Ubud Monkey Forest

Mandala Suci Wenara Wana, or well known as Ubud Monkey Forest, is the sanctuary and natural habitat of the Balinese long-tailed macaque. It is located at Padangtegal Ubud, Bali. About 1049 monkeys live in this sanctuary. They are divided into 6 groups, namely in front of the main temple group, forest conservation group, central point group, eastern group, Michelin group, and cemeteries group. We also divide the monkeys by age: 63 adult male, 34 Sub-adult male, 219 Adult female, 29 Sub-adult female, 167 juveniles 1 (2-3 year), 118 juveniles 2 (1-2 year), 63 Infant old (5-12 months) and 56 infant. Sacred Monkey Forest Ubud is a famous tourist attraction in Ubud. In every month around 10,000–15,000 visitors come to Monkey Forest Ubud. The Monkey Forest Ubud has 186 species of plants and trees in 12.5 hectares of forest. The Monkey Forest Ubud has 3 temples, namely Dalem Agung Padangtegal Temple, Holy Spring Temple and Prajapati Temple. The forest is owned by the Padangtegal community and is managed by Mandala Suci Wenara Wana Management. The purpose of the management is to keep the sacred place and promote the Monkey Forest Ubud as an international tourist destination.


Ubud Monkey Forest is located on Monkey Forest Street, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali. Operating hours: 08.30-18.00 WITA, Entrance Fee: Adult IDR 80,000 Child IDR 60,000

Ubud is about an hour and a half drive from the airport. Taxis are available at the airport. Any travel agent in Denpasar will also be able to get you there. If you stay in a hotel, the management usually provides a shuttle service for a reasonable fee. The sacred forest is situated at the Monkey Forest Street (shown on the right), which is the main street of Ubud, so you won't miss it. Shops and restaurants line up the streets, so you might as well check them out while you're there.

During this time, wild apes always stay away from humans and spend most of their days in trees. However, the monkeys in this place actually interact more with tourists who come. Asian Destinations Readers can interact with apes. Although interaction with monkeys can be done easily, tourists are advised to still obey the rules. Even though they look tame, they are still wild animals that can hurt anyone who gets close. You are advised not to force yourself to have a two-way interaction so that the tour here runs smoothly.


In addition to interacting with monkeys, tourists can also visit sacred temples in the forest. There are several temple buildings in this area. First, which is used as a playground for the monkeys. Second, which is bigger and is used as a place of worship by local residents. You are advised to visit the bigger temples only. For smaller temples, tourists simply see it from afar. Some monkeys consider the area to be their territory, so that anyone who comes can be attacked.

Asian Destinations Readers can take various poses of this primate. However, when taking pictures, the camera must be held firmly. Some monkeys often act mischievous and take the camera because they find it interesting.

Tips for Asian Destinations Readers when visiting Monkey Forest Ubud are:

Do not bring items that are too shiny, such as jewelry. The monkeys here are very interested in such things.

Don't interact too closely. Forest managers forbid anyone to give food to monkeys, because it can make the animal fall sick or even attack if it feels that the food is lacking. Interaction can be done naturally.

If the monkey grabs something by force, don't hit it right away. This can make the monkey angry and attack.

The best time to come here is 15.00-16.00 WITA because the monkeys are full and there is no desire to attack.

Asian Destination Readers can also donate to care for the monkeys in Ubud Monkey Forest via https://monkeyforestubud.com/

 

Sources :

https://monkeyforestubud.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubud_Monkey_Forest

https://www.traveloka.com/id-id/packages/indonesia/landmark/ubud-monkey-forest-6055791

https://www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/destinations/bali-nusa-tenggara/ubud/ubud-monkey-forest

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