Mansau Borneo Expedition: 10 Days

From community infrastructure projects to forest regeneration efforts in the jungle, this expedition blends meaningful service with incredible wildlife encounters. Along the way, you’ll hike at sunrise, visit orangutan and sun bear sanctuaries, and connect with the local community.

  • Location Borneo, Asia
  • Duration 10 days
  • Expedition Type Service Expeditions

From Bongkud village to Batu Puteh jungle, this expedition balances giving back with exploration. Expect to leave with new skills, friendships, and a stronger connection to the world around you.

Asia - Borneo - round map with Camp Borneo logo
School Expedition in Borneo. Travellers walking with a beautiful landscape ahead of them
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A fully supported expedition, from start to finish

Your expedition cost is comprehensive and covers the incredible activities you’ll be taking part in, as well as the extensive support you’ll receive in the lead up to, and during, your expedition.

Don’t forget you’ll also need your vaccinations, visas, kit and some spending money. You can find guidance on all of these on your personal Traveller Gateway once you sign up.

  • International flights
  • Expedition Leader
  • Comprehensive travel insurance
  • All meals
  • Unlimited drinking water
  • All accommodation mentioned in the itinerary
  • All activities mentioned in the itinerary
  • Entrance fees for all sights mentioned in the itinerary
  • All transfers mentioned are in private vehicles
  • Local Expedition Guides
  • Project costs and management
  • 24 hour support throughout expedition

This sample itinerary will give you an insight into what you’ll be getting up to. Please note, the exact projects, activities and camps may change closer to the time of your expedition.

Day

Activities

More details

Day 1 Arrival in Borneo After landing in Borneo, you’ll be greeted by the Camp Borneo crew and begin your transfer to camp. Along the way, visit the Kundasang War Memorial, honoring the Australian and British prisoners of war who lost their lives in Sandakan. When you arrive at camp, the local community will welcome you with a traditional cultural dance performance.
Day 2 Sunrise Views and Project Orientation Wake early to hike Bongkud Hill and watch the sunrise over the countryside. Later, you’ll receive an orientation to the service-learning project work ahead, focused on improving local infrastructure and facilities for this fast-growing village. You’ll also join cultural activities such as basic language lessons and traditional dance sessions.
Day 3-4 Community Service Learning Project Spend the next two days working alongside local people on meaningful community projects. Tasks may include repairing or building school facilities, improving community infrastructure, and installing water storage systems. No matter the project, your efforts will address real community needs. You’ll also have the chance to learn traditional arts and crafts from local residents.
Day 5 Transfer to Next Camp This morning you’ll transfer to Batu Puteh, a remote jungle region. Meet the KOPEL team, a local environmental organization, who will explain the project work you’ll be undertaking here. You’ll then take a boat ride up the river to your jungle camp, where you’ll have the chance to sleep in a hammock beneath the forest canopy under the stars.
Day 6-7 Forest regeneration work Over the next two days, you’ll learn about the Borneo rainforest and its ecological importance. Working alongside KOPEL staff, you’ll help with reforestation efforts by planting native trees and supporting habitat restoration for endangered wildlife, such as orangutans.
Day 8 Sepilok and Sunbear Centres Today you will transfer to Sandakan and head to Sepilok to visit the Orangutan Sanctuary and Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre to see these incredible animals up close, and learn about the important conservation work that is taking place to protect them. In the afternoon you will visit the Sandakan War Memorial before checking into a hostel for the night.
Day 9 Explore Local Markets Return to Kota Kinabalu, and dependant on time, you may spend your final day exploring bustling local markets, sightseeing, and picking up souvenirs. Rest up ahead of your travel home tomorrow, and take time to reflect on your growth and accomplishments over your expedition.
Day 10 Departure After breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to the Camp Borneo crew and head to the airport for your flight home.

How you’ll make a difference

You’ll work on a range of projects throughout your expedition, each aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and designed to make a significant and lasting impact on the region’s most critical issues.

