Feeling curious and a bit scared about walking in a forest full of wild monkeys, I wasn’t sure if we should give the Monkey Forest in Ubud a visit or a miss. Since the Monkey Forest was within walking distance from our hotel anyway, we decided to give it a visit. It turned out to be a fun afternoon – despite my initial fear of being surrounded by wild monkeys.
Opening times and entrance fee
Ubud Monkey Forest is open daily from 8:30 am – 6 pm, but the ticket office already closes at 5:30 pm.
We arrived somewhere mid-afternoon and stayed until closing time. The crowds started to clear from 5 pm, which may have had something to do with the rain. Nevertheless, we got some quiet time in the Monkey Forest before closing time.
A ticket to Ubud Monkey Forest costs IDR 80,000 (less than Β£5) per adult and IDR 60,000 (less than Β£4) per child.
Important rules to follow in the Monkey Forest
Always keep in mind that the monkeys are wild animals, so their behaviour can be unpredictable. For your own and the monkeys’ safety, you should follow these rules during your visit at the Monkey Forest.
What NOT to do:
- Do notΒ panicΒ if a monkey jumps on you. The best thing to do is to drop any food you carry and to walk away slowly. The monkey will then jump off again.
- Do notΒ run or screamΒ when a monkey approaches you, but keep calm. Shouting might frighten the monkey, who then may want to attack in order to defend itself.
- Do not makeΒ direct eye contactΒ with the monkey, as this is a sign of aggression.
- Do notΒ hide any food, as the monkey can smell it and won’t give up finding it.
- Do not bringΒ paper or plastic bags, as monkeys will want to steal it and then litter the forest.
- Do notΒ touch, grab or disturbΒ the monkeys (and especially their babies). They may touch you, but don’t touch them back, because their reaction can be unpredictable. While baby monkeys may seem harmless, their mothers can be very protective of them.
- Do notΒ feedΒ the monkeys unless you bought the food inside the Monkey Forest. This will prevent food poisoning or other diseases for the monkeys.
What to do:
- Take care of yourΒ valuablesΒ by making sure they’re put away safely.
- Contact theΒ Monkey Forest staffΒ for any questions you may have during your visit. You will recognise the staff by their green uniform.
You will find these rules all over the Monkey Forest as a reminder of how to stay safe.
Our experience
We both felt very cautious at the beginning of our Monkey Forest visit, even to the point where we were afraid to set up our tripod and phone to take pictures. Our worries to lose the tripod increased when we saw the monkeys stealing plastic bags out of visitor’s hands.
However, when we asked one of the Monkey Forest staff if it would be safe to use our tripod and phone, he explained that the monkeys are only interested in food. We put his theory to the test, and he turned out to be right*.
While we enjoyed taking our pictures with the tripod, the monkeys were very interested in Jordi’s bag. They climbed Jordi’s backpack and even attempted to open the zippers, despite not having any food inside. Jordi managed to get the monkey off his bag by just walking around. If you plan to bring a bag to the monkey forest, make sure you keep an eye on it.
After we spent some time inside the Monkey Forest, all our worries faded away, and we ended up having a fun afternoon watching all the monkeys. Even if you’re not interested in the monkeys, the forest itself is a beautiful landscape with a river running through it.
My favourite spots inside the Monkey Forest were the swing, and the little houses where we found shelter from the rain.
*) PS: while the monkeys in Monkey Forest Ubud only seemed to be interested in food and not in any gadgets, we did see the monkeys at the Uluwatu Temple steal phones from people’s hands. Therefore, I do recommend to keep an eye on your valuables – also in Monkey Forest Ubud.
Where to stay near Monkey Forest Ubud
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Right next to the Monkey Forest Ubud is Bali Bohemia, with its typical Bali-style bungalows and wonderful garden. We really wanted to stay in a Bali Bohemia bungalow, but unfortunately, they were all fully booked when we visited in December.
When we explained the situation and asked if we could still take some pictures of their place, they kindly welcomed us in their garden.
Although we weren’t lucky enough to stay in Bali Bohemia this time, we will definitely try again next time we’re in Bali. If you want to try your luck, just click on the button below:
Instead, we stayed at the Bali Dream Resort (about a 30-minute walk from the Monkey Forest). While this resort is a very budget-friendly place to stay in Ubud, it didn’t look as lovely as the Bali Bohemia.
Book now:
If you prefer to visit the Monkey Forest in Ubud with a local tour guide, check out:
- Viator β for organised group and private tours (price per person), or
- Hi, hi Guide β put together your own itinerary with a private tour guide (price per guide).
These are affiliate links, so I will be earning commission when you buy through my link. This comes at no extra cost to you, and helps me keeping my website online.
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