FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
General
Great question. For the last 20-plus years we have been known as Friends of the National Parks Foundation. When we started in 1997 we ran an orangutan rehab and rescue center for the Indonesian Government in Tanjung Puting National Park, in Kalimantan. So, at the time the name sounded right. We never imagined we would still be here decades later running multiple projects, some of them outside national parks. For this reason, and because it better describes our holistic approach to conservation that combines wildlife, habitat and community programs, in 2024 we changed our name to Friends of Nature, People and Forests.
Definitely, 100%. Volunteering is a big part of what we do. Every year we welcome volunteers from all over the world and across Indonesia. We also welcome eco-tourists to our project sites. Visit our eco-tours and volunteering pages to find out more.
Our aim is to provide you with an enjoyable, rewarding, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Short-term volunteering is a unique opportunity to work on real conservation and community development projects in an interesting location. It’s the opportunity to work alongside and meet local people.
We provide our volunteers with accommodation, and our team are there to give you guidance and assistance throughout your stay. You will have the chance to learn about our projects, as well as the local culture and language. Plus, you get to enjoy everything that the location offers too.
In return, we benefit from your enthusiasm and hands-on assistance. Your volunteering fees help cover the costs of hosting you and also help to fund our vital conservation projects. We couldn’t do all the great things we do without the funds raised by our volunteering programs.
If you have specialist skills, especially in scientific research, and are interested in longer-term volunteering please contact us to discuss alternative costs.
Yes. You can definitely do scientific research to support our programs at our project sites, in both Bali and Kalimantan. The topics of most interest and relevance to our work are biodiversity identification, improving agriculture practices, improving reforestation and the post-release monitoring and study of birds. Find out more.
Yes. We can help people who are volunteering with us for more than 30 days obtain a social and cultural visa. Send us an email at info@fnpf.org. We will need details like your name (as written in your passport), your date and place of birth, passport number, address, home country, and your occupation.
Nusa Penida
Please contact us to make an advance booking if you want to stay with on Nusa Penida. We have limited staff and accommodation at the volunteering center, and the more notice you give us the more chance we will have room for you. Find out more or email us at info@fnpf.org.
You will need to take a boat to get to Nusa Penida. These are your three options:
- Local public speedboats leave from Sanur and Padangbai at about 7am. You must be there by 6.30am to buy a ticket.
- Speedboats from Sanur, run by CASPLA, MARUTI or SEMAYA ONE, depart at various times from 8.30am. We can help you buy speedboat tickets at a reduce volunteer price.
- A car and motorbike ferry from Padangbai usually leaves at 11am and 1pm. These times change often, so please contact ASDP (River & Ocean Transportation Department) on +62 363 41849 to confirm the ferry schedule. We strongly recommend you book your ticket in advance through a local travel agent to secure a place. And you must be at the harbour at least 1 hour before the ferry departs.
Please let us know in advance which ferry or boat you are arriving on, and on which day, and we will try our best to arrange for someone to meet you. If not, you can catch a taxi (car or motorbike) and ask for the driver to take you to ‘Yayasan Burung di Banjar Bodong’.
From the Nusa Penida harbour to our volunteer center a car taxi, that can take eight people, will cost IDR 100.000. By motorcycle taxi, which can only take one person, it’s IDR 50.000.
The island is large, about 15km by 15km, with mountains and extremely sheer cliffs on the south side, so you will need a car or motorbike to sightsee. We recommend you travel around the island, it’s a great place to visit with traditional villages, wildlife and beautiful scenery.
Car and motorbike rental is more costly than in Bali. It costs about $50 a day to hire a car, compared with $20 a day in Bali. Motorbike hire is about $10 a day, compared with $6 a day in Bali.
An alternative option is to hire a vehicle in Bali and bring it to Nusa Penida on the car ferry that sails from Padangbai daily. If you want to do this you need to book a space on the ferry in advance. Contact ASDP (River & Ocean Transportation Department) on +62 363 41849.
We do have a few bicycles at our center that you can use to travel locally.
- Indonesian Rupiah cash. There is only one ATM on Nusa Penida (BRI bank), but often it’s not working. And it does NOT accept VISA and many other ATM cards. The maximum cash withdrawl is IDR 500,000 (approx US$50). So we recommend you BRING CASH.
- A photocopy of your passport. The police require all visitors to provide a photocopy of their passport details page and their Indonesian visa. You will need to fill in a guest form on arrival at our center and provide us with a photocopy of your passport.
