Ubud's Sacred Monkey forest is one of the most worth while visits in the area of Ubud and offers a fantastic blend of Balinese natural life in terms of the monkeys and the ancient protected huge rainforest trees, as well as culture of the Balinese that inhabit the entire area of Ubud where the culture remains the strongest of all the island and the temple and of Padangtegal which is dedicated to not only the monkeys but the entire surrounding area. Altogether this insanely low priced conservational area makes a fantastic visit for all the family, couples and friends that are either staying in the Ubud area of making the commute from the southern resort areas.

The resident monkeys are known as long tailed Macaques and are the monkeys that can be sometimes seen around the southern Bukit around Padang Padang and Uluwatu and in the central mountains. However their numbers area diminished and now it is possible to enjoy interacting with these amazing moneys in their natural habitat and in large numbers. It is also possible to take food in for the monkeys such as the classic bananas and other favorites but be warned, the monkey true to their reputation can be cheeky and my snatch the bananas from you. It is also wise to keep everything especially cameras and phone secure and keep a secure hold onto any bags that you are taking in with you just in case a monkey takes a liking to them, although this is rare, it has been reported.

Located right in the heart of Ubud there are also a number of other sights to see around the area and many excellent restaurants and cafes close by to enjoy a lunch of either some of the best Balinese and Indonesian cooking on the island or some of the most contemporary Asian fusion dishes and everything in between. At only 1 and a half hours away from the international airport there are also many excellent traditional style bungalow resorts that range right up to 5 star and offer the classic Balinese style resorts that have become world famous and imitated all over the tropical world. Traveling to the Sacred Monkey forest is easy with either the use of a professional guide or by hired vehicle, you can hire a chartered driver or take the public bemo which is incredibly cheap but invariably takes longer.

Monkeys have always been sacred to the Balinese Hindus and therefore there is a large and impressive temple with many statues located around the area. The monkeys can be observed as 4 separate troops that move around the forest and can occupy different territory and different times meaning that every visit is different. The females tend to stay with the troop they are born into and the males may change troops from time to time when looking for a female and will try to gain acceptance from the female and the males of the troop just as in nature. There are over 340 monkeys in the conservational area which is a proud contribution to the population of Bali.

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