Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary

Proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) live only on Borneo, only near water, and only in forest that is mostly gone. Labuk Bay exists because, in the late 1990s, an oil palm estate owner found a population of them stranded in a mangrove patch on his land, started feeding them during a drought, and decided in 2000 to keep around 400 acres of mangrove as a private sanctuary instead of clearing it. Today roughly 150 to 300 proboscis monkeys live in and around the reserve, with silvered leaf langurs (bright-orange babies), oriental pied hornbills, otters and the odd slow loris. There are two feeding platforms a kilometre apart, A and B, and four feeding times a day.

Feeding times, hours and fees

What the visit is like

You pay at the ticket building at the estate entrance, then drive (or your driver drives) a further few minutes to whichever platform is due. At feeding time keepers lay out sugar-free pancakes and cucumber on a wooden platform at the mangrove edge, and groups of monkeys come out of the trees: harem groups with one big-nosed male, bachelor groups of younger males, sometimes a whole troop. They pass within arm's length on the railings and occasionally over your head; don't touch, don't feed, keep hats and snacks out of reach of the macaques. A session lasts 30 to 45 minutes. Between sessions there are short mangrove boardwalk trails, a café at Platform B serving rice and noodle dishes, and a video room. Allow three to four hours if you're doing two sessions, ninety minutes for one.

Getting here

Labuk Bay is about 38 km from Sandakan and about 20 km from Sepilok, roughly 40 to 45 minutes from either along the main road and then estate track. The sanctuary's old shuttle bus from Sandakan no longer runs reliably, and there's no public bus, so the options are a tour, a taxi or Grab booked for the round trip with waiting (RM150 to 180 from Sandakan, less from Sepilok), or self-drive. Grab drivers won't usually wait without agreement, and there's no return pickup to be found at the sanctuary, so settle the round trip before you set off. If you're on our Sepilok + Labuk Bay day, the vehicle does orangutans at 10:00, sun bears, then Labuk Bay for 14:30 at Platform A, or reverses it for 09:30 at Labuk Bay and the 15:00 orangutan feeding.

Labuk Bay or the Kinabatangan?

Both. They're different things. Labuk Bay is a guaranteed close view on a schedule, excellent for photography and for children, in an admittedly managed setting inside a plantation. The Kinabatangan River is wild proboscis monkeys in the trees along the riverbank at dusk, seen from a boat, no guarantees but very high odds, plus hornbills, macaques, crocodiles and the chance of elephants and orangutans. If you're doing a Sepilok and Kinabatangan circuit you'll almost certainly see proboscis monkeys on the river and can skip Labuk Bay unless you want the close-up. If you're only doing a Sepilok day trip and don't have river time, Labuk Bay is how you see the species. For the full picture on the animal itself and this comparison, see proboscis monkeys: the animal and the honest comparison.

Is it ethical?

Labuk Bay is a privately owned sanctuary inside a working oil palm estate, and the monkeys are fed because the remaining mangrove is too small to support them. That's the honest picture: a compromised habitat, protected by the people who own it, with feeding as the mechanism that keeps the population alive and the business viable. It is not a rescue centre in the way the orangutan and sun bear centres are, and it doesn't claim to be. The feeding is unnatural but the monkeys are free-ranging and choose to come. Visiting supports a private owner's decision to keep forest rather than plant it; that's the trade.

Frequently asked

Which platform is better?

A, for scenery and reliability. B is convenient (café, shop, parking) and has the afternoon 16:30 session.

How long does it take?

One session, about 90 minutes on site. Two sessions, three to four hours. Add 45 minutes' drive each way from Sepilok.

Is it suitable for children?

Yes; it's one of the better wildlife experiences for younger children because the monkeys come close and the wait is short. Under-12s pay RM30 (non-Malaysian) or RM5 (Malaysian).

Can I stay there?

There's a lodge at the sanctuary (Nipah Lodge), but most people base in Sepilok and visit for a half day.