Orangutan conservation in Sarawak
When is a sanctuary not a sanctuary? When it is in Sarawak. Because the legal definition of places that are created in order to protect and conserve the highly endangered orangutans of Sarawak, the largest state in Malaysian Borneo, is quite simply ‘an area’. Which is wonderfully simple, as it automatically stops visitors from imagining these special places to be zoos or wildlife parks. Wildlife conservation areas are far from that; they are zoned off areas of wilderness habitats where orangutans can still live safely, but where they have become ‘habituated’, in order that experts can help feed, breed and undertake every deed possible to keep the rapidly dwindling populations from dying out altogether.
Our Sarawak Vacations
Borneo 8 day tour, the wild heart of Borneo
A unique experience in the untouched, beautiful Sarawak.
From
£855
8 days
ex flights
Singapore and Sarawak vacations
A wildlife and Cultural Vacation to Singapore and Sarawak
From
US $2875
14 days
inc UK flights
Orangutan conservation vacation in Borneo
Meet Iban tribes and encounter orangutans in Borneo
From
£1195
13 days
ex flights
Wild Borneo vacation, private departure
Highlights of Malaysian Borneo including a homestay
From
€3780
18 days
inc UK flights
Sarawak wildlife & beach vacation
Encounter an orangutan & hike through virgin rainforest
From
US $1872 to US $2250
10 days
ex flights
Borneo wildlife vacation, Sarawak
A light trekking and jungle adventure vacation in Sarawak
From
US $2760
13 days
ex flights
Highlights of Borneo group tour
Small-group culture and wildlife tour of Borneo
From
US $3115
12 days
ex flights
Borneo wildlife cycling vacation
Ultimate Borneo wildlife experience on two wheels
From
MYR 8242
9 days
ex flights
Borneo tour, Orangutans and Iban
Spotting wild orangutans and meeting indigenous tribes
From
£3499
22 days
ex flights
Sarawak vacation, wildlife adventure
Tailor-made wildlife and turtle vacation to Sarawak
From
US $2395
14 days
ex flights
Sabah & Sarawak vacation in Borneo
Wildlife, jungles, culture and idyllic beaches
From
US $2495
13 days
ex flights
Sarawak and Sabah tour, Orangutans & Ibans
Explore Borneo's unique culture, heritage and wildlife
From
£1597
13 days
ex flights
Borneo wildlife vacation
Showcasing the best of Borneo - wildlife, rainforests and tropical beaches
From
US $4499 to US $5049
15 days
ex flights
Orangutan volunteering in Borneo
Volunteer at an orangutan rehabilitation center in Borneo
From
£795 to £1995
8 days
ex flights
Borneo small group adventure vacation
A 12-day Borneo tour to Sabah and Sarawak
From
US $2100
11 days
ex flights
And when is a conservation vacation not a vacation? When it is in Sarawak. Because in general, they are referred to as ‘projects’ or ‘volunteering placements’. As extraordinary as they are, in that conservation volunteers are making a difference between life and death, they are not vacations in the conventional sense of the word. They are all-hands-on-deck trips to save this ‘old man of the forest’ – which is how the word orangutan translates from the Malay. JUST 100 years ago over 300,000 orangutans roamed the forests of Borneo and the neighbouring island of Sumatra. Today, there are thought to be only around 100,000 in Borneo in total, most of them lost due to habitat destruction for logging, forest clearing for farming and forest fires. So, this is serious conservation work, where volunteers won’t be able to have direct contact with orangutans, due to the high risk of them catching human disease; even a common cold could kill a baby orangutan. However, the work is invaluable, ranging from cleaning cages that house injured and rescued orangutans, planting fruit trees to re-establish all important habitats or building structures for them to swing on. So vacations they are not. Heroic acts of conservation, they certainly are.
Volunteering with or visiting orangutan conservation areas in Sarawak often starts within just half an hour of arriving in its capital, Kuching, at the Matang Wildlife Centre. Located within Kubah National Park, this refuge for rescued orangutans is in a contained area of rainforest where the animals are nursed in preparation for, hopefully, their re-release. Day visitors can observe feeding sessions, while longer volunteer placements include working on the infrastructure and learning animal husbandry techniques. Then onto the Semenggoh Orangutan Centre, again caring for semi-wild orangutans which have been injured or orphaned, or kept illegally as pets. Semi-rehabilitated adults are most likely to be spotted out and about at feeding times, when they dangle on vines carefree and Gene Kelly-like with their graceful movements, just swinging in the rain. Read more about volunteering with orangutans
Orangutans are eerily human and, ironically, many conservationists believe that it is this similarity to humans (they share 96 percent of our DNA) that has endangered them so. Hopefully it is payback time now, however, and humans can be the ones to save them from their almost terminal diagnosis. A lot of conservation organisations focus not only on rehabilitation and reproduction, but also a complete re-education of local communities for whom orangutans have just been pests in the past. Or a source of income or, sometimes, just pets, which of course kills them. Conservation organisations also focus on re-educating consumers and companies that allow the biggest killer of all to happen – the destruction of rainforest habitats for palm oil, used the world over in food and cosmetic products.
