Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali: Review and Tips

This Monkey Forest Ubud review is part of a trip report including Cathay Pacific Business Class and First Class to Hong Kong and Bali, plus reviews of luxury hotels and food in Hong Kong and Bali. Prior posts include:

Review of British Airways Galleries Lounge at JFK Airport

Cathay Pacific Business Class Review: 777-300ER NYC to Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific First Class NYC-Hong Kong

Four Seasons Hong Kong Review

Tim Ho Wan Review: Hong Kong's Best Dim Sum and Cheapest Michelin Star?

Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Review

10 Things to Eat in Bali

Cathay Pacific Business Class Review 747-400: Hong Kong to Bali

Ayana Resort and Spa Review-Club Level

Four Seasons Bali at Jimbaran Bay Review

Hotel Review: The Kayana in Seminyak, Bali

Restaurant Review: Metis in Seminyak, Bali

Batu Karang Resort on Nusa Lembongan

Restaurant Review: Indiana Kenanga, Nusa Lembongan

Diving and Snorkeling at Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan Near Bali

Komaneka at Bisma, Ubud Bali Hotel Review

The Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud, Bali is practically a must for anyone visiting Bali, and is part of many visitor itineraries even for those staying elsewhere in Bali. While my husband was having a nap, I took the munchkin for a walk from the Komaneka at Bisma resort, where we were staying, to the Monkey Forest. It's a  more scenic route to access the Monkey Forest, since you walk along the dirt road by the rice fields, instead of along the busy (and touristy) Monkey Forest Road. We were walking pretty slowly, and it probably took us 15-20 minutes.

Once we got up to the Monkey Forest Road, for better or worse we decided to buy some bananas to feed the monkeys. While we were buying them, we observed some large male monkeys raiding the offerings of a shop's small temple:

We then entered the Monkey Forest, doing our best to keep our bananas well out of sight, in their black plastic bag. The forest is home to many banyan trees, with their long Tarzan-like roots, and is also the site of the Monkey Forest of Padangtal temple.

I'll share some tips below, but as you'll see right away when you enter, these monkeys (long-tailed macaques) are not shy about grabbing bananas or anything else they fancy from your grasp, and will even climb you to get it. The munchkin, who was holding a water bottle, had a monkey grab it out of his hands so quickly and with so much force that he started crying, so after that I made sure that I had the bananas and our water bottle tucked out of sight.

Once we found a mother macaque with a baby, however, the munchkin was captivated, as were many other visitors around us. The baby must have been only a few months old, since his hair was dark all over, typical of infants under 6 months. 

We also saw some monkey chases, and also a monkey family where the adults were grooming each other and some juveniles were playing. Many of the interactions and gestures are so human-like, it was fascinating to watch the monkeys at play.

Verdict: While a bit more crowded than last time I was in Bali, 11 years ago, the Monkey Forest was still a nice experience, and atmospheric with the banyan trees, pools, and temple. Since this time I was here with a young child, I was more conscious, however, of how aggressive some of the monkeys are. If I were to do it again, I probably would not bring food, and would have been sure to bring a backpack or bag to stash our water bottle in.  

Tips

• Stay on the paved paths and don't wander off into the forest, since the monkeys can be quite aggressive and territorial.

• As noted above, secure everything (preferably in a backpack) and don't carry anything loose, as there's a strong possiblity a monkey will try to grab it.

• If a monkey does grab something, seek help from one of the park staffers (in green uniforms) to help you get the item back.

• Don't feed the monkeys by hand unless you're comfortable with the monkeys climbing on you. We left bananas on the ground for the monkeys.

• If you feed the monkeys, feed them bananas; don't feed them peanuts, candies, chips or other junk food which endangers their health.

• Don't tease the monkeys or have prolonged eye contact (which the monkeys consider threatening) since the macaques will bite if provoked.

• If you wish to enter the Main Temple, you must wear a sarong. Note that anyone who has wounds or is bleeding is not allowed to enter. The Inner Courtyard is only for the priests and worshippers and visitors are not allowed in that section.

• If you are bitten or scratched by a monkey, seek assistance from a staffer, who can also help direct you to a local health clinic. The monkeys sometimes do carry diseases such as Hepititis C. While rabies is very, very rare from a monkey bite (though there are rabid dogs in Bali) you'd probably want to get anti-rabies injections if you were bitten, just in case. So please–be cautious, and you may want to consider *not* feeding the monkeys or bringing anything with you that may tempt them!