For those of you interested in visiting, volunteering, and/or working at Danau Girang Field Centre:

While there is a general guide for volunteers at DGFC which will be given to you once accepted, there are some important factors to know which are missing from the text. The following list contains information compiled from my personal experience, as well as the ideas from my peers here at DG.

• The guide dissuades people from bringing electronic devices, such as laptops, due to the high humidity in the region, but as a PTY/volunteer you will have space in the PTY office, which is quite dry enough (all of our PTYs have their own laptops here). Having a laptop here will also make both work and correspondence much easier, though one should not expect it to last much longer than a year’s stay at DG.
• In that realm, though we currently have an internet connection (albeit slow), after speaking with Meg (who has been here for three years), I learned that it is not uncommon for them to be without internet for up to six months at a time, so make sure to inform home of this prior to your departure.
• Even with a Malaysian SIM card, cell signal is very limited here–in my case, I only have extended network coverage (meaning no Viber/Whatsapp/etc) at the jetty, which is a 5-10 minute walk from the main facility. Thankfully the service plan is quite cheap; with my 25-day 1gb data plan, it was about RM26 (in the region of $5 USD).
• The guide recommends bringing “jungle attire,” which you should definitely do, but know that you will only spend part of your time in the jungle, otherwise you will want sandals and light, comfortable clothing, such as shorts or loose trousers, tank tops, t-shirts and whatnot. I’ve been told by some of the ladies here that they wish that they had brought a near multitude of sports bras. In a typical day, you will probably change clothes two to three times minimum, so keep that in mind. As a long-term resident, you will have access to laundry facilities, but there is a waiting list.
• I cannot emphasize it enough, but wherever you are planning to travel in the world, learn at least some basic phrases in the native language (in this case, Malay).
• Apart from your arrival and departure days, it will be unlikely that you’ll have the opportunity to go into a town (as DGFC is 45 minutes from Batu Puteh, and >2 hours from Sandakan). At your arrival, I would recommend buying snacks/drinks (remember, no alcohol), a parang (if you’d like one in the field–they are a wonderful tool, be careful though), bug spray, a SIM card, and anything else that you might need during your stay. Things are fairly inexpensive here, as a four star hotel in Sandakan (the Four Points) costs only approximately $40 USD per night.
• Bring things to do while you’re not working. Most of the time, you’ll spend your free time indoors or at the jetty for cell signal and/or lounging in a hammock (consider bringing one along), so use your own judgement as to what you want to do.
• A pair of running shoes (there is a long concrete path), a yoga mat, or perhaps some resistance bands are all good ideas to pack if you’d like to get some good excercise here.
• Bring a good headlamp and extra batteries (or a rechargeable headlamp)–these will be very beneficial for any night activities, from night walks in the jungle to using the restroom.
• Consider buying a plastic tub once you arrive to keep snacks, electrical cords, and other items on your desk in overnight, to prevent any damage from rats.
• Did I forget to mention that we have rats? I have yet to see one here, but I often see at least a few droppings around in the mornings before the cleaning is done. Geckos are extremely prevalent here and though they may seem cute at first, they are a bit of a nuisance. There’s no point in trying to shoo them out–they will get inside, and the large ones (barking geckos) can cause sleeping to be a struggle, unless you can sleep through an air raid (such as myself). Earplugs, perhaps?
• Again, bring more things to do in your free time than you’d think-movies, card games, board games, books, a gameboy…Midday and evenings past 8 PM are typically free.
• Bring things to decorate your bit of office space with–think family photos, etc.
• If there are any favorite foods of yours that might not be widely available, consider packing them along.
• An insulated travel mug is great for keeping water cool and tea/coffee hot during hours without electricity.
• Get your rabies vaccine if you want to work with mammals! Yes, it is expensive, and yes, it will be worth it.

There may be more to come, so stay tuned for updates!