MUST-DO ACTIVITIES IN BALI: MONKEY FOREST UBUD
HOW TO GET TO MONKEY FOREST UBUD
The Ubud Monkey Forest lies within the village of Padangtegal. For the village residents, the Monkey Forest is an important spiritual and economic center. The forest is very close to the center of Ubud, so it is very convenient for tourists and locals to visit the Monkeys.
There are 1 260 monkeys in Monkey Forest. They live in 10 separate groups, each with their home range:
- Central Group
- Temple Group
- Selatan Group
- Cemetery Group
- Michelin Group
- East Group
- New Forest Group
- Ashram Group
- Atap
How can you reach Monkey Forest:
- Shuttle bus – drives back and forth from Ubud center every 15 minutes, free of charge
- Walking 15 minutes from the center of Ubud
- You can book a personal driver for the day, that will walk you everywhere you need. I paid 400K IDR (27€ or 26 USD) and my driver was at all times with me, showing me around, entering with me everywhere I went, and, taking very nice pictures for me. They go the extra mile to make you feel comfortable and deliver a bespoke service.
- Take a taxi scooter. For instance, if you need to go for a relatively short distance and spend the day there, just look for locals that propose to drive you with their scooter. I usually paid between 50K and 80K IDR (3-6 €/USD), depending on the distance. They provide you with a helmet, as it is forbidden in Bali to ride without a helmet.
- Use the Go-Jek or Grab app to book a taxi. There is a standard base fare for Bali taxis of around 0.44 €/USD (7K IDR), and an additional charge per km of around 0.47 €/USD (7.5K IDR).
- Rent a bike and ride like Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love for total satisfaction.
- Book the tour on Get Your Guide HERE. Includes Bottled water, All entrance fees, Hotel pickup and drop-off, Jungle swing (if option selected), and Lunch (if option selected).
Balinese LONG-TAIL Monkeys
IMPORTANT GUIDELINES
1. Don’t bring any food at all. There will be people trying to sell you bananas for the Monkeys. Food can transform a cute monkey into the devil itself.
2. If the monkeys get close to you or jump on you, drop any food you have and let them have it. The best would be not to have any visible food on you, bottle of water included.
3. Keep calm and don’t scream. Screaming frightens them and makes them even more aggressive.
4. Don’t touch, grab or disturb the monkeys. Don’t get too close to them to film them or photograph them.
5. Don’t feed the monkeys peanuts, cookies, bread, snacks, or drinks. The monkey’s diet is very important and so it is maintaining their health. They follow the strict diet that I’ve stated above.
6. Don’t wear long dresses, as I did. Monkeys love them, they will play with them and things can turn ugly.
I moved my feet just a little bit and the Monkey bit me. It wasn’t too deep so I did not need first aid medical attention.
Best time to visit the Monkey Forest
The best time to visit the Monkey Forest is in the morning. The tourists have not yet rushed into the forest, so it will be more peaceful and quiet for you to observe the monkeys. Remember not to disturb the monkeys in their habitat. I went in the afternoon and the light was amazing for video and photography.
The Ubud Monkey Forest is open every day from 8.30 AM to 6 PM. The last entry will be at 5.30 PM.
Tickets: The ticket price for adults in Monkey Forest is IDR 50 000 (3 €/$). A child’s ticket is IDR 40 000 (2.6 €/$).
CHECK OUT THE BEST ACTIVITY TOURS IN BALI
DID YOU FIND THIS ARTICLE USEFUL?
Tell me in the comments section if you’ve been to Bali and what was your experience. If you are planning to go on solo travel to Bali ask me for some useful tips that are not in this article.
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