Ubud Monkey Forest

Interesting little "forest," in Ubud, Bali. Ubud, by the way, is a lovely little artsy town that you can just get lost, exploring in. So many art shops, so many shops. Beautiful little cafes and restaurants. [Lots of dogs...] Some of the big wood carving "factories" are in Ubud. Thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed the three separate visits we took to Ubud, which was about an hour or an hour and a half away from where we were in Seminyak. Given the opportunity and chance to go to Bali again, I would choose to spend more time in Ubud... [although it is a good hour or hour and a half away from the golf courses and that would not be good for DH].

The Monkey Forest. No bars, no cages, no glass. Just us and the monkeys and a bunch of other tourists. I was so looking forward to going there, thinking, "Oh, monkeys are just so cute." Umm, no, they aren't, really. And if you could have seen the TEETH these monkeys had! Fangs, even.

I was happy that none of them approached us. Of course, we didn't pay the 10,000 IRD [$1.00 US] for bananas to feed them, either. No need, really. Everyone else was feeding the monkeys. Surely they are some of the best fed monkeys of monkeys in the world. We did not see a single "thin" monkey anywhere in this forest.

We did see one couple - with a Monkey Handler - holding a monkey, like you would a child on your hip, and having their picture taken by the Monkey Handler. When it came time for the monkey to be set down he [she?] wanted no part of it and was clinging to the woman and pulling her hair and completely ripped open her shirt at the shoulder on one side. Not pretty. The woman was rather frightened and freaked out about it [who wouldn't be?!]. Her screaming made the monkey even more agitated about leaving her alone and the monkey was screeching and doing all it could to NOT get off of her. It was an interesting scenario, but no one can say that they were not warned... The sign on the way in:

It reads:

FOR YOUR SECURE AND SAFETY
PLEASE OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING INDICATION

1. Do not touch and tease the monkeys as they may react in an unpredictable manner.
2. If you wish to feed the monkeys, please do so carefully or seek a monkey expert in the green uniforms to assist you. Peanut are not allowed.
3. If there is no monkey expert nearby please toss the food to the monkeys from a safe distance.
4. Do not hide the food, the monkeys will find it, even it if is in your pocket or bag.
5. Never grab a monkey, if a monkey gets on you, drop all of your food and walk away slowly. If a monkey jumps on you, stand still and walk away slowly.
6. Please walk on the paving path.

WE TRUST YOUR VISIT WILL BE A MEMORABLE ONE.
Thank You

Some of the monkeys. Saw a lot of little baby monkeys. Ahhh, how cute [look closely at the first picture - the baby monkey is clinging to mama monkey - you can see baby monkey's tail - curling out to the left].

The sign on the way out - or the back way in if you are going first to the Temple:

It reads:

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE
If you wish to enter the temple
you have to be dressed properly,
in respect to the Balinese Hindu Religion.

Please wear a scarf & sarong
around the waist if there is no
ceremony.

To join temple ceremony or any
religion event please wear
full traditional
Balinese costume:
* For woman : wear sarong,
Kebaya or Sleeved Shirt &
Scarf around the waist.
* For man : Wear sarong,

Head dress, Sleeved Shirt
"Saput." Scarf around the waist.

Entrance forbidden for woman
during Menstruation.

Please don't use flash during
the ceremony and during
the praying time.

Your cooperation is deeply
appreciated in preserving
the sanctity of our temple &
helping us preserve in a natural way
the beautiful Ubud.
Thank you.

As we were standing outside waiting for our guide to go and get the car, we watched a little monkey try to eat the seat of someone's scooter. Eat? No, destroy. What was probably a perfectly good scooter seat when someone parked it wasn't a perfectly good scooter seat when he [or she] returned. The monkey was intent on doing as much damage to it as possible and started chewing a little hole and by the time our car arrived for us had managed to take a half-hamburger-bun sized portion out of the seat.