Our top Sarawak Vacation
Singapore and Sarawak vacations
A wildlife and Cultural Vacation to Singapore and Sarawak
From
US $2875
14 days
inc UK flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Sarawak or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Community led conservation projects are what are really creating a change in Sarawak, however, and these also provide some of the most fascinating and life affirming experiences for visitors keen to contribute to orangutan conservation efforts. The finest examples of this is among Sarawak’s Iban tribes in the Batang Ai National Park, where 90 percent of the state’s orangutans live and where the Ulu Menyang Wildlife Conservation Area has recently been created. This, like other park initiatives, is managed by the indigenous Iban people, who are the ancestral custodians of these lush landscapes, the mountains and the jungle as well its rare wildlife, including the orangutans. Conservation trips here are the real thing, traveling into remote parts of the park along the river, and staying in traditional longhouses within the community.
Volunteers can participate in the rehabilitation centers, working hand in hand with the Iban, who value the exchange of knowledge and common need to care for the orangutans, just as much as visitors do. You may not be allowed to have contact with the ‘Old Man of the Forest’, but communicating with some of these wise old men of the Iban, trekking with them in the forest, learning their traditional handicrafts, fishing and cooking with them, or simply sharing sunrises and sunsets is something you will never forget. Ultimately, orangutan conservation isn’t about areas, or sanctuaries or centers. It is about people, their positive interaction with nature, their historic understanding and newly regained respect of precious primates. It is about knowledge and care for future generations. No matter what tribe you come from, or what words you use.
Responsible Travel would like to thank the Sarawak tourist board for their sponsorship of this guide
More about Sarawak
A quick glimpse at our temperature & rainfall chart will tell you the best time to visit Sarawak in terms of the weather however, delve a little deeper and you’ll discover a month by month guide.
If you’re looking to learn all about Malaysia’s largest state then our Sarawak travel guide does just the job with a brief history of Sarawak as well as a 2 minute summary to help you travel like a local on your Sarawak vacation.
Make the most of your time by checking out our interactive map of highlights, travel times and suggested itineraries which will give you a much better idea as to where to go in Sarawak and what to do when you get there.
There's lots of things to do in Sarawak with Mulu National Park, Bako National Park and Gunung National Park all providing trekking and nature trails to help you understand everything from orangutan conservation to living like a local.
If you travel into the Central Highlands of Sarawak you'll find the Lun Bawang people living in a collection of villages known as Ba’kelalan, their culture and heritage at the core of community tourism in Sarawak.
There are some 30 Sarawak national parks, all different, all extraordinary although not all accessible - you have to keep a few secrets to yourself naturally, but our guide explains where to start your journey around the biodiverse beauties.
Sarawak adventure vacations release you into a truly spectacular natural landscape, one of dense rainforest and vibrant green plateaus snaked across by the toffee-coloured waters of the Sarawak River.
If the late, great Ella Fitzgerald were still singing on our mortal coil, she would almost certainly have graced the stage of the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak, one of the most celebrated of its kind in the world.
There are over twenty Important Bird Areas in Sarawak alone - really is birding bliss - and with a plethora of national parks too, the infrastructure allows lots of ways to go bird watching in Sarawak.
Sarawak is a truly unsurpassed destination to see the highly endangered orangutan in the wild in Batang Ai National Park, living symbiotically with the local Iban community which contributes to it's protection.
Exploring the culture in Sarawak is one of the key reasons to visit the Land of the Hornbills - tours here introduce you to riveting tribal customs, the heritage of the Brooke Dynasty, and many colourful festivals.
Discover the picturesque riverside gateway to Sarawak and Malaysian Borneo - Kuching: a romantic, sophisticated city that's just as rich with culture heritage as it is with colourful atmosphere.
It’s easily reached from both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore by air, and there is a great deal to see in a fairly compact area, so the benefits of a short tour to Sarawak are as clear as the waters of its many dive sites.
The illustrious Brooke dynasty heritage can be seen across Sarawak, from the historic wooden forts they built to protect their kingdom, to renowned museums and a beautiful palace by the river.
Sarawak wildlife ranges from the endangered orangutans that are found only here and Sumatra to big-nosed proboscis monkeys, rare Irrawaddy dolphins and sea turtles, found across some 30 protected areas.
Traveling in Sarawak with kids is all about finding things they’ll enjoy and learn from at the same time with cultural villages, Kuching Cat Museum and the Sarawak Caves in Gunung National Park all perfect activities.
If you’re searching for Sarawak travel advice then make sure you pay attention to the tips from our friends - we’ve published a few pearls of wisdom to help you travel safely with kids, and without.
Wildlife & environment issues are integral to responsible tourism in Sarawak - reforestation, volunteering responsibly and positive community tourism are just a few of the areas you’ll need to read about to travel better.
protection
- Recently viewed
