PRECIOUS PLASTICS, ANIMAL & CULTURE CONSERVATION PROJECT
Global Goals Covered
Highlights
Set up a Precious Plastic recycling centre
Learn traditional living techniques with the indigenous Batek tribe
Learn how to create Eco Bricks made from recycled plastic
Track & record endangered animal tracks to aid the Malaysian Government in animal conservation
This unique 7 day trip to the centre of Malaysia will have you meet and interact with the special indigenous Batek tribe of people. With fewer than 1,600 Batek living in their homelands, you will be working with them to help protect their environment and way of life from habitat destruction and plastic waste, as well as learning how they live off the land. You will also be assisting the Malaysian government in monitoring & recording tracks and markings of endangered tigers, leopards and gibbons.
Our time with the Batek people, assisting them in various projects, is something very few people will ever have the opportunity to do. This will be an undoubted highlight of your week in Malaysia, supported by other exciting activities, such as endangered animal tracking, river tubing and traditional life techniques such as campfire building and hunter-gatherer skills
An Overview
This adventure will allow you to help with a Conservation and Community Development Project, located on the Sungai Yu Wildlife Corridor on the border of Taman Negara National Park. You will be amongst the few that have helped to collect wildlife data (for animals such as the Malayan Tiger, Leopards, Asian Elephants and Gibbons), search for snares safely and patrol these forests, thus reducing the number of wild animals being poached.
In addition you will be assisting the indigenous Batek people in building and installing a “Precious Plastic” recycling centre, that will allow the local people to collect discarded plastic and use it to create items that they can sell and generate income from. This not only helps to protect the natural environment of the Batek, but enables them to generate an income from collected waste. You will also spend time with the Batek learning to forage and to collect tree saplings for use in their tree nursery.
Batek people will teach the students how to make campfires, cook food using bamboo and even how to use a blow pipe. Students time with the Batek people is truly unique and something many of us will never have the opportunity to experience.
Pre Trip Activities
In order for the participating students to get as much experience, knowledge and enjoyment from the trip to Malaysia as possible, Mountain Quests will prepare the students before the departure in a seminar. The preparatory seminar sessions can be arranged at the school or online. The seminar usually includes topics on cultural sensitivity, specific development challenges facing Malaysia and an in-depth explanation of the Precious Plastic Project. All students will receive pre-departure information containing YouTube videos, articles and other material in order to gain further insight of the project and the destination. If needed, an information meeting for parents can also be arranged as well.
This Trip Is Best For
Students who are:
Excited to meet, interact and work with an indigenous people of Malaysia with the aim of protecting their home and surrounding habitat
Interested in wildlife conservation and being actively involved in collecting data to enhance their chances of survival from extinction
Comfortable being in the hot and humid conditions of primary rainforest during their stay in Malaysia
The Itinerary
We will fly as a group to Kuala Lumpur where we will be met by our ground team at the airport. Your head guide will accompany and lead you throughout your week in Malaysia and will take you to the hotel to check in. After a brief rest we will be given a briefing of the trip, as well as engaging in some ice-breaker exercises to help us tune in to our surroundings for the next 7 days. Dinner will be had at “Little India”, and area of the city famous for its textile and jewelry shops as well as many low-key Indian restaurants.
Today we will gear up for our journey out to Gua Musang. Beginning with an early 8am breakfast, we will be boarding our bus roughly an hour later. Following our trip, we will arrive to have lunch at the Kesedar Inn before unpacking and settling into our rooms. To ready ourselves for the start of our project, we will be attending a lecture informing us of the necessary information regarding the work we will be doing in the following days.
To relax after our long day of travelling, we will be playing a series of field games in the early evening. After working up enough of an appetite, we will head out to dinner. To end the night off, we will partake in a series of science and maths tasks related to conservation and mapping. Between the tasks and earlier lecture, you will now be fully prepared for the projects ahead. It is now time to head back to our rooms to get a good night sleep before a busy third day.
Following breakfast, we will head to the Sungai Yu Wildlife Reserve where we will be trekking through the jungle. When we go into the forest we don’t go on the normal beaten path. We generally follow animal trails with few humans visiting these areas. We will look for signs of animals, which includes pugmarks, scat and scratchings on trees.
The information we gather is collected using the SMART Conservation Tool and handheld GPS units. The students will not only learn about the purpose but also learn how to collect the information. The data collected is then given to the government to build into a generic combined database to help enhance everyone’s knowledge on the animal presence.
