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Your people and work are wonderful. We are blessed to be able to visit and to help however we can. Thank you for who you are and what you do!

Amory and Judy Hill Lovins / Snowmass/Aspen, Colorado, USA

My heart is full, thak you for your smiles, your kindness, for the beauty the orangutans – I will keep you touched inside my heart when I am home in California – may you all be well & happy.

Camille /

Thank you for all your help, ypur kindness, your smiles and for all the laughter. We had 14 fantastic days here. This is the best nature/animal project in the whoke world. Thank you for helping the animals, the nature and the local people. We will be back….. Hugs and Kisses

Ditte and Michael / ditte[at]orangutang.dk

For all the people at the Samboja Lodge We had a great time here. It is just wonderful and very interesting. So we hope one time we will come back and meet you all again.

Hansjorg and Andrea / Switzerland

Thank you for having us at your beautiful Lodge. Terima kasih banyak.

Luke + Marsha + Kevin + Georgia / Australia

Thank you for an enjoying and enriching stay. The staff of Samboja Lestari did a wonderful job taking care of us. Keep up your good work and care of these beautiful animals and renewal of their (our) environment. We hope to return again some day. Terima kasih banyak.

James Schultz /

Thank you for the nice time and for your extraordinary service!

Ivo - Germany /

Selalu tetap survive, kalau bisa ada ruang pertemuan.

Ihya Ulumuddin (Ekologi ITB) /

Sangat menarik. Bisa membuat hutan rusak menjadi hidup alami dan lingkungannya terpelihara dengan baik. Outstanding

Ova, Bandung /


MONEY
The Indonesian unit of currency is the Rupiah. Banks generally accept notes and traveller's cheques in major world currencies, but the process can be very time consuming. Everywhere in the cities you will find ATMs that accept almost any kind of credit card (also mastercard). Leading international credit cards are accepted by most of the major hotels, airline offices and certain stores.

We at the Samboja Lodge however, can only accept cash (Rupiah, Euro and US dollar). We will be able to change foreign currency into Rupiah in small amounts only and at the local rate.

POSTAL SERVICES
The airmail service between Balikpapan and overseas countries is fast and efficient. The charge depends on letter weight. There are also fax, telephone and Internet facilities in Balikpapan. The Samboja Lodge has a computer with Internet access available for guests and you can ask the reception to have your letters posted in Balikpapan.

LANGUAGE
The national language is Bahasa Indonesia. English is understood in larger cities but not in smaller areas.

Most of the key staff of the Samboja Lodge understand English but not all of them, so please bring a dictionary. Lodge guests should have a working knowledge of English if they do not speak Bahasa Indonesia.

CLIMATE
Though the climate is mostly warm, it can get cool in the evenings. The dry season is approximately from mid-April to September (this is very variable) but we can still get rain. The wet season (October until mid-April) is much wetter, but there are still clear, sunny skies with daily sudden, tropical showers. Bringing a rain jacket would be a good idea during the wet season! Due to the high humidity, it may also help to have waterproof bags with silica gel to protect your electronic equipment (cameras, computers, etc.).

CLOTHES AND DRESS-CODES
Long sleeve shirts and long trousers might be best to help keep the mosquitoes under control and protect sensitive skin from the sun. Showing skin is not common in this area, so please remember to dress traditional and cover shoulders, belly and knees at all times. Removing your shoes before entering a house and also the Samboja Lodge office, is polite in Indonesia. For this reason bring a pair of easy sandals. Volunteers should bring some proper working boots. It is useful to have a set of nicer clothes for visits to the City.

TIME
Our place in East Kalimantan (Kalimantan timur) observes central standard time (GMT + 6 hours, 7 hours in wintertime). West and Central Kalimantan observes Western Standard Time (GMT+7 hours, 6 hours during summer).

ELECTRICITY
In Indonesia, voltage is 220 Volt (AC), 50 Hertz. A special adaptor plug usually is necessary for people who don’t come from Europe.

OPERATING HOURS
The opening hours of Banks is 8am – 4pm (Mon-Fri) and most shops is 9am – 9pm (Mon-Sun). Please note that in small villages, some shops opening and closing times may be quite erratic and unreliable, usually because the shop can also be the owner’s home!

MOSQUITO TIP
Tiger balm works well to alleviate itching from insect bites. Sun block and bug repellent are also useful additions to your travel kit. Mosquito nets are provided in the Samboja Lodge, so you don’t need to bring one.

PERSONAL HYGENIC
It would be useful if your personal things include: norrit (against diarrhea) antiseptic tampons (difficult to find here) soft contact lenses and liquid (difficult to find here) tissues

EMERGENCIES
If you have a health emergency while staying at the Lodge, we have a doctor available to us living in the village of Samboja. Balikpapan also has many good hospitals. We do have an official helipad in our area for helicopter evacuations when needed.
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Disclaimer: Please post requests, bookings and questions in Bahasa Indonesia or English