Borneo Scuba Expedition: 3 Weeks

This expedition is about more than just travel – it’s about learning, contributing, and growing. You’ll support conservation in Borneo’s rainforests, join local communities on projects that create lasting impact, and explore the underwater world along Borneo’s beautiful coast. Along the way, you’ll develop confidence, teamwork, and resilience in a truly global setting.

  • Location Borneo, Asia
  • Duration 3 weeks
  • Expedition Type Scuba

Begin in Kota Kinabalu before heading to the coast to complete your PADI Open Water Scuba Diving Qualification, exploring vibrant coral reefs and tropical marine life. Travel inland to Camp Bongkud to work alongside local communities beneath Mount Kinabalu, before finishing your expedition in the Kinabatangan jungle, supporting forest regeneration, spotting wildlife on river safaris, and visiting Sepilok’s orangutan and sun bear conservation centres.

Map highlighting Borneo in AbC orange colour.

A fully supported expedition, from start to finish

Your expedition fee covers not just the incredible activities you’ll experience, but also the extensive guidance and support you’ll receive every step of the way. From the moment you sign up through your safe return home, our team ensures everything is organized and supported.

You’ll also need to plan for essentials like vaccinations, visas, personal gear, and a bit of spending money. Don’t worry—we make it easy. Once enrolled, you’ll get access to your personalized Traveller Gateway, with clear guidance and resources to help you prepare with confidence.

  • Round-trip international flights
  • Expedition Leader (qualified and experienced)
  • Accident and health insurance
  • All meals
  • Unlimited, safe drinking water
  • All accommodations listed in the itinerary
  • All activities listed in the itinerary
  • Entrance fees for all included excursions
  • All in-country transfers by private, approved vehicles
  • Project materials, costs, and management
  • 24/7 support throughout the expedition

This sample itinerary will give you a preview of what your expedition could look like. Please note that specific projects, activities, and camp locations may vary depending on local needs and conditions at the time of your expedition.

Day

Activities

More details

Day 1 Arrive in Kota Kinabalu On arrival in Kota Kinabalu, you will be met by the Camp Borneo crew, recognizable by their bright orange T-shirts and beaming smiles. The team will make sure you’re fed and rested before the adventure truly begins.
Day 2 Transfer to Dive Island Enjoy a relaxing morning to recover from your long flight before taking a short boat transfer across to the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, where you will conduct your PADI Open Water Diver course. This first day is typically dedicated to general paperwork and equipment fitting before your practical diving begins the following morning.
Day 3 – 6 PADI Open Water Scuba Dive Course Apply your online learning to practical skills, starting with confined water drills in a training pool before progressing to beach and boat dives. Your ultimate goal is to achieve your full PADI Open Water Diver qualification. As you explore the surrounding waters, you will discover a variety of vibrant corals and marine life, including sea turtles and clownfish.
Day 7 Transfer to Camp Bongkud Embark on a scenic drive to Camp Bongkud, winding up over the shoulder of Mt. Kinabalu with stunning views across the rolling hills and dense jungle. Along the way, stop briefly at the Kundasang War Memorial to learn about the history of POWs during WWII. Upon arrival at camp, you will receive an entry briefing, a camp orientation, and a village tour from the camp manager. After dinner, enjoy a traditional cultural welcome performance hosted by the local youth.
Day 8-14 Community Service Learning Project Spend the next several days working alongside local community members on meaningful projects that are designed by and for the community themselves. Tasks may include assisting with local infrastructure, improving water drainage, or supporting small-scale eco-tourism initiatives. On at least one of these mornings, the team will wake up early to hike nearby Bongkud Hill, catching a spectacular sunrise over the countryside in the shadow of the mighty Mt. Kinabalu. Each afternoon, the community – especially the local youth – gathers on the sports pitch, offering a wonderful opportunity to interact.
Day 15 A Day in the Life Today is dedicated to exploring daily life in the village. Immersive activities may include visiting the local market, working in the rice fields to see how rice is grown and harvested, fishing in the local lake, or heading to a rubber plantation to learn how sap is tapped from the trees.
Day 16 Into the Jungle Following an early start and a fond farewell to the community, board the bus and head east across the state toward the jungle region of Batu Puteh. Here, meet the team at KOPEL – a local community cooperative – who will introduce the conservation projects you will support and discuss the challenges facing this fragile jungle environment. In the afternoon, travel along the river to our eco-camp, where you will spend the night sleeping in hammocks under the stars.
Day 17 – 18 Forest Regeneration Project Spend the next two days contributing to vital forest regeneration work, including seed collection, tree planting, and learning about traditional ethnobotany. You will also have the chance to spot incredible local wildlife during river safaris as you transfer between the camp and work sites. Keep your eyes peeled to see if you can spot some of the region’s iconic primate species along the riverbanks!
Day 19 Orangutans & Sun Bears An early departure from the jungle brings you to Sepilok to visit the world-renowned Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Here, observe these incredible animals up close and learn about the crucial conservation work protecting them. In the afternoon, visit the Sandakan War Memorial before checking into a local hostel for the night.
Day 20 Travel to Kota Kinabalu This morning, journey back to Sabah’s capital city, Kota Kinabalu. Time permitting, enjoy a highlights tour of the city before heading out for a final celebration dinner.
Day 21 Departure It is time to bid goodbye to Borneo. Say your final farewells to the crew and team before transferring 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.

Travellers collecting plastic waste on a beach.

Borneo – Ecotourism and recycling initiatives

Waste management is a big problem for the small islands, and the natural environment is suffering as a result. You’ll work with a local NGO on a recycling centre which gives local people a place to recycle plastic waste so it doesn’t end up on the beaches. You may also participate in constructing eco-tourism stalls and structures to raise awareness of environmental issues.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

4 Quality Education

Quality education

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

13 Climate Action

Climate action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

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

Experience the local way of life in our authentic camps

Our camps are at the heart of every expedition. Built in traditional styles and staffed by local community members, they offer an authentic place to rest and recharge after a day of service learning project work.

Depending on your itinerary, you’ll stay in several of our camps. These could include those featured below.

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

All the camps staff were super friendly and helpful. It was incredible experience learning about different cultures. To see the project work completed by the end of the stay in a particular camp was so satisfying and knowing that the local community would benefit from it.

Asha, Camp Borneo 2023

Our local camp legends

Our camps are staffed by local community members who will quickly make you feel at home. These amazing team members bring each expedition to life and share the very best of their country with you.

Evelyn Binti Thomas

As a Camps traveler, 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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