EXPEDITIONS
BORNEO
EXPEDITIONS.
Venture further to one of the Earth’s most biodiverse places
“
It was one of the greatest once-in-a-lifetime experiences for me. Mostly the closeness of the relation with the community was amazing for me!
”
– Borneo Venturer, 2025
BORNEO FACTFILE
THE LAND BELOW THE WIND.
Home to ancient rainforests, orangutans, and 6% of the planet’s biodiversity. Borneo is vast, beautiful, alive – and increasingly fragile.
130 Million Years
Ancient rainforest that’s approximately twice as old as the Amazon
300+ Mammal Species
Borneo holds around 6% of the planet’s biodiversity
A mosaic of ecosystems
Lowland jungle covers a lot of Borneo but there’s also flooded coastal mangroves and jagged, alpine mountain peaks
An equatorial climate
High temperatures, intense humidity and dry/raining seasons
ONLY IN BORNEO
Expeditions highlights
in Borneo.
01
WALK THE SALT TRAIL
Follow iconic Salt Trail, a route through dense jungle vegetation that’s carried people across the Crocker Range for centuries. Crossing rope bridges over rushing rivers, cutting through dense jungle vegetation, sharing the trail with wildlife that calls this forest home.
02
DUSUN COMMUNITIES
Venture deep into Sabah’s remote rainforest, where indigenous Dusun communities, farmers and foragers have lived for generations. You’ll team up with them on construction projects to support challenges in underdeveloped infrastructure.
03
SUNGAI ELOI
Mangrove creeks, dense and untamed, where the jungle meets the sea. Otters slipping through the water, kingfishers flying overhead, the air thick with humidity. Off-grid doesn’t begin to cover it.
04
INCREDIBLE BIODIVERSITY
While you might spot an orangutan, you will definitely spot countless creatures you’ve never seen in real life before.
05
CAMP BONGKUD FIELDBASE
Situated close to a rural Dusan community and very similar in feel, you’ll be immersed in the unique culture of Sabah. You’ll stay in traditional longhouses here at start and end your Expedition and between each Challenge Phase.
CHOOSE YOUR JOURNEY
Expedition options
for Borneo.
THE FULL EXPEDITION
The most immersive Borneo experience
Take on the ultimate Borneo experience and spend a full 8 weeks on Expedition. You’ll complete all four Challenge Phases – Endurance Trek, Environmental Protection and Community Action and the Final Challenge.
FROM
£5310$6790$6790$6790
8 WEEKS
The challenge
Phases.
The full 8-week Expedition has all four Challenge Phases. The 4-weeker has two.
01
COMMUNITY
ACTION
Hard manual labour, real global awareness, and a role in a community’s growth you’ll be proud of.
Venture deep into Sabah’s rainforest, where indigenous Dusun communities, farmers and foragers have lived for generations. Here the culture is vivid and alive, marked by traditional dance performed to gongs and drums, and unique customs passed down through generations. Their history is fascinating; In 2024 Dusun communities celebrated the end of a ten-year fight for official recognition of their Native Customary Land rights, a milestone in inspiring other indigenous people across Sabah.
That same remoteness brings real challenges. Communities here rely on subsistence farming and small local trade, with challenges in underdeveloped infrastructure. You’ll get to know the local people and team up with on construction action, rolling your sleeves up on work constructing and maintaining roads, trails and other facilities.
Hard manual labour, real global awareness, and a role in a community’s growth you’ll be proud of.
02
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
You’ll leave with a feeling strengthened with skills to live and work among nature.
Mangrove creeks, dense and untamed, where the jungle meets the sea. This is wild Borneo at its rawest. Otters slipping through the water, kingfishers flying overhead, the air thick with humidity. Off-grid doesn’t begin to cover it. You could be sleeping in a traditional sulap huts or sleeping in a hammock under the canopy.
But this ecosystem is under threat. Over half of Malaysia’s mangroves are found in Sabah and thousands of hectares vanish every year. You’ll step up to protect it: machete in hand, you could be clearing overgrown vegetation to make way for restoration, building jetties and resource centres, or planting mangrove seedlings you’ll nurture from the ground up. You’ll feed straight into real conservation planning, getting an unmatched crash course in what it actually takes to work with this land, not against it.
You’ll leave with a feeling strengthened with skills to live and work among nature.
03
ENDURANCE
TREK
Two stages. One relentless test of everything you’ve got.
Navigation. Endurance. Grit. Real teamwork when things go wrong, because out here, they will. This is history under your boots and raw wilderness all around you – proof of what you can push through.
