Thumbnail

Fuze Ecoteer Outdoor Adventures

Why choose Fuze Ecoteer Outdoor Adventures?

Fuze Ecoteer Outdoor Adventures is a social enterprise with a bite. Let us connect you to nature!

Our team members are all experienced & passionate people who love adventure and sharing their knowledge. The projects contribute to the local economy through services rendered. We are working with the marine parks in Perhentian to co-manage the islands in terms of its waste management, the conservation of its marine ecosystems, the education of its future Eco-leaders & we have set up a humble recycling system.

We are very proud of our Anak Pulau, local youth whom we have trained to scuba dive and we go out every Wednesday with them to remove ghost nests and other urgent tasks. Our Guardians of the islands.

As a lisenced travel company we also lead camps and expeditions for universities, grammar schools and international school students throughout Malaysia and Indonesia. Our aim is to make education and conservation fun, insightful while also connecting our participants to nature!

Impact

Ethical Impact

We have seen an increasing number of sea turtle nests at the beaches in Perhentian from 2008 when just 254 nests to 554 in 2023. We have trained over 20 villagers in scuba and conservation skills and they now join us on a daily rate wage to help remove ghost nets and other conservation actions. We have raised in just 2023 over RM100,000 for the local community at Lembah Subang Low Cost housing area.

Reviews

Default avatar
Hao Yon
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Review for the marine volunteer

I joined the team for a week or so as a volunteer for their marine research programme, and through that I learned so many things. As a Malaysian myself and as a person quite invested and well learned in our conservation side of things, these guys are one of the best at what they do.
I would highly recommend it to ANYONE interested in learning more about our beautiful islands and oceans, from learning about to sea turtles to seeing the magical coral reefs up close, it truly is a once in a lifetime experience.

What was your funniest moment?
Probably seeing a titan triggerfish swim past me as I was snorkelling, it was hilariously scary.
Pros
  • Beautiful scenery, the perhentian islands are truly magical. I daresay they rival those over in Borneo.
  • Amazing people, like most Malaysians, the people there are extremely friendly and welcoming.
  • Fuze Ecoteers themselves are amazing, from the founder Dan all the way down to the newest hire.
Cons
  • Like everything Malaysian, its extremely warm and humid. And since its a rural village, theres not much air conditioning.
  • The food, if you arent a fan of Malay food then its probably gonna be challenging.
  • It can be heartbreaking if you arent used to seeing the damaged oceans up close, from dead turtles to bleaching corals. If you can't stomach it, then youre in for a hard ride
Default avatar
Aleecia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Dive Volunteer

I recommend this program for those who want to get involved in marine conservation & improve their skills in scuba diving. During my time, the staffs were helpful. I got new friends. The villagers in Perhentian Island were nice too. Food was good except volunteers need to make their own breakfast so if you’re a picky eater, bring your own preferable breads or foods. The accommodations should be improved because the image shown is not the same as in reality. I rate this program 9/10, -1 for the accommodations.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
- Bring your own breads or snacks (food are a lil bit pricey on the island)
- Portable fan
- Dry bag
- Waterproof phone pouch
- Hangers (you go for diving for 4 days so you will need plenty of hangers to hang your wet clothes)
Pros
  • Boost self esteem
  • Improve diving skills
  • Make new memories
Cons
  • Heat (the weather is so hot)
  • Mosquitoes at night
  • Gecko in the toilet
Default avatar
Ian
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Perhentian Marine Research Centre Review

After the long two weeks I have spent on the Perhentian Islands in the Perhentian Marine Research Station Volunteering Activity, I have gained so much experience as well as made new memorable memories. I would highly recommend this trip to those who want to learn more about our oceans as well as those who want to discover.

Firstly, I don’t the pricing to be quite reasonable for well maintained and updated equipment. I feel safe when diving with the equipment provided. I would recommend bringing your own scuba mask if anyone plans to take part in this activity.

Secondly, I find the staff friendly. They aren’t shy and I find their guidance helpful. They really go out of their way to prepare and make sure every activity is fun and exciting. If you need any help or have any questions, the staff is always there to assist you with any issues.

Moreover, I have learnt various new diving skills like scientific diving skills and conservation of my country’s water. I have gained an abundant of new memories. This programme has shown me the importance of our oceans and the effects of human presence to our waters. I have gained a new perspective when it comes to judging the condition of our oceans and wish to do more to preserve it.

Aside from the pros, I do find that the accommodation is a little under maintained when I arrived. I have experienced a little bed bug bites on my hands, the mattresses were old and contained bed bugs. This is not a serious issue as the staff progressively renovated the place. On the second week after the mattresses were cleaned, the issue was solved.

To sum up, I would recommend this programme to those who are looking for some research experience as well as those who want to learn scientific diving as well as recreational diving.

