The word Kampung means village in English. Kampung Duku is the only village on Pulau Sibu and is situated on the south west tip of the island. It covers approximately 150 acres and houses about 200 to 250 inhabitants in approximately 40 buildings over which presides a village chief. The homes are all traditional Malay style in wood on stilts and there are also some government buildings such as a police station, clinic, community hall, mosque with a resident Imam and a school.

It is a 3km walk from Sea Gypsy Village to Kampung Duku. The walk will take you past 3 resorts in various states of repair, all functioning, if just barely. You will also stop at the new development that has changed the face of the island dramatically. Some time is spent here as it’s presence is cause for many thought provoking topics of discussion. Passing beach front, rock pools, cultivated fields and jungle, plus a fisherman’s home that is now making a living from recycling, the students have the opportunity to observe nature and island life at first hand.

The dugong (also known as a Sea Cow) is a large marine mammal whose range spans the waters of at least 37 countries throughout the Indo-Pacific. It has no dorsal fin or hind limbs, instead possessing paddle-like forelimbs used to manoeuvre itself and a fluked, dolphin-like tail. The dugong is heavily dependent on sea grasses for subsistence and is thus restricted to the coastal habitats where they grow, with the largest dugong concentrations typically occurring in wide, shallow, protected areas such as bays, mangrove channels and the lee sides of large inshore islands. In the waters around Sibu Island resides what is thought to be one of the largest groups of Dugong in Peninsular Malaysia. There are on-going studies and monitoring by the University of Malayisa to determine the best conservation methods to protect not only the Dugong population, but also their habitat to ensure their future.