Borneo tour, Orangutans and Iban

Planet

Nature conservation and animal welfare are absolutely vital on the island of Borneo, as there are an endless amount of threats to the forest and its inhabitants such as logging, mining, human-animal conflict, poaching, the illegal wildlife trade and deforestation to make way for palm oil plantations. Doing some reading and research before you leave for your trip will help you to learn more about these threats and what you can do to help.

We also visit protected national parks and reserves such as: Batang Ai National Park, which is a 24 sq km protected area for rainforest conservation, Deramakot, which promotes sustainable forest management and the protection and conservation of wildlife, and the 28,000 ha Kinabatangan sanctuary. The entrance fees that we pay, go towards conservation and management of the parks and reserves.

In the national parks, reserves, and just generally throughout the trip, we respect all landscapes and make sure we keep our litter with us until we are in a place where we can dispose of it responsibly. We also ask that any smokers on the tour do not leave cigarette butts. Bringing a reusable water bottle is a great idea and if purchasing any snacks, avoid excess packaging.

Last but not least, we use local guides for this tour, which means we are keeping carbon emissions down.

People

Keeping money in local economies, supporting tribal communities and helping to keep their traditions alive is also extremely important. We spend time at a longhouse with the Iban people, taking the time to learn about their culture, traditions and way of life. Small gifts are a nice way to show gratitude and it is customary to present the gifts to the longhouse chief or village chief who will then share them with everybody. Nanga Sumpa Lodge, where we stay, was set up in partnership with the people of the longhouse.

Dabbling in Bahasa Melayu and indigenous languages is also sure to put a smile on local people’s faces and they will appreciate that we are making an effort.

The use of local guides also helps us to keep money in the local economy and we believe it is much better, in the sense that the depth and honesty of knowledge and information will be second-to-none if coming from a local.

Most people like to take photos, and it’s sometimes easy to forget that the photogenic person in front of you may not want their picture taken. We always ask if it’s okay, and respect their wishes if they say no.