You’ll trek the iconic Salt Trail, a route that’s carried people across the Crocker Range for centuries, once walked by villagers hauling produce to coastal markets and returning with salt. It’s still the only way in or out for remote communities cut off from any road. Ten days on foot, crossing rope bridges over rushing rivers, cutting through dense jungle vegetation, sharing the trail with wildlife that calls this forest home. Steep climbs, long days, a hammock for a bed. You’ll navigate terrain with your team, moving as one to make it through.
Your journey will take you deep into the jungle, with days spent with the Sungai Eloi river community. Tools in hand, clearing ground and planting trees by day, you’ll work up a sweat on endurance initiatives, before venturing down Kinabatangan on a river safari. You’ll come face to face with unique wildlife, including Borneo’s iconic orangutans, before torchlight night treks bring the jungle’s nocturnal life into view.
Navigation. Endurance. Grit. Real teamwork when things go wrong, because out here, they will. This is history under your boots and raw wilderness all around you – proof of what you can push through.
04
THE FINAL
CHALLENGE
The Final Challenge represents the ultimate test of every skill developed throughout the Expedition. It will show you how far you’ve come since you arrived.
The challenge will be unique and designed specifically for you and your team. Whether it is project or endurance based, you will develop an effective plan, problem-solve and prove your leadership on the ultimate experience to earn your Raleigh stripes.
Only on the 8-Week Full Expedition.
Bongkud
Fieldbase
Fieldbase ‘Camp Bongkud’ is situated close to a rural Dusan community and very similar in feel, immersing you quickly into the unique culture of Sabah. Staying in traditional longhouses, this will be where you will spend time between each phase, and where you’ll start and end your Expedition.
INDUCTION
Your Expedition will start at Fieldbase where you will have your first briefing. This will include safety, procedures and projects. But most importantly here you will meet and get to know your teammates before you start this adventure together.
CHANGEOVER
Between each phase you’ll return to Fieldbase for Expedition Changeover. An opportunity for some respite, you’ll sort your kit, debrief from the phase before and prepare for the phase ahead.
ENDEX
You’ve made it – this is the final stage of your Expedition. This is when you’ll finally hang up your boots, reflect on what you’ve achieved and celebrate with your fellow Venturers. It’s the end of your Expedition, but the start of your life ahead.
BORNEO EXPEDITION FAQS
Where in Borneo does Raleigh International operate?
Raleigh operates in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Expeditions combine Community Action in remote communities, Environmental Protection in and around the rainforest, and an Endurance Trek in difficult and wild landscapes. Fieldbase is located near Kota Kinabalu, with project sites varying each Expedition.
What projects will I work on?
There are two kinds of projects on a Raleigh Expedition: Community Action and Environmental Protection. The Community Action Phase places Venturers on grassroots development projects — improving schools, supporting local organisations, and working alongside rural communities. The Environmental Protection Phase focuses on conservation work, helping to protect wildlife and support biodiversity through practical conservation activities.
What wildlife might I see in Borneo?
Borneo is one of the world’s most biodiverse places. Depending on your project locations, you may see orangutans, macaques, hornbills, proboscis monkeys, tropical birds and many other native species. Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, but every Expedition takes place in environments rich in biodiversity.
What accommodation will I stay in?
Varies by phase: longhouses at Fieldbase; community halls or sulap huts (open-air stilted shelters) on project; hammocks on the Endurance Trek. All basic and authentic to rural Sabah.
What is the weather like in Borneo?
Borneo is a tropical paradise that attracts travellers all year round. The weather is hot and humid for most of the year, with average temperatures of 27°C to 32°C and relative humidity of 80%. Borneo has two distinct seasons: the dry season, from March to September, and the wet season, from October to February when the North-East monsoon hits the island. You can expect brilliant sunshine in the morning and rain in the afternoon which generally lasts a few minutes to hours. The weather is often unpredictable and you should expect high humidity and rain at any time of the year, so you will most certainly need your waterproofs.
Do I need a visa for Borneo?
Whether you need a visa to travel to Borneo will depend on your nationality, purpose of visit, country of residence and length of your stay. Your Venturer Coordinator will provide you with all the relevant information. The cost of visas isn’t included in the price of your Expedition.
What language is spoken in Borneo?
The official language in Borneo is Malay. Some useful phrases: Selamat pagi (Good morning), Selamat petang (Good afternoon), Selamat malam (Good evening or good night), Terima kasih (Thank you).
How long are Expeditions?
Raleigh offers 8- and 4-week Expeditions. Depending on the length of your Expedition. Venturers on the 8-week Expedition will take part in both types of projects, whereas 4-weekers will complete either one Community Action or one Environmental Protection Project.