Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary

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.