Ubud Monkey Forest
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Ubud Monkey Forest - by pen_ash from Pixabay
Description
Ubud Monkey Forest, is the natural habitat of the Balinese long-tailed macaque. The 12ha sanctuary is situated near the centre of Ubud and is home to about 1,000 monkeys divided in 7 (territorial) groups. The monkeys are omnivores and adults weight 3 to 6kgs. There are also three temples inside: Damel (the main one where Shiva is worshipped), Beji (Gangga goddess) and Prajapati.
Access & Transport
Appropriately enough, the entrance is on Jl Monkey Forest in Ubud. The town is 23km north of Sanur, 30km from Kuta-Seminyak and 35km from the airport. There are taxis, bus and tourist shuttles making the trip to those locations regularly.
Instructions & Recommendations
Keep you belonging securely inside a bag (hats and sunglasses included) and do not feed the monkeys (it is unhealthy for them and they are fed 3 times per day by the staff).
Environmental & Social
Environmentally neutral. There is supposedly some conservation and research aspects based on the website, but it is unclear what those are; presumably that is why they charge so much... (?)
Conclusion
The "sanctuary" used to be quite a relaxing place to wander in, but it has become a bit of a tourist trap, in our opinion. If you have never seen a macaque before and are really short on time, then it is worth an hour of your time but, really, monkeys are not rare on the island...
Key positive
Certainty to see monkeys, lots of them
Key negative
It has become a business
Suitability
Most of the site is accessible for visitors with reduced mobility
About this Rating
TYPE
Onsite
RESEARCHED IN
June 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:0h 45m
est. visit time:1h 15m
Monday09:00 - 18:00
Tuesday09:00 - 18:00
Wednesday09:00 - 18:00
Thursday09:00 - 18:00
Friday09:00 - 18:00
Saturday09:00 - 18:00
Sunday09:00 - 18:00