After a couple of days in Ubud, we set out to visit the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary.
Also simply known as the Ubud Monkey Forest, this popular attraction in central Ubud is a nature reserve and Hindu temple complex within the village of Padangtegal.
Oh and it’s also filled with approximately 700 monkeys!
Now, I had some initial hesitations visiting the sanctuary. Every blog I read warned about getting attacked and robbed by monkeys. It warned that by going to the Monkey Forest, you were putting yourself and your stuff at risk.
“Don’t wear hats or sunglasses,” the articles stressed, “and hold your cameras and phone tight. Don’t even think about bringing a bag unless you want it snatched away!”
While the idea of getting mugged by a monkey doesn’t appeal to me, I reminded myself that I survived Africa. I slept in a tent with lions prowling around the park.
How bad could a few hundred monkeys be?
We walked to the Ubud Monkey Forest from our guesthouse, bought our ticket, and scanned the wall of warnings before entering.
Do not panic – check. Do not run – check. Do not look the monkeys in the eyes. Hhhmm.
I had to admit, I always worry I might accidentally look an animal in the eye when I shouldn’t. To mitigate the risk, I decided I would keep my sunglasses on at all times. They can’t see through the tinted frames, can they?
And yes, I wore my sunglasses. I like to live on the edge.
We headed down the entrance walkway which is lined with tropical plants and trees. In addition to the estimated 700 long-tail macaque monkeys at the sanctuary, there are 186 species of trees in 12.5 hectares of forest.
It’s really a beautiful place in central Ubud.
Within our first few minutes, we passed a stand selling bananas to feed to the monkeys. Here, we saw multiple tourists scream as they held bananas in the air coaxing the monkeys to jump on them to get the bananas.
So, were these the attacks I was reading about? I wouldn’t really considering coaxing an animal to jump on you an attack.
Continuing along, we eventually came to our first courtyard-like opening decorated with Hindu sculptures surrounded by native forests. Monkeys were everywhere! Playing in the fountain, walking along the path, and sitting in the trees.
We continued along the path further into the Sanctuary passing Hindu temples and sculptures. Some monkeys skipped along the path and into the forest, while others sat occupied with coconuts or bananas.
Monkeys not only filled the pathways, they also occupied the temples, climbed along the railings, and gathered along ledges.
Eventually, the path leads to an open stage area where presentations and events are held. Large groups of monkeys moved around while tourists sat and watched. Some monkeys attempted to open and sift through bags and purses that were unattended by tourists.
Perhaps, these were the robberies we were warned about?
Overall, it was a great way to the spend the afternoon. We enjoyed walking through the forest, seeing the monkeys, and viewing the temples that are such an integral part of the Balinese culture.
We are also happy to report we didn’t get mugged by any monkeys.
For more information on the Ubud Monkey Forest, visit their website.
Next stop, Mount Batur!