Borneo ultimate bird watching vacation

Planet

On this tour we work with the Borneo Rainforest Lodge who have their own Green Practices Pledge to the environment:
Danum Valley Conservation Area is one of the last remaining protected lowland rainforests in Borneo. This exquisite place is home to several endemic plants, insect and animal species. The Management feels it is a responsibility to preserve this "Wonder of Nature" by providing services in a manner that minimizes impact on this pristine environment. To minimize the environmental impact of the lodge, the Borneo Rainforest Lodge will implements several green practices in stages.

Reduce Waste
Reduce plastic waste by installing refill facilities for filtered water, selling reusable drinking bottle, using 100% biodegradable bags and lunch box, providing shampoo and body gel in refillable dispenser.

Reduce Energy
Using solar water heater, using ceiling fan without air conditioning in the rooms, installing LED-lamps and energy saver bulbs.

Reduce Chemicals
Use eco-friendly insect repellent and eco-friendly detergents & toiletries (not containing phosphate, optical whiteners, chlorine, ammonia parabens, synthetic perfumes and colouring)
Use natural fragrance for rooms & toilet.
Use homemade compost for gardening.
Use homemade insecticide (garlic & fruit enzyme).

Reuse
Reuse coffee grounds & fruit peelings to make compost.
Reuse wood scrap for making signage & key chain.
Reuse milk box for planting.
Reuse charcoal ashes for making cleaning soap.

Recycle
Recyclable item are segregated into 8 categories including plastics, paper and carton, aluminium can, tin can and iron scrap.
Process waste food into EM waste food pellet for gardening.

On this tour, you will visit the famous Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre in Sabah, founded in 1964, to rehabilitate orphan orangutans. The site is 43 square kilometres of protected land at the edge of Kabili Sepilok Forest Reserve. Today around 60 to 80 orangutans are living free in the reserve. The facility provides medical care for orphaned and confiscated orangutans as well as dozens of other wildlife species. Some of the other animals which end up being treated at the center include sun bears, gibbons, Sumatran rhinos and the occasional injured elephants.

We work with the Orangutan Appeal UK, the only not-for-profit charity that works directly with the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary in Sandakan. Clients have the option to sponsor an orphaned Orangutan named Canyon who was being kept illegally as a pet and was taken in by the sanctuary when she was 2 years old. She is now 5 years old and progressing well. The money goes directly to the Sanctuary in Sepilok to continue their excellent work. Clients receive an ‘adoption certificate’ and regular email updates on the progress of Canyon and of course if you’re lucky you may see her when you visit the Centre.

During the tour you also have the opportunity to visit The Borneo Sun Bear Centre, a conservation center with the aim to raise awareness and encourage research on the world’s smallest bear. Found throughout mainland Asia, Sumatra in Indonesia and Borneo, the exact number of Sun bears in the wild is unknown, making it even more pressing to reduce pressure on a species that is classified as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List and at risk of becoming endangered unless circumstances threatening their survival improve. The BSBCC, the first and only facility of its kind in the world, is a non-governmental organisation set up in 2008 through collaboration of the Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Wildlife Department and LEAP.

People

Our local ground operator owns and operates a number of eco-lodges which are included in this itinerary. Accommodation has all been locally built and is run and operated by local people. The main purpose of these trips is to interact and contribute to local communities and projects and understand the need to minimize any negative impact on the local environment. Our ground agents only employ local guides to accompany our clients. All food in the lodges is sourced locally, helping the local rural communities wherever possible.

The Abai Jungle Lodge operates a tree planting and optional lunch programme with the local Abai villagers as part of your time there. This programme has been introduced by the Lodge as a way to directly contribute money to the local village community, plus it helps guests learn a little about the way this traditional community lives. The Lodge owners pay a small fee to plant a tree in the village with the proceeds going to the villager whose land it is planted on – the choice of villager plot rotates around the village to keep it as fair as possible.