The Great Orangutan Project
Volunteer with orangutans on this award-winning orangutan project at Matang Wildlife Centre in beautiful Borneo!
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Activities
On this project you will have the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of activities. Your main focus, however, will consist of providing enrichment and husbandry for the orangutans, sun bears, macaques, binturongs and other animals. Additionally, you'll have time to explore the areas surrounding the project - so why not see how you could spend your downtime by clicking here?
Itinerary
The below itinerary represents a typical 2 weeks on the project, though if you join the project for 4 weeks, days 14 and 15 will become days 28 and 29. There is also a 1-week option available for select start dates and the itinerary can be viewed by clicking here.
Day 1 - The Adventure Begins:
After arriving into Kuching Airport, Sarawak, you will be met by a member of the project team and transferred to a guesthouse in Kuching. You will enjoy a welcome dinner in the evening, followed by an orientation with the project facilitator and your fellow volunteers.
Day 2 - Transfer To The Project:
At 10:30am, you will take a private transfer to Matang Wildlife Centre, stopping off for an early lunch along the way. After settling in, you will meet the rest of the project staff and take a full tour of the centre, where you will catch your first glimpse of the animals – including the orangutans!
Day 3-13 - Project Days:
This is where the project truly begins, and you will spend the next eleven days taking part in a range of activities, from enrichment and husbandry to construction and maintenance. Two consecutive days are also free for you to relax or explore the local area and see more of what Borneo has to offer.
Day 14 - Fond Farewells:
This will be your final day on the project, and after taking part in one final activity at the centre, you will enjoy a farewell BBQ with the team before being transferred back to Kuching for your final night.
Day 15 - Final Day:
After saying goodbye to your fellow volunteers and the project team, you will transfer back to the airport in time for your return flight home, or continue with your independent travel plans. Wherever you are headed next, you can be sure to leave Borneo with a lifetime of unforgettable memories!
Durations & Prices
Accommodation
Volunteer Accommodation
Whilst on the project you will be staying in one of three authentic jungle chalets in the heart of the wildlife centre. Each chalet has two or three bedrooms, a communal living space, kitchen, bathroom and veranda area. There is a maximum of four to a house and rooms are allocated on a twin-share same-sex basis (unless you are joining as a couple, in which case you will be accommodated together). Each room has fans and whilst there are showers there is no hot water, although a cold shower can be appreciated after a hot day's work. The kitchens have basic appliances such as a gas hob, fridge/freezer, kettle and toaster as well as plates, cutlery and cooking utensils.
(Note: These wooden houses are original structures from the construction of the centre in 1997. They are government owned and have undergone little maintenance over their years of wear and tear in the jungle. Please do not expect shiny, new and pristine lodgings – expect well-used, jungle chalets and an authentic Bornean experience!)
Meals & Beverages
On the first night, your welcome dinner will be provided at a restaurant in Kuching. Whilst at Matang Wildlife Centre, you will be responsible for preparing your own meals in the kitchen of the chalet that you are staying in (except for on your final day when you will enjoy a farewell BBQ with the team). You can either cook for yourself or, as volunteers often do, take it in turns to cook for the rest of the group so you get a chance to taste everyone's home cuisine. As part of the cost of the project, you will receive a weekly allowance for food and water and weekly supermarket trips are also included!
Project Details
When is the best time to volunteer?
As this project is based at a wildlife centre, there are orangutans, sun bears, and other animals here all year round, meaning there is no ‘best’ time to volunteer with regards to seeing wildlife.
However, the weather may have an impact on your preferred travel dates. Whilst it can rain all year round due to it being a rainforest climate, the distinctive rainy season is between November and February, making March to October a preferable time to volunteer. The two weeks from December 19th and over the remainder of the Christmas period are particularly popular dates for our volunteers, so we recommend booking early if you wish to travel at this time of year.
Getting There
You will need to arrive into Kuching Airport on the start date of your project between 7am and 5pm. You will be met by a project representative in the arrivals hall and transferred to your first night’s accommodation at a guesthouse in Kuching. A welcome dinner is held for you on the first night, giving you time to get to know your fellow volunteers and the project staff.
On the final day of your project, a transfer can be arranged from the guesthouse in Kuching, where you will stay on your final night, back to the airport for RM30 (approx. $8).
Visa Requirements
Most nationalities do not need to obtain a visa in advance of travelling to Malaysia, as a free 90-day visa is issued on arrival. Please note, however, that visas are of your own responsibility and that you should check your own requirements with your country’s embassy.
Fitness & Skills
The construction work undertaken on this project can be quite physically demanding, often in humid conditions, so a moderate level of fitness is advised. You do not need any specific skills or experience, just a commitment to the project and its aims, the ability to work as part of a team and an upbeat, positive attitude towards the project and orangutan conservation.
Vaccinations
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.
No Contact Policy
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.
Videos
Experience The Great Orangutan Project
See what it's really like to volunteer on The Great Orangutan Project in Malaysian Borneo.
