The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary       December 2015

Padangtegal, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

*note the last rule lol…..a point that shouldn’t have to be made, but should still be included on EVERY sign in public.

One of many highlights of Bali is the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary.  I did not know what to expect when we entered.  I hadn’t read any reviews or travel guides about it. The forest was just conveniently located and we decided to check it out.

What we found was a beautiful park filled with interesting statues, a couple of temples, and MONKEYS. 600 monkeys!

It was so interesting to see the various ages of the monkeys and watch them interact within their groups and families.

While these guys look a little angry, they were just playing and the little guy was the instigator. He would sneak-attack a larger monkey, get a couple of whacks in, and then retreat for a few moments before launching a new attack.

We also got to see a game of Dive-bomb (similar to Cannonball) in a pool.

At one point I decided to sit down on some steps to photograph a family that was having an afternoon grooming.

Before I knew it, there was a little guy under my knees. Not wanting to startle the ‘fam’, I sat still (and tried not to squeal like a girl) and just waited until he got done chewing on my dress.

As soon as he let go, we decided to move on. 🙂

A friendly game of Got-Your-Foot, Got-Your -Tail.

Just hangin’ out.

There must have been something about the dress I was wearing because for the second time that day a monkey took a liking to it.

And this guy was not at all shy.

So….the next time you are in Ubud, be sure to stop and see the monkeys.  I know I will, just in a different color dress.