Fuze Ecoteer Outdoor Adventures Reviews

I spent a week in Merapoh and cannot explain how much I enjoyed it. This was thr first week of a five months of travelling. Despite a small mix up with my arrival date the team where there to welcome me. I was a bit nervous as this was my first solo trip but the team made me feel at home immediately- playing bananagrams and eating toast. I loved the fact this project was off the tourist route, it gave me a real insight into how people led their everyday lives in Mayalsia. All the local people I met in Merapoh itself were warm and friendly and genuinely wanted you to enjoy their hospitality.

I adored the relax vibe of the team house as well as how eco-friendly the house was. It really impressed me the lengths the team went to reduce, reuse, recycle.

The conservation work was smashing. This is where my passion is and it was so interesting to have a Batek guide as well as members of the team to explain the conservation work they are trying to do in the area. At first I was apprehensive about working with the children in the Batek school. Working with children had never been something I was interested in. The team are so loved my the kids in the village which immediately put me at ease. The team work so hard a lesson preparation, especially when Malay isn't even some of their first languages! even if it doesn't go to plan the classes are still relaxed and fun. It is on the terms of the village people which I really liked to see.

I loved the food as well, lunches from the local shop, the night markets, the food we cooked ourselves all delicious, my mouth is watering just thinking about the Rotti. Not even the leaches could dampen my spirits when we camped out in the forest or when we where hip deep in muddy water in the caves. All these experiences I will cherish dearly.

Overall it was a top class week. Relaxed but very interesting and thought provoking. This trip has 100% inspired me to do more volunteering and I couldn't recommend it enough to anyone who is ready to get stuck in.

My first ever experience at volunteering and I was so nervous. I wasn't to sure what to expect before I left. I had read all the information, twice or more. Fortunately there was full contact with the volunteer coordinator at WRC and all my odd questions were answered. On arrival all my fears disappeared as I was introduced to my new family and shown all I needed to know. I really felt welcome and loved/appreciated. The excitement I felt the following morning waking in a jungle to gibbons calling but still having those essential creature comforts. I was only able to stay 2 weeks and time flew by so fast. All I want to do now is return and give all my babies that I looked after big cuddles. Once a volunteer always a volunteer. Thank you WRC for letting me have this amazing experience.

I had the chance to actually get to know one of the keepers quite personally. He shared stories of his hardships and family. It allowed me to understand how difficult life can be for a Javan native and the fear of their own children never moving beyond the village they are born in. Although poverty stands out, the richness of the land, its animals and its culture stands out.
I had the chance to get close to Dwi, a former animal vet at the sanctuary, and she told me of her dreams to leave the island and do something more. I even experienced a wedding party and was amazed how people with little can give so much and feed a village as a blessing for their wedding day. I dont have just one story, I have a collection of events that shaped my thinking. Today, Parjono, lives ten minutes away from me married to a former volunteer and so a piece of Indonesia will always be here with me in America.

My friend Amina and I volunteered in the Perhentian Islands (community & conservation project). During our stay, we had the opportunity to work with the children and participate in lots of other fun activities (malay dinners, jungle trek, snorkelling etc). It was also great to be able to learn some of the malay language. The locals were so welcoming. I have never met such heart warming and friendly people. We stayed in the volunteer house in the village which was a great experience. A big thank you to the interns ( (El, Sheryn, Imran & Ainn) for making us feel so welcome and making our trip so memorable. You are all amazing!! :D I wish we had stayed longer, it really is an experience like no other! We hope to visit the beautiful Perhentian Islands again soon!! p.s the food was amazing (SEDAP!!)

I was on internship as a photographer during 3 months.
Most of the time I spent on the picturesque island - Perhentian, but also have the opportunity to participate in the project in Merapoh, and see other places in Malaysia, for example impressive capital - Kuala Lumpur.

I experienced some memorable adventures as:
- Snorkelling on the paradise island;
- Offroad through Belum Tropical Rainforest;
- Spend a night in the jungle (two times);
- Abseiling 70 meters from the rocks.

I had the opportunity to know other cultures and met with many great people from all over the world, which certainly contributed to my personal development.

I recommend this internship for sure!

I can only recommend this programme. It's been a while since I've been to Merapoh (Feb 16) but I am still thinking about this experience regularly. If you are a volunteer for the tiger conservation, you will be trekking through the jungle looking for pug marks and snares. As you can see from the other reviews, you will also be visiting the Batek (who are lovely) and will even spend a night with them in the jungle.