- Light clothing, flip-flops, a pair of lightweight walking shoes (eg. trainers), swimming trunks (and snorkel & mask if you would like to see coral).
- Basic medical and hygiene supplies, such as mosquito spray, plasters, aspirin, soap, etc.
- An International Driving Licence. This will allow you to rent a motorcycle or car and reduce the chances of being fined if you are stopped by the police. This is extremely unlikely on Nusa Penida, but more likely on Bali.
- A small rucksack. If you have lots of luggage, it is probably easier if you leave most of it in Bali at a hotel or our head office in Pejeng.
- And don’t forget your camera.
Generally, it’s hot and humid. That’s because there’s very little forest coverage and it is a small island in the middle of big ocean. Even though Nusa Penida is part of Bali, it receives much less rain. These weather descriptions are what’s typical for each month. But with climate change, the seasons are no longer so predictable.
January – very hard rain. It’s good for planting, fewer birds can be seen and also few tourists. School is closed until the second week of the month.
February – sometimes there’s still very hard rain. It’s still a reasonably good time for planting, fewer birds can be seen and there’s not many tourists around. The school is open.
March – there’s still some rain. It’s not a good time for planting, fewer birds can be seen and few tourists. The school is open.
April – less rain compared to March. Not a good time for planting. More birds can be seen. Few tourists. The school is open.
May – it’s the end of the rainy season. It’s not a good time for planting. More birds animals can be seen. Few tourists around. The school’s open.
June – the dry season starts this month. Planting is not possible. More birds can be observed. It’s the start of tourist season. School closes at the end of the month for the holidays.
July – dry season. Planting is not possible. Many more birds can be seen. It’s hot and humid during the day but reasonably cold at night until around just before sunrise. It’s peak tourist season. The school is open.
August – dry season. Planting is not possible. Many more birds can be seen. It’s hot and humid during the day. Peak tourist season. School is open
September – peak dry season. It’s not possible to plant. Many more birds can be seen. It’s very hot and humid during the day. The school is open.
October – the start of the rainy season. Tree planting is possible by the end of the month. Fewer birds can be seen. It is not so hot. The school is open.
November – more frequent rain. A good time for planting. Fewer birds can be seen. Fewer tourists. The school is open.
December – hard rain and more frequent rain. A good time for planting. Fewer birds can be seen. The school is open.
Kalimantan, Borneo
Please contact us to make an advance booking if you want to stay at our volunteer center. We have limited staff and accommodation, and the more notice you give us the more chance we will have room for you. Because of logistical challenges, the minimum stay in Kalimantan is one week. Find out more or email us at info@fnpf.org.
Pangkalan Bun is the closest city to our volunteer center. Our team will pick you up either at the airport, port or bus station. This is included in your volunteering fees, except if you volunteering with us at Lamandau, this is much further away, so there will be an extra fee for pick up.
Ways to get to Pangkalan Bun:
- Fly to Pangkalan Bun’s Iskandar airport from Jakarta, Semarang or Surabaya in Java.
- You can also fly to Pangkalan Bun from Banjarmasin, Sampit, Ketapang airports in Kalimantan/Borneo.
- If you have plenty of time you can take a boat from a seaport in Java, such as Surabaya and Semarang.
- If you are already in Kalimantan/Borneo, you can also take a bus to Pangkalan Bun.
For yourself:
- Indonesian Rupiah cash. There are several ATMs in the town near our office, but they are often not working. There are no ATMs at our fieldwork sites. Food and transportation costs are covered as long as you are staying at the field site where you are volunteering. We recommend you BRING CASH if you want to get something more than we provide, for example, if you go into town for a break or to explore the area.
- A photocopy of your passport. The police require all visitors to provide a photocopy of their passport details page and their Indonesian visa. You will need to fill in a guest form on arrival at our volunteer center and provide us with a photocopy of your passport.
- Light clothing, flip-flops, a pair of lightweight walking shoes (eg. trainers).
- Good quality gloves for farming, a wide-brimmed hat and good sunglasses.
- Basic medical and hygiene supplies, such as mosquito spray, plasters, aspirin, soap, etc.
- Bring an International Driving Licence if you would like to explore the area by yourself. This will allow you to rent a motorcycle or car and reduce the chances of being fined if you are stopped by the police.
- It’s best to bring a small rucksack. If you have lots of luggage, it is probably easier if you leave most of it in our branch office in Kumai.
- Don’t forget your camera.
Would you like to bring a gift to support our projects?
Here are some ideas of things we need and would love. Please contact us if you have something else you think might be of use. Most things you think might be useful probably will be.