Habitat conservation

Borneo – Habitat conservation

Batu Puteh is an incredible haven for a large majority of Borneo’s wildlife including orangutans, elephants and proboscis monkeys, and is one of the world’s most important natural habitats. However, it’s also one of the most threatened. You’ll get involved in activities to help safeguard this wildlife paradise for future generations by helping to tackle deforestation.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

13 Climate Action

Climate action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

15 life on land

Life on land

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Community care construction

Borneo – Community centre construction

Community centres (‘Balai raya’ in Malay) are commonplace in Sabah and form an integral part of village life. A well-used and maintained community hall is often a good indicator of the health of the community itself. You’ll be getting involved in a long-term project to construct a community centre for the local community, who currently do not have one.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

8 Decent work and economic growth

Decent work and economic growth

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for al

9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Village enhancement projects

Borneo – Village enhancement projects

You’ll get involved in a number of projects to improve facilities for the rapidly growing population of Bongkud. Projects may include constructing a youth centre, improving the drainage system to ensure cleaner and healthier living and establishing a community farming programme to improve food security and encourage self-sufficiency within the village, without needing to transport supplies from larger towns.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

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Zero hunger

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

3 Good health and well-being

Good health and well-being

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

13 Climate Action

Climate action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Experience the local way of life in our authentic camps

Our camps are the heart of our expeditions. Built and staffed by locals in the traditional style, and located within the heart of communities, they are the perfect place to relax after a day of project work. You’ll get to stay in a number of camps during your expedition, which could include those featured below.

Camp Bongkud in Borneo

Camp Bongkud

Set in the shadows of the mighty Mount Kinabalu, Camp Bongkud is surrounded on all sides by lush picturesque scenery. Its hillside location gives it a pleasant breezy climate which makes it the ideal hillside retreat after a hard day’s project work.

Being in the heart of the village also has its advantages; all your project sites are only a short walk away and you can challenge the locals to a friendly game of volleyball on the community court during your downtime.

  • Location: 127 km (3-3.5 hours drive) from Kota Kinabalu Airport & 160 km from Kudat
  • Accommodation style: Traditional longhouses
  • Bed type: Comfy mattresses & bedding including mosquito net.
  • Toilets: Flushing toilets,
  • Showers: Cold water showers & sinks
  • Power: Mains electricity backed up by generator (between 18:00 – 22:00). British 3 pin power sockets
  • Social area: Chilling hut, volleyball court, badminton & board games
  • Signature dish: Banana fritters & steamed banana cake
Borneo view from a trek adventure

Camp Batu Puteh

Batu Puteh is all about getting back to nature! Our jungle camp is set in the heart of one of Borneo’s most ancient forests along the banks of the Kinabatangan river where you’ll get the chance to live alongside elephants and orangutans for an experience that’s hard to beat.

Our camp offers three types of accommodation and you’ll hopefully get a chance to try them all:

Jungle camp: Get back to basics and experience true adventure. Learn how to rough it in the jungle with local guides accompanying you and showing you the ropes. Sleep in a hammock and cook over a camp fire before falling asleep to the soothing sounds of the forest.

Eco camp: A little more luxury but still an exciting wilderness experience. This camp offers raised camping platforms where you can enjoy camping in the great outdoors.

  • Location: 350 km (6 hours drive) from Kota Kinabalu Airport & 60 km from Lahad Datu
  • Accommodation style Jungle Camp: Hammock, tarpaulin & mosquito net. No toilet or washing facilities – completely back to nature!
  • Accommodation style Eco Camp: Tents with comfy mattresses & bedding. Flushing toilets, cold showers & sinks
  • Power: Gas lighting available in eco camp
  • Signature dish: Local cakes – Linggang & Gelang

Fantastic experience, really felt our expedition to Borneo was worthwhile. Camps International have really well-trained and helpful staff, both at home and abroad. Would highly recommend a trip with Camps.

Jacob, Camp Borneo, 2023

Our local camp legends

Our camps are staffed by members of the community who will make you feel like a local in no time. These legends will make your expedition spectacular and will show you the very best of their home country.

Evelyn Binti Thomas

As a Camps traveller, you’ll get to learn about our rich Bornean culture and experience its spectacular beauty – from mountains to coasts and jungles full of flora and fauna. Many people in rural villages in Sabah don’t have the opportunity to travel to other countries, so having travellers come to stay at camp is an amazing opportunity for cultural exchange (both ways!) and inspires the younger generations to study hard and see the world.

Interested in this expedition?

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