Ubud Monkey Forest: The Sacred Monkey Sanctuary in Bali

The Ubud Monkey Forest is located in Padangtegal, a village near Ubud province of Bali. The forest as the name suggests is the home for Balinese long-tailed monkeys. A famous tourist attraction in Bali, it also houses a variety of plants and trees making it a must-visit place for nature lovers. The purpose of the place is to generate enough tourism to take care of the fragile species that live there and to bridge a gap between the economy and ecology of Bali. The villages around the sanctuary consider the forest to be an important part of spiritual as well as environmental conservation of Bali. 

Habitat Inside The Enclosure 

The forest is home to about 1030 monkeys and a variety of trees and plants. It also has a fenced enclosure for deers, which is open for visitors. The monkeys among themselves have built boundaries and live in five separate groups scattered across the sanctuary. A set of people belonging to the traditional Balinese clan inhabit the area in front of the Main Temple, another lot occupy the park’s Michelin area, third, the park’s eastern area, and fourth, the park’s central area, while a group lives near the cremation and cemetery area.

What to do in the Ubud Monkey Forest?

The total area of the forest is about 2 km radius, the half-day activity includes pick up and drop from the hotel with private transfers, Apart from enjoying the view of the forest with the wilderness, tourists can even feed the monkeys in the supervision of officials. The monkeys have their own territories and according to the officials, there are now five groups of monkeys occupying each territory. The forest is dense with a deep water stream in the middle. Additionally, there is also a public hall and a gallery. The forest also supports three Hindu temples within the enclosure, however, the temples are closed for visitors and only can be allowed if tourists wear proper Balinese attire.

Is It Safe To Be Around The Monkeys?

All though visitors are encouraged to feed the monkeys, there have been a lot of cases of conflict. Unless there is proper supervision, it is not recommended to feed the monkeys, They generally ignore humans without edibles. Also, with the monkeys divided into groups, there may be conflicts between themselves for territory and unless a human disturbs them they do not tend to mind letting tourists pass through their territories. The park officials also carry slingshots and always monitor when tourists enter new territory.

Is There An Entrance Fee?

The operational time of the park is 8:00AM to 6:00PM. The cost of a ticket per adult is 80,000 IDR and per child is 60,000 IDR. The management of the forest is run by the people of the villages around them and they believe tourism is a good way to save the natural habitat for these animals. They also have their own websites – https://www.monkeyforestubud.com/ – to guide the visitors to have a safe trip.

Wild Wonder In An Island

Bali is often regarded as a beach island, but the truth is Bali is a mix of beach, cultural heritage and wilderness. It is one of the best tourist destinations to experience all aspects of nature. Ubud Monkey Forest is a sincere effort taken by the people to conserve and protect the hidden gem of Bali. Book a vacation to Bali with Pickyourtrail to experience the wilderness.