After a busy morning hiking in the forest, we will take a break and have some well-deserved lunch. In the afternoon we will visit a local cocoa plantation and learn about how to plant and harvest sustainable cocoa and compare their agricultural practice to monoculture plantations. Later in the afternoon we will participate in agroforestry with the mission to harvest both cocoa as well as preserving the biodiversity of the land. Then we will travel back to Kasadar Inn for some dinner and rest.
Today is going to get messy! In the morning we make our way to the Precious Plastic site where we will learn and engage in turning trash into cash. We will make small recyclable products we get to keep as souvenirs. We will also learn how to make Eco Bricks, which uses plastic waste, and turns it into a brick that can be used in a variety of different products and constructions. Then the students from the village will join us and we will teach them how to use the Precious Plastic machinery so they can make various items from plastic waste as well as making Eco Bricks!
After a full day of working on the project we’ll head back to the village for some more fun and games with the local students. In the late afternoon we travel back to Kasadar Inn for some dinner and time for reflections before heading to bed.
Today is time to learn jungle life skills from the Batek people. This traditionally semi nomadic tribe knows the jungle like no one else. We will learn how to make fire to cook our own lunch using bamboo. In the afternoon we will learn how to use the blowpipe and track animals in the jungle. No animals are killed during this. We will spend the afternoon in the Batek village playing football and other games. We will end the day with a big dinner together with the local village. We travel back to Kasadar Inn in for some needed rest.
After breakfast we jump on the bus for a scenic drive. After a few hours on the bus we will reach Ipho and Roots Eco Resort where we can have a full day of fun and relaxation. In the afternoon we get to enjoy a refreshing river tubing ride down the river and afterwards we’ll also get some hangout time by the pool. We end the day with a great barbeque to celebrate the end of the trip and we’ll get to watch some performances by staff. The students and teachers are welcome to join in!
Today is our final day of the trip, so after breakfast we'll take our bus ride to the airport and fly back home.
Heath And Safety
Health and sanitary conditions will vary depending on location. Major cities like Kuala Lumpur have a much higher level of sanitation than remote areas. In the village students will stay in a clean and comfortable guesthouse with western style amenities, as well as air conditioning.
International private hospitals of very high standard can be found in Kuala Lumpur. Health services in the major cities are easy to access and include big hospitals and small clinics. Minor issues such as cuts or bruises are easily handled in a clinic in Merapoh or at a larger hospital in Gua Musang. For major issues such as broken bones, surgery, head injuries etc., a trip back to Kuala Lumpur is often recommended. It is important that students are covered with the correct insurance to deal with this, and we can assist with how to apply for this.
All of our guides are first aid trained. We have with us at all times a full and well-equipped medical kit. The contents of this can be shared with you prior to departure. Students are required to provide us information on dietary requirements, allergies and their health and travel insurance before departure. All allergies and dietary requirements can be taken into consideration and managed.
FAQs
Do I need to be physically fit for this trip?
A medium level of fitness is required for the Jungle walks. The walks are supposed to be slow to enable the guides to search for tracks and animal signs however this is a tropical rainforest where humidity can reach 90-100%, which can be tiring. Plenty of water is provided to prevent dehydration.
What is the weather like?
Malaysia is a hot and humid country all year around. The hot season starts from March - September with occasional heavy rain in the evening or night. The rainy season or monsoon season will be from late October - early February with daily rain. Temperatures in the day will be around 30°C or more and about 25°C at night.
Is the food and water safe?
Food and water is absolutely safe as it will be provided to you by our staff. Make sure to clean your hands thoroughly before eating and only drink water provided by your guides. We also cater to any allergies or specific dietary requirements.
What about vaccinations?
Vaccinations are required and it is very important for you to consult your doctor with plenty of time to spare before the trip.
What clothes should I wear?
Treks in the rainforest can be quite wet. Therefore we recommend you bring thin clothing items that can dry quickly in the sun. Likewise it is recommended to wear walking shoes or old tennis shoes over walking boots. When working on the projects, light working clothes that covers you knees and shoulders are best. Prepare to get muddy!
Health and safety?
The trip leaders on this trip are all first aid trained. In Merapoh there is a small clinic that can treat most injuries and there is also a hospital in Gua Musang. Major issues will be dealt with in well-equipped hospitals in Kuala Lumpur.
What’s the accommodation like?
Students will stay at a basic but nice and clean hotel in Kuala Lumpur and a guesthouse in Merapoh. The rooms in the city and the village will mostly be on a twin share basis, including air conditioning and standard bathroom facilities. Students should not expect 5 star accommodations.
Spending money?
Everything in terms of the trip is covered in the cost. You may want to bring between 200 and 300 Malaysian Ringgit for gift and snacks shopping.
Inquiries?
If you have questions about this trip, would like to know more or thinking about booking this trip with us, then please contact us at: