Proboscis monkey at Labuk Bay sanctuary.
Day 2
I had a good nights sleep at the hotel. The bed and pillows were comfortable enough to make me fall asleep easily and woke up at 6am, feeling energized, ready for another exciting day - visiting the Orangutans, sun bears and the proboscis monkeys.
By 8am, my friend arrived with another big car, a hilux pick up.
We had breakfast at Kong Teck Coffee shop before the trip.
This shop has been selling fish noodle soup for 3 generations already. The shop was always full and at times, need to queue for a seat.
Freshly made fish noodle and springy fish balls were fresh and chewy but a bit salty to my taste.
After our breakfast, we headed straight to Sepilok for the Orangutans Rehabilitation Centre.
Entrance to Sepilok
This beautiful building is an "airconditioned" outside toilet, facing right in front of the car park.😂
I don't know about you but I was chuckling to myself when I entered the toilet.
One of the best in Sabah and handicapped friendly.
Communing with nature in comfort ie Air con😁
Tickets to rehabilitation center for the Orangutans.
Entrance Ticket Booth
Fee:
Local Rm10 and child Rm5
There is a charge of Rm10 if you bring in a camera or video cam. However taking photos with your phone - no charge.
A Mother Orangutan climbing the rope with her baby, holding tightly to it's mom.
After the visit to the Orangutans we went across the road to see the Bornean Sun Bear , which was also located at the rehabilitation Centre but on the other side of the forest.
Entrance to sun bear is just across the road from the orangutan's center.
Bornean Sun Bears are the smallest bears in the world and can only be seen in Borneo.
My ticket Rm 10 for Adult local
Foreigner Adult fee Rm50
For more info regarding entrance fee, you can check on their website BSBCC
Bornean Sun Bear - I managed to see Joe in this trip
Those who are interested to donate and adopt ,can go to their website at https://www.bsbcc.org.my/
Aaron, the young handsome Murut guide was very helpful and told us how to locate the bears. He said all the 7 bears recognise their own names.
Short video of cute Joe wandering about.
The guide, Aaron said, that's Joe. Joe can be seen easily wandering about.
Mandatory exit from sovereign shop 🤣.
After Sepilok we rushed to Labuk Bay for the Proboscis monkey feeding time @11.30am at platform B.
I have read a few criticism's from google reviews questioning why the monkeys were fed with pancakes.
I only found the answers during my visit there.
The story began with the cook, who prepared the pancakes for tea time for the plantation workers and left them in the kitchen for his other staff to serve the workers there. When the staff came into the kitchen, they found there was none left. After a while they noticed that one by one the monkeys sneaked into the kitchen from the back yard to steal all the pancakes. That's how the staff at sanctuary found out that these monkeys like pancakes!
If you read on the link that I posted here by theBorneo Adventure website, you will understand more about these monkeys. Due to deforestation, more and more monkeys appeared at the oil palm plantation and that's how the owner decided to start the sanctuary to help support these proboscis monkey.
Begining of journey to Labuk bay
From the main road, we must keep an eye for this sign board before the junction. If you are new, you may tend to overlook this and miss the junction.
1. From junction to the beginning of the road into the oil palm plantation
2. Lots of sign boards leading the way to ticket booth. 3. The sight of oil palm trees- a beautiful scenery.
4. Sign board indicating to turn right, leading to platforms A+B
5.Beginning of a bad/rough road.
Luckily we came in a 4 wheel drive. The muddy road was slippery and had it rained again, our trip would need to be cancelled, because it's very dangerous to drive on such road even with a 4 wheel drive. I admired my friend's capability like "Lara Croft" to be able to drive through. Had the wheels got struck, I was afraid we may need to push the car to get the wheels out of the mud. 😅 Thank God 🙏, the weather was fine and we were able to pass through without any problem.
My friend said, had she been alone, she would not dare to drive in this kind of road but with company, she was brave enough to drive.😂
6.
7. Signboard leading to the ticket booth.
And also informing the distance of platformA is 1.6km while platform B is 2.7km
8. "Lara Croft" successfully arrived at ticket booth. 😂
After paying for the ticket, the guard opened the gate allowing us to drive in. Platform A ( 1.6 Km) - feeding time :9.30am & 2.30pm
Platform B ( 2.7 Km) - Feeding time :11.30am & 4.30pm
9. Entrance ticket:
Rm15 for locals & child Rm 5
Rm60 for Foreigners & child Rm5
Rm10 per day camera or video fee but camera from handphone is allowed.
There is a restaurant that serves drinks, rice and noodles.
Those who want to linger a bit longer at platform B can watch video show at 10.15am & 3.15pm.
10. The 1st sign board after the ticket booth.
11. Beginning of gravel road which is quite a distance.
12.On the way we came across Mr. Water Buffalo 😂
13. Journey to Platform A ends here.
The yellow building in this photo is another outside toilet for platform A.
To go to platform B, you need to continue the road on the left which is another 1.1km away.
