We’ve been in Indonesia only a few weeks and we’ve already fallen in love with Ubud!! While staying near Mas Gianyar we rented a scooter for 70,000 RP ($5.16 US) a day for a three day adventure to Ubud. I plan on writing a blog about the art, vibe, and amazing restaurants in Ubud; and why you should rent a bike over a car in Indonesia, but first this monkey forest!!!
The Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest is absolutely amazing!!! Being here and watching these wild monkeys interact was mind blowing. Costing only 100,000 RP ($7.38 US) per person to get in, this was a must see on our destination list. Note to self : save your ticket until the end. This will get you free parking when you present it at the exiting gate! You can take as little or as much time here as you would like. They have options for guided tours, but we chose to walk it on our own with freedom to roam and leave when ever we wanted.
I strongly suggest reading the big sign before entering on what NOT to do around the monkeys. Like for instance “ don’t bring any snacks,” “don’t panic if the monkeys jump on you,” “don’t show teeth for it’s a sign of aggression,” and “ don’t wear or bring anything valuable a monkey could steal.” At first I was terrified. The sign freaked me out a little and I had to keep reminding myself not to smile!! Well at least not showing teeth which is harder than you would think. I noticed a lot of people chose to ignore this sign and it had its consequences. We watched a lady bring out a full bag of chips, and I kid you not a monkey snatched it out of her hands before it even left her backpack. We also watched two girls panic and try running when a monkey jumped on them; which in return scarred the monkey and others came running towards them. Don’t get me wrong it’s safe but these are wild animals so just respect the rules.
My boyfriend and I walked around for about two hours and then sat and watched the monkeys interact with each other for about an hour. During this time we were interviewed by a local Balinese girl through the Monarch College where we had 4-5 monkeys climb on us just out of curiosity. They were very friendly and we did as the sign said and didn’t panic. They’re mostly curious and looking for things to grab. The monkeys pulled at my shirt which had strings attached, and our backpack which is impossible for them to open. Once they realize we had nothing that interest them they got bored and moved on. This made me feel way more at ease and I could tell they were just curious. I was surprised at first how many people had jewelry, cameras, and hats just dangling around but not once did I see a monkey try to snatch a phone or rip someone’s jewelry off. Not saying it hasn’t happened but from my experience it was way more chill than I was expecting.
I watched a monkey unscrew two light bulbs and rub them together for about 10 minutes, get bored and walk away. This was really impressive, these creatures are so smart. We chose not to take too many pictures and really tried to just enjoy being around these animals. The scenery throughout this forest alone is worth seeing and they even have a cemetery for all the fallen monkeys which is pretty nice of them to have.
All in all this adventure was amazing and we might just end up going again before we leave just to watch these intelligent creatures. I have a new found respect for monkeys as will you if you come to the Sacred Monkey Forest. If you are in Ubud do not pass this opportunity up, I promise it’s safe! Thank you for reading and enjoy your weekend.
(picture credit Ubud
Sacred Monkey Forest)
