Borneo conservation holiday
| country: | Borneo |
| departures: | 2008: 19 Oct |
| price: | From £2445 - £2645 (19 days) including flights from the UK. Price includes accommodation, meals, transport and activities. This trip can also be booked without flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
A 19 day wildlife conservation holiday in Borneo helping on a conservation community project and climbing Mount Kinabalu.
On the Kinabatangan River, we'll be working with the local people to establish an eco-camp to protect and sustainably develop the surrounding forest.
Community Conservation Work
The Kinabatangan River is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in Asia and is home to many protected and endangered species, however logging and development remain real threats.
We start with a forest safety training course and then move to our base at Batu Puteh where we stay with local families. Our work will involve a wide variety of activities, from trail mapping, tree planting to conducting wildlife surveys or construction work at the eco-lodge. This area is highly populated with wildlife and there will be many chances to take river safaris to see the proboscis monkeys.
Orangutan & Mount Kinabalu
We'll stay in a jungle lodge at Sepilok, our base for jungle walks and Orangutan watching. Then we head into Kinabalu National Park and take the mountain trail up through the forest, hopefully spotting pitcher plants and some of the many bird species present within this park.
Eventually we reach the mountain hostel which affords spectacular views across the forest and up to the peaks above. Next morning we have the option to make a pre-dawn ascent to the summit of Mount Kinabalu, Southeast Asia's highest peak.
On the Kinabatangan River, we'll be working with the local people to establish an eco-camp to protect and sustainably develop the surrounding forest.
Community Conservation Work
The Kinabatangan River is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in Asia and is home to many protected and endangered species, however logging and development remain real threats.
We start with a forest safety training course and then move to our base at Batu Puteh where we stay with local families. Our work will involve a wide variety of activities, from trail mapping, tree planting to conducting wildlife surveys or construction work at the eco-lodge. This area is highly populated with wildlife and there will be many chances to take river safaris to see the proboscis monkeys.
Orangutan & Mount Kinabalu
We'll stay in a jungle lodge at Sepilok, our base for jungle walks and Orangutan watching. Then we head into Kinabalu National Park and take the mountain trail up through the forest, hopefully spotting pitcher plants and some of the many bird species present within this park.
Eventually we reach the mountain hostel which affords spectacular views across the forest and up to the peaks above. Next morning we have the option to make a pre-dawn ascent to the summit of Mount Kinabalu, Southeast Asia's highest peak.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Kota Kinabalu. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Kota Kinabalu. |
| Day 3: | Forest safety training course. |
| Day 4: | Drive to Batu Puteh; meet homestay hosts & project orientation. |
| Day 5-14: | In Batu Puteh; conservation work. |
| Day 15: | Drive to Sepilok; visit Orangutan Sanctuary. |
| Day 16: | Drive to Kinabalu NP; visit Poring Hot Springs (550m). |
| Day 17: | In Kinabalu NP; walk to Laban Rata. |
| Day 18: | Optional ascent of Mt Kinabalu (4101m); drive to Kota Kinabalu. |
| Day 19: | Fly London. |
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'award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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This award-winning community eco-tourism initiative is trying to establish an eco-camp to protect and sustainably develop the surrounding forest. This project was started in order to allow the local community to manage an area of forest that was being damaged through logging and development. By participating in the project we are providing a sustainable income for the community, whilst also giving them a reason to preserve the local forests and animals. The project will not only bring an income, but also gives an international perspective that enables the community to gain an insight into the clients’ needs and interests in conservation.
As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
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. |