Pros
  • Worth it
  • Friendly staff
  • Impactful
Cons
  • Accommodation issues
Default avatar
Jin Ru
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fun Experience in this Perhentian Turtle Project

This is so much fun!!! Highly recommended!!!! Really worth the money and time, it is a valuable experience. The staff are friendly, they answer most of our queries and are suitable to chat with, we have a lot of fun with them. I really love how the project goes, as we go for kayak survey, Turtle ID, and most importantly, we get to go to the turtle nesting beach to help and save the turtle eggs!!! We learn how to differentiate the species of turtles, what they feed on, where they mostly nested, how to take care of their eggs, what to do when you encounter the turtles appearing to nest on the beach, etc. The food is absolutely delicious, I love it!!! It is really worth a second trip!!!

Pros
  • The experience is amazing. Lifetime experience
  • Worth the money
  • Friendly staff
Cons
  • Living condition can be improved
  • Safety measures can be improved
  • Hygiene can be improved
Default avatar
Rachel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Volunteer Conservation Projects in Malaysia

last year, I was inspired to join a volunteer program but I wasn't so sure where to start searching. A friend of mine recommended Fuze Ecoteer's Perhentian Turtle Project and ever since then, it has been the best volunteer program I've ever joined so far. It was definitely eye-opening as it was also hands-on. During the program, I was taught on how to swim and kayak in the open sea, identify turtles and was even lucky enough to get to name a new identified turtle during my program. We lived in village amongst a local community, which is also a unique experience for even for a Malaysian myself who has come from the hustle and bustle of cities. On the 4th and 5th day of the program ,we've also camped at the beach and joined a night watch to watch over the turtle hatchings and released them at night. It was a well structured program for volunteers looking to learn something new and work closely with the program team leads. It was a good combination of volunteer work and relaxation, as you get some downtime to go snorkelling at Perhentian's beautiful and clean waters or just relax by the beach. I had an amazing time and I would definitely recommend anyone to join.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
I was honestly afraid when they said that we would have to swim without life-jackets in order to get close to the turtles (although it was not mandatory), but the team leads were very supportive and great at showing how it's done and since then, I was able to learn how to swim in open waters confidently, even without a life jacket.

Programs

Displaying 1 - 1 of 1

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

What was your funniest moment?

At the end of the week, the FUZE volunteers and interns plus a group of elder Batek women (local indigenous group) went camping in the forest together. It was an unbelievable experience. On the way out to our campsite, myself and another volunteer named Rachel were sitting in the back of the pick-up truck with the Batek. We were chatting and leisurely taking in the gorgeous scenery as we off-roaded. We started to get closer to a hanging tree branch so we ducked as we went under the fruit tree, which was covered with ants. We didn’t realize until we were in the thick of it and then the ants started biting us and we were all screaming and in the fiasco, I dumped my coffee all over Rachel who was screaming “Ants, ants, ants” and then “Ants and coffee! Ants and coffee!” The bites stung a little, but we were all in hysterics. Rachel had left her GoPro on during the drive, and the footage of the ant and coffee bit is hilarious.

Pick one word to describe your experience.

Surreal

What was the strangest thing you ate?

Durian! It’s the weirdest fruit with an odd smell. Malays LOVE it, with all due respect I think it may be an acquired taste.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

One of the days we did a cave tour trek where we climbed inside and hiked through several caves. One of the caves was nicknamed the Star Cave, and when we got to the darkest and most open part of the cave, the entire ground sparkled like diamonds. It was so gorgeous, and of course looked like thousands of twinkling stars. I had never seen anything like that before (besides bioluminescence in the ocean) it was as stunning as it was surprising.

What was the scariest moment?

The cave trek we went on was a bit more advanced (there are many different options you can choose from). While I wouldn’t say it was particularly scary, there were several times on that trek that gave a rush of adrenaline! We walked in water up to our waists with bats, turtles, frogs, spiders, and snakes, crawled through tiny passages on our bellies, and even traversed between two tight walls with a 10-foot drop below. Felt very adventurous, and a little scary but in a good way!

What were the locals you met like?

The Malays we met were so kind and outgoing. Everyone was really friendly and happy to engage in a conversation to learn more about Fuze and what we were doing in the neighborhood. Generally (outside of Fuze) I found Malaysia to be a friendly, warm and safe place to travel. The locals definitely attributed to the impression the country left on me.

What was the funniest/strangest/most insightful thing a local said?

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how big of an impact American music and media has on the rest of the world. I cracked up when a Malay friend I made at Fuze knew all the words (and dance moves!) to the latest Drake song. We sang (and danced) to it all week, it made us laugh and put a smile on both our faces! (Kiki do you looovee me?)

What was it like getting there?

It’s very far from California! I definitely recommend arriving a day or two early to stay in Kaula Lumpur and get acclimatized to the time difference and weather before heading to the jungle. The bus from KL to the project site was super nice and very well organized. Really easy to use public transport in Malaysia, much easier than public transport in the States in my opinion. The Fuze staff meets you at the bus stop when you arrive to take you to the volunteer house.