But for me the trekking was the best experience as you can enjoy one of the oldest forests in the world and meanwhile do something meaningful.

Also the team was so helpful all the time and we had lots and lots of fun together.

If you'd ask me if I wanted to do it again, I would just pack my things and go for it again!

PS: I was there only for a week. If you can, you should stay longer.

I had a amazing week volunteering in this program. Short, but meaningful. First, the people are really great and welcoming! Friendly locals, helpful staffs.. not just staffs but friends! Every night we will pick a movie, get our snacks and pillows ready, dim the light and it's movie time! Missing those days already. Also, jungle trek, monitor lizard encounter on jungle trek, freak ourselves out but still managed to tiptoe pass it, taking a dip at Teluk Keke (no joke, paradise on earth), jetty jump with the gang, beach cleaning, educating the locals, fun time with kids and more jetty jumps... Oh one of the highlights of this program will have to be the Malay dinners at local family home, you get to dine like a local! Put on sarung, sit on the floor and eat with your right hand. (Even though I'm a Malaysian, I barely have the chance to do that). It was truly a very worthwhile experience I'm so glad i joined. If u want to get involved in all aspects of village life, join this project and be prepared to fully immerse yourself in the community and culture! Come on Malaysian, we all know Perhentian is beautiful, but this project is way more than just a beach vacation, you get to connect with this beautiful destination! ;)

*The only downside is that I didn't stay long enough to get more involved. Keep up the good work Fuze Ecoteer! :)

This is a place where all sorts of travelers can gain new experiences, even the most experience traveler can gain personally from volunteering with ecoteer here in Merapoh! The small scale of this project means that every hand extra is truly useful, and allows you to fully immerse with the Batek and the Ecoteer team. The price is super reasonable as you get to see where the money goes, and it is aimed at only small groups of volunteers. It is true that short term volunteering means it can feel like you leave less of an impact, but even only adding numbers of visitors to this region helps the locals as well as reducing poacher numbers. The camping in the jungle is an amazing experience, where the Batek have so much knowledge we can learn from. And the Ecoteer team is absolutely amazing, people with the heart at the right spot and that know how to have fun!

My friend and I were the first volunteers of 2016 session for the Turtle Project. Being a first timer, seriously I didn't know what to expect. There were so much unforgettable memories; from our bumpy (almost cancelled) motorboat ride to the island, to the orientation jetty jump (first time as well and I'm terrified of water).

The most unforgettable of course, was the night we spent on the Tiga Ruang Beach! The beach hut was not setup and not equipped with electricity yet (see, we were the firsts few of the year), so, we spent the night sleeping at the beach while taking turn to patrol the beach for any turtle that came up to lay eggs.

Although we were not lucky enough to witness the egg laying process, but the night was definitely the best memory of 2016. The sky was clear and we could see the stars. The island was so quiet that we can hear the waves. The sea breeze temperature was just nice to be sleeping on the beach. Everything would be perfect if we were to be able to witness the egg laying process. But then again, that would be my exact excuse to be back on the project again!

All in all, it's still a good experience and would definitely recommend it to any friends that are up for extraordinary trips!

I spent two weeks with the Turtle Project in June this year and really enjoyed my time on the Perhentian Islands. The programme affords volunteers unparalleled opportunities to view green turtles in their natural habitat while making a valuable contribution to their well being through the undertaking of marine surveys and turtle watches at night. A written description of my time spent with the the project wouldn't do it justice, so I've attached a video below!

The whole team were friendly and easy to get a long with and the volunteer house was a good size with various amenities such as wi-fi if required. The house is also located in the heart of the local village so it was nice to live amongst the other islanders for the time spent there. The programme had a nice touch in that once a week we actually ate dinner with the local villagers in traditional Malay outfits. I was able to learn a lot about their culture by doing this.

As a keen scuba diver, I was also impressed with the projects links with other conservation programmes on the island such as Blue Temple and various dive shops where I was able to get involved with some diving during my time off.

As for the islands themselves, the project is set in a stunning location with golden beaches, clear waters and tropical rainforests! It truly is an island paradise as described on the website.

Overall a truly unique and rewarding experience on the Perhentian Islands. I would definitely recommend the project to others.