Monkey Madness in Bali, Indonesia

I hate monkeys.

They are cheeky, unpredictable criminals, who are too fast for you to catch when they steal your camera or purse. I would have never visited the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Bali, if it wasn’t for my mother visiting. But, I must admit, I was surprised by how much I loved this place.

As you walk through the sanctuary, you will see monkeys — lots of monkeys. The monkeys that cover every square inch of this forest are called long-tailed macaques. These monkeys are more docile (when compared to other types of monkeys) because they are used to the mass amounts of tourists visiting them on a daily basis.

But don’t be fooled. You still need to keep a tight grip on your purse and camera because they are everywhere.

Although many tourists come to see the monkeys, there was so much more to see than these criminals. I was intrigued by walking amongst over 100 species of trees, ancient temples, hidden rivers, and a vast amount of statues that looked like pieces of treasure you would find amongst a sunken pirate ship. You could walk for hours and still discover new doors to go through and hidden walls to sneak behind.

The admission to the forest was only 20 Indonesian Rupiah, which is essentially free in terms of the Canadian currency exchange. It is open every day from 8:30AM to 6:00PM and definitely worth a visit. While you are visiting the forest, I also recommend driving through the city of Ubud. Ubud has street markets that offer the most beautiful artwork and woodwork you will ever see. While shopping, you are surrounding by endless views of rice fields. Ubud was my favourite part of Bali because of the creative art pieces that brought colour to the otherwise dirty streets.

Whether you like monkeys or not, you will be impressed with the forest sanctuary in Bali. But whatever you do, never trust a monkey.