Volunteer with Sun Bears in Borneo

I am getting on very well at the bear centre and really enjoying the experience.. and I am having a wonderful experience of the jungle! Volunteering with Sun Bears in Borneo has been an amazing experience and I am so glad I did it .

The work at the sun bear centre was more varied than I had expected, and we worked more closely with the bears than I had hoped. Being a part of the process of rehabilitation, especially in regards of three young bears at the centre was amazing. I created a dry cage for them, watched them take their first steps into the jungle and later on saw them climbing trees, foraging and playing out in their rain-forest enclosure. It is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the process of rehabilitation and the biodiversity in the rainforest.

I had a spare 2 weeks in my travelling plans and emailed Oyster World Wide explaining I loved to travel, loved all animals and wanted to volunteer somewhere that made a difference. I received an email a few hours later with lots of ideas and projects that suited my time frame and the rough areas I was already travelling in. I only booked my oyster worldwide volunteering project a couple of weeks before the start date but they were fantastic from start to finish, answering any questions usually within hours of me sending emails or proving me with information packs that gave very in depth details and information about the project so I felt prepared and ready by the time the start date came. The project itself was a fantastic experience. I have travelled extensively over the years but this was by far one of the most exciting, rewarding and fun experiences of all my travels. We had great accommodation, simple, basic and came with a few “creatures” but was more than what we needed and actually much better than I had imagined. We had a weekly food budget but shared our cooking within the group to make the budget stretch. Each morning we worked in teams directly with the animals, helping to hide food for them and clean their night time enclosures. This was hard work but made fun by music, the friendly and fun staff and made all the worthwhile once you learnt the stories of each animals and how they came to be at the sanctuary. We then had a lunch break in the heat which was time for ourselves to relax, play games, swim in the river, take a much needed nap or spend time with the animals. Each afternoon was different. We got to participate in releasing wild animals back in the wild, special moments I’ll never forget, create enrichments for the animals (hidden food or creating puzzles for them to keep them challenged), painting inside and outside enclosures and daily maintenance. Our evenings were free time. We spent them doing a night time jungle walk, spotting many different animals and plants, swimming in the river (watch out for crocs- we didn’t see any), playing games, cooking and eating together, watching movies and getting to know each other. You will meet many people of different ages and walks of life, each on their own adventure. It’s a fantastic way to meet new people and make new friends. I went on to explore Singapore with the girls in my house after the project. We had 2 days off during the project where we relaxed at the beach and enjoyed a local festival. If you love to travel, experience new cultures and places, love animal and want to give something back then I couldn’t recommend Oyster World Wide enough. I am already planning next year’s adventure.

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As my first trip overseas, it was very ambitious of me to go to Borneo. It was terrifying. But Oyster helped me through every step of the process and after plenty of planning, asking questions and researching, I was just about ready to go. The transfer from airport to accommodation was timed perfectly, and on arrival I was welcomed by the project supervisor, Mark. He was friendly, helpful and reassuring. My first day of volunteering was difficult, as I was jet lagged and didn't adjust to working in the heat too well! But the whole team were great, they checked on me regularly and all of them were happy to take over my chores if I needed a break to sit down. I had an amazing two weeks with them, getting to know the bears and the people. Two weeks was just about enough to learn my way around, settle in and enjoy the time. I would definitely recommend a longer stay though! Minimum of 4 weeks, if you can! Oyster were very helpful through the booking and travel processes, answering any small questions I had and providing extra information. As Anne has visited the animal welfare projects, she knows how they all work, accomodation and the people. It was very reassuring to know that it's all been checked, so I would be safe and well looked after, as I had only just turned 18! Overall, it was an incredible experience and I am going back to visit the bear sanctuary this summer to see how they're all doing. It's a great way to see a new country, immerse yourself in the culture and be part of an incredible team who are making progress in helping this beautiful bear species.