14. Road to platform B
15.Arrival at platform B
16. Entrance of platform B
17. A 2 mins walk to Platform B from car park.
Many were put off by the journey and lack of transport accessibility to this sanctuary which is very true, ie, the need for a 4 wheel drive vehicle, once the destination is achieved, all the trouble and stresses in getting there was worth it😅.
Before feeding time, some of these monkeys are already waiting, as if they know it's "Grub time".
After feeding, some will come onto the platform to rest in the shade for a while before they disappear again into the wild.
According to the guide, this bunch is a family. Father, mother and their children
And these are also the siblings of the same clan.
Story of Mr proboscis monkey. According to our guide, the proboscis does not welcome any other clan and will kill them except their own. Mr proboscis as the male leader has many wives and children.
Tourists fascinated by the proboscis monkey behavior.
Mr Proboscis (Male leader) friendly to humans unlike the Orangutans
Hornbill can also be seen at this sanctuary
By 12noon, we had to leave because we had an appointment lunch with someone important at 1pm.
Our previous in-charge of 40 over years ago, Sister Ho, whom I dearly respect as "my boss" . Those who had worked under her management would agree what I have got to say, as a lady of character, stern, firm, fierce but fair with her management to all the staff within her department.
Our sumptuous lunch at the renowned Ocean King Restaurant.
We had a lot of catch up stories to talk about + general gossips, bearing in mind we had over 40 years of separation 😁
After saying goodbye to everyone, I returned to the hotel for a short rest.
By 6pm, I took a walk again. I loved that area and stopped at Crowd99 Cafe, to get some take away.
Shaved Durian Chendol, so yummy dessert which cost Rm13 and Rm1 for the container as takeaway.
Blueberry crepe cake.
The softness and creamy taste of the dessert
leaving such an awesome flavor in the mouth was just so amazing.
Day 3
This was my last morning at Sandakan. Again, I had a good nights sleep, waking up at 6am, feeling so refreshed, getting ready for my departure.
My flight was at 11.05am
I had already checked in online so I only needed to be at the airport by 10.30am
Esther came to fetch me at 8am because she wanted to bring me for hearty breakfast at Buli Sim Sim.( water village sim sim)
Kampung Air Sim Sim, where there are many seafood restaurants run by the Chinese.
Ocean King Restaurant was once at the water village too but later moved to IJM batu 5,where my hotel was.
Entrance to the "water village restaurant" (kampung air restaurant)
Sim Sim seafood restaurant H90 is just next door to H88 where I was going.
Due to the reflection, my photo didn't turn out well here, but it's easy to locate. right is H90 restaurant and left is H88 restaurant😂
I guess both restaurants are equally good but I choose to go for H88 because I like the angle of the restaurant and the Arowana fish which were on display in their individual tanks at the restaurant.😂
Entrance to the restaurant
Seafood porridge is the most popular here.
The porridge goes well with their Signature fried salted fish.
Deep fried Salted fish drizzle with sweet sour sauce was one of the popular dishes in Sandakan.
Home made salted fish by the owner.
Many of the owners with renowned seafood restaurants in Sandakan have their own fishing boat. That's why their seafood is always fresh. Unlike in KK, many used preservatives to keep the freshness of their seafood longer.
Deep fried fish eggs which got sold off easily and this is the last piece even though it's only 9am.
After trying this, I don't think I will want to eat others in KK any more.
The freshness of seafood in Sandakan is second to nothing.
Seafood bee hoon in salted vegetable soup.
Another popular dish in this restaurant.
With all the popular fresh seafood dishes and eating to our heart content, what a gastronomic experience it was!
The owner has 8 big Arowana's in his restauarant.
It's so pleasing to watch these Arowanas swimming peacefully in their individual tanks.
Looking at these Arowanas reminds me of "Wilson", our pet fish who lived in our home for 25 years and died of old age, not too long ago. I missed him a lot, until I wrote a story about him as memory lane, afterwards I coped better with his passing.
Anyone interested to read about "Wilson" can click 👉here to link you to his story.
Owner's daughter of seafood restaurant H88
Front view of the restaurant.
Very creative. The front of the restaurant was created in such a manner that it looks as if you are in a boat drifting in the sea. The sea breeze blowing in our face was refreshing.
There is a wooden stair going up to the upper deck, which was closed. Maybe it's for private function such as weddings. I can imagine standing on the upper deck with both your arms spreading out and the breeze blowing to us, like in the movie , "Titanic" with the song, "My heart will go on" sung by Celine Dion. So Romantic ! No wonder the newlywed's like these places rather than those taken in a fake environment of a studio.
After a hearty breakfast, Esther sent me to the airport at 10.30am.
On my flight back to KK, the plane passed by our Majestic Mountain, Mt Kinabalu but due to thick clouds, the view was not good.
Thank you Esther Wong for making my trip to Sandakan, a meaningful, fruitful and blessed one🙏
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