Malaysia: Sabah – Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary

May 20, 2024
Sabah
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In the centre of the mangrove forests of Semawang is the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, where you can see Borneo's indigenous proboscis monkeys.

Our afternoon activity was somewhere we had not been before, a sanctuary for proboscis monkeys. These large-nosed monkeys are only found in Borneo. We’d seen them in the wild before, but this was a chance to see them up close. The sanctuary was a 45-minute drive from Sepilok and is an area dominated by palm oil plantations. The sanctuary does feedings twice a day, and we arrived just in time for the afternoon feeding.

From the carpark, it was a short stroll along a boardwalk through the mangrove forest. The tide was out so there was not too much water, just mud. In the mud, we saw tiny, bright-blue crabs and the creepy-looking, mudhoppers, an air-breathing fish.

When we arrived a bachelor group of large males were already sitting patiently waiting. There were no other visitors, so we had the place to ourselves. It is hard to describe the proboscis monkeys as pretty, they have large gangly bodies, long fingers and of course a huge nose. As the males sat there, they looked like old men, with their chilli-red penis out on display for all to see. When the food arrived the rest of the proboscis monkeys appeared from the bush, including the females, juveniles, and the babies, who were adorable with their turned-up noses. One of the large males decided to show off, running along the rails of the boardwalk into the shelter where we were standing and across the desk. It did this with the heaviest feet imaginable, the sound reverberating around the shelter.

After about 30 minutes feeding time was over and we made our way back to the carpark, and then to the hotel.

About the sanctuary

In the mid-1990s this 400 acre site was going to be cleared for the development of oil palm when the owner discovered that proboscis monkeys were living in the mangrove forest. He decided to retain this relatively small pocket of forest as a sanctuary for the monkeys. Today Labuk Bay is home to around 150 free ranging proboscis monkeys.th humans

Planning your trip

The shuttle bus from Sandakan to Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary no longer operates. Grab drivers charge around RM 150-180 for a return trip (including waiting) from Sandakan to the sanctuary.

Alternatively, you can find a tour operator who runs visits to the sanctuary.

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Best time to visit Sabah, Borneo

The best time to visit Borneo is between March and October, when the island is hot, humid, and at its driest. This makes it one of Southeast Asia’s few summer destinations. It is also the best time to see orangutans in the wild, while turtles can be seen on Lankayan Island between June and September.

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Where to stay?

1. SEPILOK B&B

Set in Sepilok, 15 mi from Sandakan, Sepilok B&B offers a restaurant and free WiFi. Close to the Orangutan Sanctuary and the Rainforest Discovery Centre. The nearest airport is Sandakan Airport, which is 8.1 miles away.

2. NATURE LODGE SEPILOK

Nature Lodge Sepilok is located, just before the junction to Rainforest Discovery Center, the Lodge is located 1.5KM from the roundabout at the main road, 800m to Rainforest Discovery Center and 1.2KM to Sepilok Orang Utan centre. Nature Lodge Sepilok offers 2 room options – dormitory and chalet type to suit your budget.

3. SEPILOK JUNGLE RESORT

During our visit to Sepilok, we stayed at the Sepilok Jungle Resort, enclosed inside a tropical virgin rainforest, adjacent to the world-famous Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary. In fact, wild orangutans were visiting the Resort during our stay – we even saw one early in the morning walking around the boardwalks and apparently taking things from people’s balconies.

The rooms were basic but comfortable. The breakfasts were fine and they accommodated us being vegan. We also had an evening meal there which was traditional Malaysian fare – very tasty. The whole place is surrounded by rainforest, which is spectacular. In the evenings they run a night safari that goes out into the rainforest, which is a very noisy place at night with all the nocturnal creatures coming to life. We got to see some interesting bugs and birds on our adventure, including leeches … yuk!

In the evenings they run a night safari that goes out into the rainforest, which is a very noisy place at night with all the nocturnal creatures coming to life.

The walk itself started close to the main lodge. Being in a rain forest means that the area gets more than its fair share of rain, so they have wellington boots you can borrow (I am a US size 13 … which proved to be challenging) as well as some very poor flashlights (or torches as our fellow Brits would say). As we waited for our group to gather we had a very unexpected treat, a young orangutan decided to build its nest in the tree right above our heads. We were told the attraction of this particular tree was its fruits, which were now fully ripe. It is obvious that orangutans don’t have any natural threats (apart from man) as they make one hell of a racket whilst building their bed for the night.

By the time we set off, it was pitch black. The dense jungle means that there is no natural light so having flashlights with you is pretty much essential. The thing that really hits you the most is not the darkness but how really noisy the jungle is at night – there is a true cacophony of sounds emanating from all directions. If you are a light sleeper forget about having a good nights rest! During the tour, we got to see insects (pill millipedes and stick insects), invertebrates (leeches!), frogs and some small roosting tailorbirds.

At the end of the tour we did a leech check, and much to her horror Karen has two latched to her. One was on her jacket and the other had managed to work its way on to her cleavage – I thought this was hilarious … she didn’t quite see the funny side.