Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
- Jl. Monkey Forest
- Open daily 8:30am - 6pm
- +62 361 971304
- Website
Monkey around!
Look up, look down, look on your shoulder- yes, there are monkeys everywhere! This lush nature reserve is home to 600 macaque long-tailed monkeys and 115 different species of trees. It’s a very popular destination attracting over 10,000 visitors a month, but you will quickly get the sense that the monkeys greatly outnumber the tourists on any given day.
This lush nature reserve is home to 600 macaque long-tailed monkeys and 115 different species of trees.
Hati Hati - Be careful!
The savvy monkeys have a reputation for holding your personal items ransom, in exchange for food. It isn’t uncommon to see a monkey jumping on someone, snatching sunglasses, a water bottle, camera, or sorting through someone’s bag. Don’t bring any food, show your teeth, or even smile to the monkeys. They may mistake it for aggression. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Ancient sacred temples
Hidden in the forest are three temples dating back to the 14th century. They may be old but still play an important role in the spiritual life of the local community. Pura Dalem is the main temple where locals come daily to worship the ‘recycler God ‘Hyang Widhi, or Shiva. Pura Beji is the place for melukat a spiritual cleansing ritual and Pura Prajapati like a temporary cemetery, where departed souls wait for the day of mass cremation, which is held only every 5 years.