you will be free to explore the city at your leisure. |
| Day 15: | Return home. |
a taste of volunteering trip - what's it all about?
This type of trip is ideal for people who are unable to take very long periods off work but who are interested in volunteering to work with communities in need, or in wildlife conservation. These shorter trips combine volunteering with an opportunity to see the main sights in destinations. Find out more about 'taste of volunteering'how this holiday makes a difference
|
According to the World Wildlife Fund, fewer than 63,000 orangutans exist in the world today, and the majority of these call Borneo home. In the past 100 years, orangutan populations have fallen 91% due to destruction of their habitat, poachers, and illegal pet trading. Because orangutans give birth to a single offspring only 1 every 8 years or so, concentrated efforts are needed to conserve current populations and to promote and protect breeding programmes to encourage orangutan population growth.
This tour gives you the opportunity to see a number of different orangutan conservation organisations, focusing on education and raising awareness. Through your visit, you can help to shed light on the plight of the orangutan and work toward reversing the damage that has been done. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |