A local palm-plantation owner has created a private proboscis monkey sanctuary, attracting the floppy-conked locals with sugar-free pancakes at 9.30am and 2.30pm feedings at Platform A, and 11.30am and 4.30pm at Platform B, a kilometre away. An estimated 300 wild monkeys live in the 6-sq-km reserve. The proboscis monkeys are enticed onto the main viewing platform so tourists can get better pictures, which may put you off if you're looking for a more ecologically minded experience. Also keep an eye out for the delicately featured silver leaf monkeys.
Proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) are found only on Borneo, although if you take a close look at them, you'd swear you've spotted one in the corner of a dodgy bar. Named for their long bulbous noses, proboscis monkeys are potbellied and red-faced, and males are constantly, unmistakably…aroused. With the arrival of Europeans, Malays nicknamed the proboscis monyet belanda (Dutch monkey).
Food and accommodation are provided at the Nipah Lodge, on the edge of the oil-palm plantations that surround the sanctuary; the lodge is quite comfortable, a collection of bungalows that are simply adorned, airy and inviting in a tropical-chic way. Guests can also venture out on mangrove treks into the surrounding jungle, night treks with guides, and are often invited to give basic English lessons at a nearby village schoolhouse.
Independent travel here is difficult unless you have your own vehicle, as Teluk Labuk (Labuk Bay) sits 15km down a rough dirt track off the main highway. If you're staying here, Nipah Lodge will handle all transfers; otherwise your lodging in Sepilok will be able to arrange transport for around RM120. You can also look for minivans and taxis in the car park of SORC; travellers who want to go to Teluk Labuk should be able to negotiate shared taxis and vans to the proboscis feeding for around RM150 (round-trip from Teluk Labuk back to your Sepilok lodging).