Where did you stay?

Fuze has a volunteer house in the town of Merapoh. It’s the home base for the volunteers, interns and Fuze staff. The volunteer room had AC (score!) and the place had the vibe of a laid-back hostel. The roof was my favorite, great place to do some yoga in the mornings and evenings. We even had a bonfire one night.

On my program there was one other volunteer from the UK, and we met several of the Fuze interns from Malaysia, the U.K., and Australia. It was great to get to know the interns because they are stationed there for a few months and have a ton of conservation knowledge. Was inspiring to be around folks so passionate about the forests we went to visit each day.

What was your favorite part?

Camping was my favorite! It was a great way to end the week, and we had a really fun time as a group. It was incredible to see how the Batek make their local tents out of the forest and to learn how to cook traditionally -- inside of fresh bamboo that we cut down.

What was the hardest part?

This is going to sound silly. But I was kind of a baby at the beginning with all of the bugs (mozzies + leeches!) It had been a while since I’d been in a jungle like that, and I forgot what it was like to be surrounded by bugs, and well nature. It was hard for me to be comfortable with flicking leeches off my legs at first (I screamed every time), but quickly I realized that it wasn’t that bad. Just took some getting used to! For the record, leeches are totally harmless and are in fact good for your circulation. That said, Fuze provides you with leech socks and I didn't have one attach to me the whole week, in case you’re worried like I was, don’t be.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Daniel Quilter

Job Title
Co Founder
Daniel is a blue and green person with a deep love for marine and forests alike. He started Ecoteer in 2005 after 2 years of internships in SE Asia and really wanted to help more people get involved in conservation work in the region.
Daniel Quilter

Interview

What is your favorite travel memory?

The morning i had the inspiration to start Ecoteer. I was cleaning a board walk in the forests of Borneo ready for the tourists to use and I heard this hooting noise, it was a Bornean Gibbon, but not just one it was a pair, and its very rare to see these gibbons up close but that morning they came down to the boardwalk right in front of me. Wow such an amazing privilege's and Gibbons are actually my favourite animal.

I have also seen fresh tiger footprints whilst jungle trekking and that really makes the hairs on the back of my neck tingle. Just amazing, you are in a forest where it seems empty but its not, the animals are there watching us! its an amazing feeling.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I founded Ecoteer in 2005 which later became Fuze Ecoteer in 2015. I think each day is different that I personally have learnt so many skills. When i was at school I could never have thought I would be leading a group of 12 amazing individuals which now work with us. So I think the leadership has changed in me BUT i always remember to be thankful and humble, our team are very good, passionate and intelligent, and I personally love seeing how they grow and develop.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

I don't think I have a specific story but many return saying that Perhentian has a place in their heart. One of our ex vols from 2008 has started a similar project near Bali at Gili and another is a lecturer in the UK and she brings her students to the islands every year for an Environmental Science Fieldtrip. So I think the place grabs people and doesn't let go.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

Me personally I would go on one which goes from KL to Merapoh to Perhentian. So I get to experience the Green to the Blue, the forests to the sea. There is so much natural beauty in Malaysia and the good thing is that tourism is not that big in Peninsular Malaysia so you get to go places where not many tourists go. In KL you can help with our plastic recycling project with the local community and in Perhentian you can live in the village where not many foreign tourists go. The foreign tourists would go to the beach resorts, so you get a chance to see the real Malaysia.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

We have also now started to train up the youth in Perhentian Islands, these are the kids I taught to swim back in 2010 and now they are adults and joining our actions. Its amazing to see them become divemasters and help us remove ghosts nets, it shows that our Eco Education project really works and starts the ball rolling. Also our project in KL, we are working with a low cost housing area where the people are amazing and have really taken to our precious plastic recycling project. We didn't ask them, but they have started their own recycling initiative off their own back.

I am so proud of what our team has achieved, not me, our team.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I truly believe that being humble and not judgmental is the KEY to success for conservation with local communities and I instill this into our team. We don't know what other issues and problems those people are going through, so why should we judge them that they don't recycle their plastic when they have other bigger issues such as food security or just money issues. So I instill this into the team and it works with the communities we work with. To listen and to show empathy and then we can truly see what the issues are.

So for example our recycling system in Perhentian Island, it's not perfect, it's a work in progress but we are seeing people slowly changing and starting to use the recycling bins more. This takes a lot of time and understanding. And this year we will expand it to the resorts, now the resort staff don't have time or the interest to clean and separate all the different types of waste, but they can put the recyclable items into a green bin bag and other waste into a black bin. Plus the guys who collect the waste actually do go through the rubbish to take out some of the recyclable materials to make a few extra $$$s so the system now helps them to make more money and they don't need to go through the bins and get dirty and smelly as the resorts will have already sorted the waste out into recyclable and non-recyclable. Everyone wins, that took some time to understand the problem. The bin bag solution was the brain child of one of our past local interns with Blue Temple.