The Selako Dayak live in an area characterized by rolling hills averaging a few hundred feet above sea level. The land is largely covered with secondary growth and occasionally interrupted by forested limestone peaks. Rainfall averages 150 inches a year, with a monsoon season from October to March. Temperatures range from a maximum of 85 F. during the day to 75 F. at night. The Selako Dayak make a living mainly by growing rice, but they also engage in fishing and some hunting.
Many households also grow rubber and coffee as cash crops.
Because of their need for salt, the Dayak maintain contact with the coastal peoples. Selako Dayak villages are large, relatively permanent, and mostly located near streams. Often, several communities join together to form village clusters. Usually there is more than one long-house in each village, and these may be interconnected by raised walkways. This house might be better described as a combination men's house, community council house, and ceremonial center.