The Monkey Forest of Ubud, Bali

An overgrown path led down from the temple complex to this beautiful river. It turned out to be one of my favorite places in the area. Just goes to show you, that it is always worth exploring the off the beaten path places.

There was a bit more light for photos here, than in the monkey forest back in the main town.

We kept hearing about the monkey forest in Ubud, Indonesia. Apparently it is a temple complex where monkeys are safe and fed. It is about a ten minute walk from the city center of Ubud. I was a bit skeptical at first because of my encounters with these same species of monkeys, called crab-eating macaques, at another temple down south in Uluwatu. At that temple the macaques will jump on you and steal your sunglasses as well as picking your pockets. Sometimes they give the glasses back in exchange for food, other times they are lost to the Balinese monkey gods.

There were so many, cute baby monkeys.

Everyone calls it the monkey forest, but its real name is Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana. It is not just a tourist attraction but an important spiritual and conservation site. It houses three ancient Hindu temples that date back to the 14th century. Walking on the moss covered pathways over ancient stone bridges and moss covered statues gave it an other-worldly feeling to the place.

As usual my curiosity got the better of me so Heidi and I found ourselves paying the $3 entry fee to enter to the fabled monkey forest. Our instincts paid off as these monkeys have yet to learn the art of thievery and are just going about their own thing. Lots of adorable baby monkeys watched us with their little eyes as they clutched to their mothers. At one point a monkey gathering happened in the center circle. A few workers brought out papaya stalks that the monkeys eagerly ripped apart and ate the leaves. Heidi was handed one and had a great time playing tug of war with the main boss monkey. These leafy greens had vital nutrients for the macaques' diet.

The monkeys definitely steal the show here in the monkey forest, but the old temple structures and statues throughout the shadowed forest were pretty amazing as well. A banyan tree lined river cut through the forest. I always thought monkeys would love banyan trees with all the dangling vines and natural swings....and they did. It is easy to bring up images of reading the Jungle Book when walking through here. So I will have to add this on to the must do list for Bali.

As always, keep traveling and keep posting!

• Dai Mar