Volunteers Review Their Time on the Project
Caroline, Dave, Sarah and Charlie review their experience volunteering at The Great Orangutan Project.
Gallery
News & Stories
8
Update from October's Volunteers
UPDATE | Nov 2024
October's volunteers went above and beyond! With two amazing groups, the team hand-mixed concrete for Aman's enclosure, moved bricks for two new orangutan night dens, and crafted hammocks for orangutan, sun bear and macaque night dens. They created Halloween-inspired enrichment, released a juvenile pangolin into the wild, and foraged materials for animal perches. Volunteers also enjoyed hikes to a local waterfall and karaoke!
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Big Boxes for Big Orangutans
UPDATE | Nov 2024
After baby Leo's excitement with the enrichment gift boxes, the team decided to bring the fun to the big orangutans - with BIG boxes! Aman, in particular, loved this enrichment. The boxes were filled with leaves and treats and, while simple, were incredibly effective, giving the orangutans plenty of chance to forage and have fun as they played with the boxes afterwards.
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Baby Leo Playing with Enrichment
UPDATE | Oct 2024
Our volunteers crafted some delightful gift boxes for the orangutans. The recycled boxes were filled with leaves and treats as an enrichment exercise. While the older orangutans eagerly searched for the hidden treats, Leo had a great time simply playing with the box!
Reviews
I had the best time volunteering at the Matang Wildlife Centre, to have the privilege of caring for the animals and being so close to them is something that will stay with me forever. It’s hard work but very rewarding. The staff at the centre were great, you could see how much they loved the animals in their care. In addition to the volunteering we trekked through the jungle to a waterfall, did a night walk and visited Semenggoh Wildlife Centre to see more semi wild orangutans. We were very well looked after, the week was really well organised - thanks Em! I met some great people too, it was really fun staying in the jungle lodges and bonding with like minded people. I would absolutely recommend booking this project, you won’t regret it!
I enjoyed my 2 weeks in Matang Wildlife Centre and the animals are incredible. We spent the mornings cleaning enclosures and night cages and watching the orangutans and sun bears come out to feed, and the afternoons creating enrichments which is many things from wrapping coconuts in hessian for the orangutans, to filling holes drilled in small logs with porridge, honey or peanut butter to give to the sun bears or the macaques. There are other animals there like the hornbill and even 2 sulphur crested cockatoos from my homeland (they'd been smuggled into Sarawak then given to the centre). Covid has had its effects on the rehabilitation projects and sadly many of the animals are not suitable to be released. However we did see a slow loris released which was amazing. Also there was a pangolin, and a sun bear bought in which were being kept away from too much human contact and once they are healthy will be released, which was encouraging. There was also an old macaque bought in who was very sick (he'd been surrendered by his owner) we watch him go from a very poor condition to a much healthier interactive macaque. The accommodation is... I enjoyed my 2 weeks in Matang Wildlife Centre and the animals are incredible. We spent the mornings cleaning enclosures and night cages and watching the orangutans and sun bears come out to feed, and the afternoons creating enrichments which is many things from wrapping coconuts in hessian for the orangutans, to filling holes drilled in small logs with porridge, honey or peanut butter to give to the sun bears or the macaques. There are other animals there like the hornbill and even 2 sulphur crested cockatoos from my homeland (they'd been smuggled into Sarawak then given to the centre). Covid has had its effects on the rehabilitation projects and sadly many of the animals are not suitable to be released. However we did see a slow loris released which was amazing. Also there was a pangolin, and a sun bear bought in which were being kept away from too much human contact and once they are healthy will be released, which was encouraging. There was also an old macaque bought in who was very sick (he'd been surrendered by his owner) we watch him go from a very poor condition to a much healthier interactive macaque. The accommodation is basic but clean and dry (it rained a lot even though we not in the monsoon season). The people who work there are very caring with the animals and fun to work with and the animals are well fed and cared for. what's really needed is more volunteers especially who can stay for longer than 2 weeks (although 2 weeks is still worthwhile) and a benefactor that can help pay for the new enclosures so all the animals can get out and see the sun. (Show More)
Not what we expected, but still an incredible experience. We thought it would be more hands on with the animal rehabilitation, but we understand this isn’t quite possible because most of the animals at Matang Wildlife Centre are adults. We learned a lot though, cleaned a lot helped with the enrichments and just observed the animals at Matang Wildlife Centre. We got to watch a slow loris release back in the wild. We would recommend this project.
Download Project Guide
What's Included
- Accommodation
- Food allowance
- Arrival Airport Transfer
- Full orientation and support from the project managers
- A donation to the project
What's Not Included
- Flights
- Travel insurance
- Departure Airport Transfer
- Soft drinks or alcoholic beverages
From
$1,511.00
$1,284.00
€954.00
€811.00
£795.00
£675.75
$994.00
$845.00
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Up to 12 Persons
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All Meals Included
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7 - 28 Nights
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Set dates - enquire for details
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Minimum Age 17 (Or From 14 Years Old With An Adult)
