Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting Ubud Monkey Forest
How much is the Monkey Forest in Ubud? How to get there? These might be some of the questions that come up into your mind when planning to visit Ubud Monkey Forest. Well, as one of the most popular destinations in Bali, Ubud has a lot of great things to offer to tourists.
Visiting the forest will be a perfect option if you want an alternative tourist attraction in Ubud. So, if you have visited all the beautiful beaches Ubud, it is time to enjoy the region from a different side. Get to know everything about Ubud Monkey Forest before you visit this wonderful place.
Ubud Monkey Forest – What to Know About It
As the name suggests, Ubud Monkey Forest is the sanctuary of protected monkeys you can find in Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali. Today, there are about 749 monkeys estimated to live in the forest.
So, what kind of monkeys are in the Monkey Forest in Ubud? Well, they are Balinese long-tailed monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) that become the original monkey species of Bali. They are tame monkeys that you can find it exciting to interact with them. The monkeys are is divided into 6 different groups. They are forest conservation group, central point group, Michelin group, eastern group, main temple group, and cemeteries group.
Each of the group consist of 100 to 200 different monkeys: adult male (> 6 years), adult female (> 4 years), sub-adult male (4-6 years), juvenile 1 (1-2 years), juvenile 2 (2-4 years), and infants (0-1 year). Ubud Monkey Forest is also the home of 186 species of trees. Most of them are more than a hundred years old. The monkeys, as well as the plant species, inhabit 12.5 hectares of land in the forest. The area will provide you with a dense refreshing rain forest, something rare to find in these modern days.
What to Expect
When visiting Ubud Monkey Forest, you will not only see monkeys and old tall trees. Exploring deeper into the forest, you will also find an ancient sacred temple respected by all Balinese Hindu people called Pura Dalem Agung Padangtegal (the Great Temple of Padangtegal).
You will be amazed by the magnificent architecture of the temple once you see it. Along with the Great Temple of Padangtegal, there is Pura Prajapati (Prajapati Temple). This sacred temple is specially dedicated for the funerals of local villagers. There, you can see that most of the statues and relics of the temples are found under dense foliage with only a little sunlight. This makes the temples look more mysterious and give you the feeling of the ancient atmosphere.
Exploring the forest will also allow you to see Banyan trees. Their roots are hanging over dragon staircases that you can find near the temples. This will give you the best chances to take exotic pictures. There is also another popular ancient temple you can find in the Ubud Monkey Forest called Pura Beji (Beji Temple). It is an ancient bathing temple that can be found in the southwest part of the forest.
Entrance Fee of Monkey Forest in Ubud
So, how much is the Monkey Forest in Ubud? The entrance fee to Ubud Monkey Forest is relatively cheap. You only need to pay IDR 40,000 per person for kids and IDR 50,000 per person for adults to enter the forest area. The ticket can be purchased at the ticket counter located on the forest’s entrance gate.
The ticket office is usually closed at 5.30 pm. However, make sure that you prepare small cash when visiting the forest since you can only pay by using Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). Meanwhile, the opening hours of the Ubud Monkey Forest are from 08.30 am to 06.00 0m daily.
Dress Code of Monkey Forest in Ubud
What should I wear to Ubud Monkey Forest? Well, there is no special dress code required when you visit the Monkey Forest in Ubud. However, you need to keep in mind that there are ancient sacred temples you can find in the forest area and are highly respected by local people.
So, make sure that you wear proper clothes and avoid attires such as a tank top or spaghetti strap. To show your respect, you can wear loose-fitting pants or skirts. As an alternative, you can opt to wear a sarong (traditional clothing of Balinese people) to cover your legs.
How to Get to the Monkey Forest
How far is Monkey Forest from Ubud? Well, being located on one of the main streets in Ubud, Hanoman Street, the forest is easy to reach from any place of the region. The Monkey Forest is about 36 kilometers from Ngurah Rai Bali International Airpot. You will need about 1 hour of driving from the airport to the forest. But, if you depart from the famous Kuta, the distance will be 55 kilometers and it takes 1.5 hours of driving to reach the forest from the region. Meanwhile, the Monkey Forest is about 65 kilometers from Nusa Dua and 40 kilometers from Sanur.
The Best Time to Visit Monkey Forest
Make sure to plan your visit to Ubud Monkey Forest carefully. This is important since Indonesia (the country where Bali lies) has two main seasons, they are the dry season and rainy season. The dry season is usually from April to October while the rainy season usually occurs from November to March.
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The best time to visit the forest is during the dry season. The forest will be a great place to escape from the afternoon heat usually occur in the season. Arrange your visit plan carefully so you can reach the forest around 2 pm. This is the time when the monkeys usually have been fed by previous visitors. In this way, they will not too aggressive and try to steal the foods you bring for them.
Make sure to avoid visiting Ubud Monkey Forest in the rainy season since the rain usually drops almost every day in the area. Visiting the forest during the rainy season could be a bit dangerous since the paths will turn slippery. So, have you got the answer to your question about how much is Monkey Forest in Ubud?
Anumana Ubud Hotel
Address: Jalan Wenara Wana (formerly Jalan Monkey Forest)., Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, 80571
Rooms starting at: $70+
