Proboscis Monkey and Firefly Tour (Kota Kinabalu)

The Jetty at Night

One of the most recommended tourist stuff to do in Kota Kinabalu is the Proboscis Monkey and firefly tour. If you do a search for the Proboscis monkey, you'll find it very weird looking. They are also called long-nosed monkeys. Also known as "bekantan" in Malay, they are reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey that is endemic to the south-east Asian island of Borneo.

The monkey also goes by the Malay name monyet belanda ("Dutch monkey"), or even orang belanda ("Dutchman"), as Indonesians remarked that the Dutch colonisers often had a similarly large belly and nose.

Package tour usually starts around 4pm in the afternoon. From the city, it takes around 2 hours to reach the Kota Klias Jetty. Upon arriving, some snacks with coffee and tea will be served. By 430pm, you will now board a boat for your river cruise/ Proboscis monkey sighting session. It is advisable to bring shades as it can be sunny in the first half of the river cruise. Life vests are provided and required.

Make sure to choose your vest first so you'll get the nice ones

Snack time!

A Proboscis Monkey

You can also rent binoculars or just buy yourself one prior to going to the tour. It's really challenging to find those monkeys are they tend to blend in well with their surroundings. Other than that, there are several common monkeys roaming around. I took several photos but they move very quick and in the end, I got one or two clear shos and with the nose being very evidently large, I know I got the right creature.

Common Monkey or Proboscis Monkey? You decide.

On the way back, our boat man informed as to take note of a tree in which the branch is extending towards the river. They told us that around 6pm every night, there would be a monitor lizard clinging on to the branch. According to him, that is every night, without a miss. Might be his home.

Monitor Lizard a.k.a. Bayawak (6pm every night, he goes there)

Buffet Dinner

You'll return to the jetty when the darkness starts to set in. Dinner will be served, buffet style. Don't expect very good food though. It was just so-so and just enough to make you full. After dinner, you'll board the boat once again and start another river cruise. This time, in a pitch black setting where the only light is the moon. Don't forget to bring mosquito repellent.

I've tried a firefly river cruise when I went to Donsol last year but this time, I made sure I get a photo as a souvenir, no matter how challenging the pitch black surrounding is.

Those yellow dots are the fireflies! :) Gotcha!

This is the best I can do. Of course, nothing beats the actual experience as you'll be amazed on how their dimly lit butts give life to the dark forest around them.

After this, we were transferred back to the hotel. Another 2-hour drive. Good thing my iPad kept us entertained the whole trip. If you haven't experienced a firefly tour, I suggest that you take this. The one we had in Donsol, Philippines is very similar yet, you can never get tired of watching these amazing natural shows.

We paid the travel agency RM 130.00 (Approx 1,800 pesos) per pax for this tour. Included is the fee for the river cruise for the Proboscis monkey and firefly, snack and dinner plus hotel-destination-hotel transfers.

All about Kota Kinabalu:
Shangri-La Rasa Ria Nature Reserve
Proboscis Monkey and Firefly tour
Island Hopping: Manukan Island and Mamutik Island
Little Italy Restaurant - Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu Shopping Malls and Market
Kinabalu Park and Wild Boar Experience
Poring Hot Springs
Best Western Kinabalu Daya Hotel
Pekan Nabalu Lookout Point

Cheftonio
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