Summary
Voluntary work on a wildlife conservation project in Malaysian Borneo.
Project location
Sukau village, 3 hours from Sandakan, Malaysian Borneo.
Length of project
7 days.
Group/individual basis
Family tailored project with other families.
Support
Help and advice from our UK office throughout. Local support from nominated staff member at the centre.
Includes
- Wildlife conservation volunteering programme
- Pre-departure information covering work issues and advice about life in Malaysian Borneo
- Accommodation throughout the project
- Welcome meal and briefing on arrival
- Meals whilst on the project
- Airport transfers
- Project transfers
- Donation to the project
Not included
- Flights
- Travel and medical insurance
- Any home country transport (eg. taxis and buses)
- Food budget on days off
- Dinner on your last night
Accommodation
Private rooms with western toilets and shower facilities.
Travel arrangements
Flights to Sandakan (SDK). You will be collected from the airport and transferred to your accommodation. Return to the airport included.
Pre-departure information
You will receive thorough information on My Oyster covering project expectations, preparation, health and safety, responsible travel and arrival arrangements at least 4 weeks before departure.
Medical
Vaccinations may be required. We recommend that you visit your Doctor or Travel Nurse as soon as possible to discuss what you might need to have.
Please be aware that Oyster staff are not able to give advice on your medical background or the type of vaccinations that you might need.
You can get useful medical advice relating to your destination on the ‘Fit For Travel’ website – http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/.
You must inform Oyster of any pre-existing physical or mental health conditions. Oyster staff may ask for you to provide a letter from your Doctor before continuing with your booking.
Insurance
You must take out a full travel insurance policy as soon as you can before departure. This must cover you for personal accident, medical, cancellation, emergency evacuation, lost luggage etc. We strongly recommend that you organise your travel insurance upon booking your place. We can introduce a policy with Global Travel Insurance to UK citizens, details of which can be found in your My Oyster area, once you have completed your booking. If you are not eligible for this insurance, please read through it to have an idea of what you need to be covered for.
Any risk factors
Working close to wild animals is not risk free and you will be taught various safety points on arrival. Always follow advice. You will probably be asked to cut vegetation with sharp knives. You will have one member of staff per group of up to 12 volunteers.
Take sensible precautions to protect yourself from petty crime. Avoid carrying valuables and take particular care of your passport. Take care when using your card at ATMs as credit card fraud is growing.
Other potential risks include poorer road safety and sunburn. Our pre-departure advice covers staying safe and making wise choices. There is risk of infectious disease, so appropriate vaccination is essential. Please consult the Interhealth website as above.
You will at times be doing physical work on this project and must drink lots of fluids and replace any sugars lost. It can be very humid in Borneo.
Part of the project takes place on the river and you will be taking boats. Life jackets are provided however if your children are quite small (under 12) you may wish to bring arm bands / buoyancy aid in addition to the life jacket.
Parents are responsible for children at all times.
Downtime
Participants will be able to travel independently during their time off, as long as they accept that they will be outside Oyster’s jurisdiction, make appropriate insurance provision and inform others. It is important to let staff know when you are due to return and keep them updated if your plans change.
Accessibility
This project could accommodate those with minor physical disabilities. Please discuss with destination manager before booking.
Financial Security
When you book with Oyster you can rest assured that your money will be protected and you will not be stranded abroad in the very unlikely event that our company becomes insolvent. If your booking includes a flight arranged by us, your whole trip will be subject to ATOL protection. If we have not booked your flight then your trip will be just as safe, since it will be insured through International Passenger Protection Ltd.