My Visit to Ubud Monkey Forest, Bali

I was at Ubud monkey forest in the morning of Nov 29, 2019. There were not so many visitors that morning I saw at the lobby in the monkey forest. During the tourist season, in the middle of the year, there usually a long queue for getting entrance ticket.

The "lobby" to enter the area of Ubud Monkey Forest. It has sitting area, toilets, and a cafe.

You probably wondering why there is a lobby in the forest, and why there is an entrance ticket to the forest. It's because the forest of Ubud is maintained by the local village. They build paths in the forest, provide monkeys with enough food supply, and maintain their health. So, that's why the village build facility to make it easier for visitors to access the forest, and to maintain the monkeys' well being.

In developing the forest, the village apply the concept called "Tri Hita Karana." This means, happiness can be achieved when there is a good relationship between human and God, human and other human, and the last is human and environment (animal and plants).

All the building or improvement in this forest can be seen as a reflection of this concept. For example, the presence of temples, maintenance of plants and monkeys.

Okay, enough lecture. Let's get to the forest.

Pass the lobby, cross this bridge to enter the monkey forest.
There is also a tunnel to go through. What a dramatic experience.
The first monkey I saw when I got to the monkey forest was a little monkey of few months old.
He did not want his photo TAKEN.

After walking through a tunnel decorated with monkeys statues and relief along its wall, I arrived in the forest. Since it was morning, many monkeys could be seen in the forest. In the afternoon, they usually hard to see. They would go napping or just hiding in the afternoon.

The inner part of the forest was easy to walk to because of the path. Some banyan trees which maintained or pruned quite well could be seen there. THere were several feeding stations in the forest. These were places where food were given morning, noon, and afternoon to the monkeys. Different group of monkeys would go to different feeding station according to their "territory".

The monkeys were divided into more than 10 groups. Each group occupied different areas of monkey forest. Some time there was a clash between groups because of "teritorial breach."

Entering the main area, there was a big banyan tree where the monkeys usually play or hang around.
The feeding station near the banyan tree.
Walked pass the big banyan tree, there was a stairs down to a river bank.
There was another banyan tree in the river bank.
Walked pass the bridge on the river, there was a monkey who smiled to me.
There was a little temple and a pond on the river bank.
A monkey was relaxing on the banyan tree branch.
Protecting his territory from outsiders.

Following the bridge to go up, I could see another monkey on the wooden bridge.
The second feeding station, with a monkey "guarding all the food."

I have visiting this forest many times over the last few years because of my job. I noticed that every year there is at least an addition of 100 baby monkeys. Last year was about 1000 monkeys, and this year is 1100 monkeys. The local village has been doing their best effort to control their population so that this place will not be over populated.

The mother was tending the little one.

Mothers meeting.

The paths in the monkey forest, I took this photo on my way back.

It's about eleven when I arrived back at the exit. And soon the monkeys would had their nap. The forest will become quiet for some time. Later in the afternoon the monkeys would go out again.

That's my adventure in Ubud Monkey Forest, thanks for dropping by.

I guess he was having a siesta, nothing to worry about.