Ubud Monkey Forest in Bali

Today plan was the Ubud Monkey Forest, also known as the Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal. But first, we swan, ate breakfast, washed some clothes, showered, and set off early for the Ubud local (touristic) market.

We knew we would get a better price in the morning as the first sale is believed to bring good luck. Therefore, Balinese shopkeepers will try to conclude the first sale a quick as possible even if they have to give you a big discount. We were surprised not many tourists were using that trick as the market was still free of visitors. We took advantage and Kro bought a long grey dress at IDR 100,000 down from IDR 250,000.

We strolled the streets dodging all the daily offerings, called Canang Sari, placed on the ground. The Balinese Hindus honour their gods with little pallets filled with rice, candies and decorated with flowers and incense. The nature-based worship was a stark contrast to the loud (and crazy early) calls to prayers from mosques we experienced in Java. Bali is a Hindu island lost in a country which is mostly Muslim. Every other minute, someone would shoot at us “taxi, taxi, motorbike rent”. Ubud has no shortage of taxi drivers. We couldn’t walk two minutes without being offered a ride, or a moped to rent. Soon, it became a background noise.

On our way to the Ubud Monkey Forest, we passed by the Ubud palace where apparently the Ubud royal family was still living. The place was open to the public at no cost. We like free stuff so we went in and enjoyed the numerous statues covered with Sarongs, the colourful doors and the detailed carvings. In 30 minutes, we were out as the place was small.

After a filling smoothie, we headed for the Ubud Monkey Forest. The entrance fee was a bargain at only 50,000 IDR. We were just concerned about our safety. Indeed, we heard numerous horror stories about people being attacked. Bites were occurring on a daily basis. Therefore, we hide all our belongings in our backpack leaving our pockets completely empty. We skipped the banana vendors as we didn’t want to attract too much attention from the 600 macaques. We entered the Ubud Monkey Forest ready to run out if necessary. We were not vaccinated for rabies and could not take the risk to get bitten.

We explored the sanctuary trying to avoid eye contact with evil creatures. But there did look so adorable and innocent. Cute baby monkeys were everywhere. Playing. Feeding on bananas. Swinging through the trees like Tarzan. Fighting with each other. We relaxed and started to feel more confident. He was great to see the Ubud monkeys in their natural habitat.

The forest was well worth the visit with its temples, narrow paths, and gorgeous bridges and monkey-inspired carvings. We wandered around peacefully. Then, abruptly a grey-haired long-tailed monkey jumped on Kro and clung to her camera case. The monkey was literally pulling stuff out of her bag. Luckily he only found tissues, an Ubud map and our Ubud Monkey Forest entrance tickets. He hopped down and torn apart his treasure. Maybe disgusted not to have found anything to nibble. We tried to retrieve the rubbish he left on the floor but the little thieve didn't want to let go as he growled and showed his incisors. We let go. Wary, we walked away and carried on our exploration.

All of the sudden, as we were calming down from our little drama, it started pouring down causing the pavements to turn into rivers. We sheltered by the park's exit and waited for the storm to stop. It didn't. So we left the Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest. We went for a bite. Kro went on a shopping spree. She hurt her leg (don't worry, she is fine). And we called it a day.

We believe the Ubud Monkey Forest is a must-visit. Just come prepared and follow the bits of advice provided by the park. And don't buy bananas from the vendors unless you are ready to take some serious risk. After all, the macaques living in the Monkey Forest are still wild animals and should be treated like that.

Did you enjoy this post? Have you been to the monkey forest before? Have you ever been attacked by macaques? Let us know in the comments below!