Ubud Monkey Forest Sanctuary

The Ubud Monkey Forest Sanctuary is a must see destination whilst in Ubud. This important local temple, famed for its monkey inhabitants, has a long history, and according to tradition it’s the monkeys who rule here.

Known locally as Mandala Suci Wenara Wana, the site is home to around 1300 long tailed Balinese macaque monkeys.

History

Temples, in one form or another, have existed on this site since around 1350. Throughout the ages monkeys have been considered sacred and are protected under the Hindu faith.  The Ubud Monkey Forest Sanctuary combines these two sacred traditions: temples & monkeys. There are three temples here: the Cremation Temple, the Holy Spring Temple and the Great Temple of Death.

We are arrive as the resort shuttle and promptly purchase tickets. This is the only item on our agenda for the day so we’re pretty relaxed. The sanctuary is a mixture between a large outdoor zoo and sprawling temple complex. It’s all set in lush rainforest landscaping the map sets out our path and it seems reasonable so we sit out along it over the bridge and under the tunnel Where it’s not long before we encounter our fast monkeys they’re bigger than I expected and after experience at Julie want to temple I am wary of them even though the little ones are particularly cute, their parents are not. 

Cremation Temple

The first temple we come across is the cremation temple (Pura Prajapati), where Balinese Hindus worship god in the personification of Braham Prajapati.  Praja (ruler), parti (soul).  In Balinese Hindu tradition, the souls of those that are buried here a protected and controlled by God. That is, until such a time as the cremation ceremony can take place. Burial is only temporary and cremation has an important part in Hindu culture. Unless the family is very wealthy, mass cremations are held periodically. The Balinese calendar dictates an auspicious day (Dewasa Ayu) that occurs every five years.

In this Padangtegal village, the mass cremation ceremony is conducted every five years.

We make our way through the monkey forest, following the paths and remaining wary of the monkeys.  The forest itself is very picturesque, lush, green and humid!

Holy Spring Temple

A steep path leads is down to a creek and more monkeys congregated around the Holy Spring Temple (Pura Beji Padangtegal).  This sacred temple is dedicated to the goddess Gangga. The holy place is used to perform the purification rituals of statues (tapakan) that represent the god, along with the soul of the people that shared the same faith.  This is done before praying to other gods within the other temples in the forest.

The worship here is dedicated to a conveyance of gratitude for being blessings with a holy and prosperous life.

Some particularly vicious monkey statues protect the temple.  The temple can only be entree by those who are here to pray. Although only those from the community and those who have visited here to pray are allowed inside the temple we can see the pagodas through the ornate gates. The pagodas are used for prayer and offerings in this open air temple of worship.

Monkeys

As well as a place of worship, the monkey forest is also a sanctuary that performs a lot of conservation work.  Some monkeys are kept in cages, unable to survive otherwise. They are protected and cared for at the sanctuary.

Bapang, Lanan, Nelson and Tumsist all live together here for various reasons.  Bapang, Lanan and Nelson are blind.  The former two lost their sight after being bitten by snakes but no one is sure why Nelson cannot see.  Tumsist had to have a hand and foot amputated due to an accident and cannot move around properly.

Due to their disabilities, these four are unable to survive in the wild with their family groups.  They cannot collect food or properly socialise. As such, they are cared for and protected. This offers them the best quality of life available in care.

The Great Temple of Death

The next temple in the Ubud Monkey Forest Sanctuary is the main temple of the sanctuary.  The Great Temple of Death (Pura Dalem Agung Padangtegal).  Here, the monkeys once again roam free. They are all through (and over) the temple. However, only people who are here to pray are actually allowed to enter.  From the outside we can see the usual platforms and pagodas for prayer and offerings, albeit larger and more ornate than the previous temples.

Here also, are some of the sanctuary’s keepers.  They feed the monkeys (today it’s corn and peanuts), raise funds for the sanctuary by offering photo sessions with the monkeys sitting on your knee and ensure the tourists don’t get too close to the monkeys.  This is the case even if they can’t do much about the monkeys getting too close to us. This is aptly demonstrated by a baby who runs over to play with my shoelace.  A harmless exercise, unlike the one who steals a bag and begins to chew on the tube of sunscreen.

Back On The Street

With oodles of photos and memories of temples and monkeys, we make our way back to the sanctuary entrance pause for a gelato on Jl. Monkey Forest.  Then we make our way back to the shuttle stop for the ride back to the Westin Resort Ubud and back to the hotel.

Good To Know

The Ubud Monkey Forest Sanctuary is not huge but it can take 1-3 hours, depending on how long you wish to stop and watch the monkeys. 

Be warned! Although the monkeys are used to people, they are not tame.  They are not pets and you should not attempt to touch or pat them, they can be protective and aggressive.  We saw a bit scratched during a photo session when he moved to pat one.  Keep sunglasses, bags and personal items securely packed away and out of sight.

Would I Return?

Yes.