FIVE went off on an adventure - into the depths of the Borneo jungle and way out of their comfort zone.

The month-long trip for the students from Earl Mortimer College, Leominster was in their own words, 'life changing', and for at least one of them an experience to be repeated.

Led by English and science teaching assistant Amanda Beddoes, the group got stuck into challenging tasks such as laying a concrete foundation in a market square, building a driveway, laying bricks and designing a mural, learning Malay and generally learning more about the people and the culture. Along the way they encountered crocodiles, snakes, monkeys and orangutans, and there was also time to join in a sports afternoon for the local community.

"It was an amazing experience and I was so proud of the students, they adapted so well" says Amanda. "We were out of our comfort zone completely."

In preparation for the trip, the students, 18-year-old Kylish Jones and 16-year-olds Katie Everall, Liam Sawyer, Jemma Morgan and Karolina Jagiellowicz, organised fund-raising cake sales, raffles, bingo and a Valentine's auction, and each paid £4,100 to take part. Two other schools joined Earl Mortimer students in Borneo who embarked on four projects spread over five camps and two islands off the coast.

Particularly challenging for the party was a three-night stay in the jungle. "We had to make our own hammock," says Amanda. "It was a real test, it was so isolated."

Back in the village, they built a driveway leading to a kindergarten and stallholders were thrilled to get a solid concrete surface in the market place. They built partition walls in the local 'homestay' dwellings and designed a mural on a blank canvas in one day. In soaring temperatures and humidity levels, the students had to cut back undergrowth with machetes and plant 149 trees, and there was a beach-clearing operation as part of a marine conservation project.

The group was able to enjoy some "downtime" and there were unforgettable moments like climbing up a mountain to see a spectacular sunrise.

At the end of their adventure, Amanda asked the students to write out their thoughts. One wrote: "You can buy twice the kit list and watch all the videos but nothing will truly prepare you for the feeling you get when you look into one of the children's eyes and know what a difference you're making." Another wrote: "A testing, eye-opening experience that made 25 strangers a family. It teaches you never to take anything for granted and appreciate the small things in life."