点评:We hired a driver/guide—a must! Half the cost of a tour group and you have a private guide. We were able to hit the 4 major activities here all in one day, beginning from the Sabah Hotel and off to the airport back to KK! You'll be tired, but it's well worth it.
We had seen some proboscis monkeys from afar on a Bongawan River Cruise. That was cool. We saw more at the Kinabatangan River, and that was better. Now, it can be argued that was more of an experience because we spotted those in the wild. This reserve isn't an actual wildlife experience—it's a reserve, and the monkeys can come to the feeding platforms if they wish, so it's a hit or miss. But I'm told it's 99% for sure, and sure enough, they came. We saw the elusive proboscis monkey up close, and it was a truly delightful experience. We were mesmerized by the sight of them, and it's etched in my memory.
We watched them feeding, mingling, and jostling for food. There was even a memorable moment of reproduction between the lead male and a female. The crowd laughed, there were some gasps. Children were left wondering what was happening, and parents were cringing. All natural—and I have pics, but I decided best to leave them out of my picture submissions 😅.
The walking path leading up to the platform was cool in itself, with some different types of monkeys that my guide pointed out.
Then we walked to a different path, and the most memorable experience occurred. A Silvered Leaf Monkey was just sitting there, as if positioning itself to watch the next feeding. I wouldn't have dared get close, but my guide said it was docile and we could pet it gently. Surprisingly, it was gentle and seemed to like my kids, paying them some attention. This was the highlight indeed.
The price of admission was minuscule by western standards—I could have paid more for a meal at a fast food restaurant in the US than for this unforgettable experience. This is the reason we made the trip to Sandakan.
翻译:我们雇了一位司机兼导游——这绝对必不可少!价格只有旅游团的一半,而且还能享受私人导游服务。我们从沙巴酒店出发,一天之内就体验了这里的四项主要活动,最后还直接从机场返回了哥打基纳巴卢!虽然会很累,但绝对物超所值。
之前乘船游览邦高万河时,我们从远处看到了一些长鼻猴,感觉挺酷的。后来在基纳巴坦岸河我们又看到了更多长鼻猴,那就更棒了。现在……可以说,这次经历更为难忘,因为我们是在自然环境中看到它们的。这个保护区其实算不上是真正的野生动物观赏地——它只是个保护区而已,猴子们如果愿意的话才会来到喂食台,因此能否见到它们全靠运气。不过有人告诉我,见到它们的概率绝对有99%,事实也确实如此,它们出现了。我们近距离目睹了那种难得一见的长鼻猴,真是一次极其美妙的体验。我们被它们的身影深深吸引,这一幕至今仍铭记在我的记忆中。
我们看着它们进食、嬉戏。它们互相挤来挤去争夺食物。甚至还出现了一个令人难忘的场面:领头的雄猴与一只雌猴发生了交配。观众们哄堂大笑,也有人倒吸一口气。孩子们则一脸困惑,搞不清发生了什么,而家长们则面露尴尬之色。这一切都是自然现象——我确实拍下了照片,但最后还是决定不把它们纳入提交的照片集里😅。
通往观猴台的步道本身就挺有趣的,向导还给我指认了几种不同的猴子。
随后我们又走上了另一条小路。最令人难忘的经历发生了。一只银叶猴就坐在那里,似乎在准备观看接下来的喂食环节。我本来不敢靠近,但导游说它很温顺,我们可以轻轻抚摸它。令人惊讶的是,它真的很温顺,似乎也喜欢我的孩子们,还对他们露出了些许兴趣。这绝对是整个行程的亮点所在。按照西方的标准,入场费极其低廉——在美国,我花在快餐店里的一顿饭的钱都足以换取这次令人难忘的体验了。这正是我们前往山打根的原因。