- Seeds for our organic garden. The species must be able to adapt to acid soil.
- Pens, crayons, painting materials, and writing and drawing books. Anything that can be used for teaching children.
- Musical instruments, harmonicas, guitars, drums, etc.
- Footballs and volleyballs for kids to play with.
- Clothes for children and adults, used or new.
- Old working laptops. These can be charged and run off a battery. We can’t use desktop PCs because the variability of the electricity supply at our sites causes them to quickly burn out.
- Leather gardening gloves.
- Binoculars.
- A world globe, to teach geography in the local school.
- Soil testing equipment.
- Weather station equipment.
- 140Mhz walkie-talkie radio equipment.
Project ideas for groups of volunteers
Below are specific construction projects that groups of volunteers can fund and build. For example, a group of university or school students can choose a project, raise money before they arrive to purchase the materials, and then participate in the construction.
Alternatively, if you like our team can do the building. In return for your generosity, we can add a plaque with your names to the building you sponsored.
1. Jerumbun volunteer center
Timber platform. 2 x 2 m and 1.5m high. Cost for materials: approx. US$150/per unit. Construction time: approximately 1 to 2 days work for two people. Ten platforms needed.
A simple house for local staff or volunteers. Room size 4x 4 m and 2×4 m veranda. Cost for materials per unit: approx. US$ 2,000. Construction time per unit: approximately seven days work for four people. Four houses needed.
Boat jetty and boardwalk. Jetty approx. 2m x 4m. Boardwalk from the jetty to the land across the swamp, approx. 400m. Cost for materials: approx. US$65.000. Construction time: approx. one week’s work by 15 people.
Storage room. 4 x 4 m. Cost for materials: approx. US$1,500. Construction time: approx. four days work for four people.
Wooden canoe. Big enough to fit three people. Cost for materials per unit: approx. US$ 100. Construction time per unit: approx. four days work for three people. Ten canoes needed.
2. Beguruh reforestation post
Platform. Build 2 x 2 m timber platform, 1.5m high. Cost for materials per unit: approx. US$ 150 per unit. Construction time per unit: approx. one to two days work for two people. Ten platforms needed.
Toilet and septic tank. Cost for materials per unit: approx. US$400. Construction time per unit: approx. three days work for four people. Two tanks needed.
Shower room. Cost for materials: approx. US$200. Construction time: approx. three days work for two people.
3. Padang Sembilan reforestation site
Toilet and septic tank. Cost for materials per unit: approx. US$ 400. Construction time per unit: approx. three days work for four people. Two tanks needed.
Shower room. Cost for materials: approx. US$ 200. Construction time: approx. three days work for two people.
Kalimantan has a tropical equatorial climate. It is hot and humid. This is the typical weather for each month. But with climate change, the seasons are no longer so predictable.
January – very hard rain. A good time for planting on dry land. Fewer animals can be observed. Few tourists. School is closed until the second week of the month.
February – very hard rain. A good time for planting on dry land. Fewer animals can be seen. Few tourists. School is open.
March – hard rain. A good time for planting on dry land. Fewer animals can be seen. Few tourists. School is open.
April – hard rain. A good time for planting on dry land. Fewer animals can be seen. Few tourists. School is open
May – end of rainy season. Planting on dry land is still possible. Fewer animals can be seen. Few tourists. School closed for Ramadhan.
June – the transition from the rainy season to dry season. Planting on dry land is not possible but is possible on wetlands. More animals can be seen. The start to tourist season. School closed for Ramadhan.
July – start of the dry season. Hot and humid. Peak tourist season. A good time for planting wetlands but not possible on dry land. Many more animals can be seen. School is open.
August – dry season. Hot and humid. Peak tourist season. A good time for planting wetlands but not possible on dry land. Many more animals can be seen. School is open.
September – peak dry season. Very hot and humid. This is when there’s the greatest chance of forest fires because some farmers are clearing their land. A good time for planting wetlands but not possible on dry land. Many more animals can be seen. School is open.
October – the start of the rainy season. It’s hot and humid. It’s the best time for planting on dry land and it’s still possible to plant on wetlands. Fewer animals can be seen. School is open.
November – very hard rain. A good time for planting on dry land. Fewer animals can be seen. Few tourists. School is open.
December – very hard rain. A good time for planting on dry land. Fewer animals can be seen. Some tourists are still around. School is closed for Christmas and New year.
Contact us
Have a question we haven’t covered? We would love to hear from you.