I LOVE MONKEYS! (and you should too)

Monkeys are everywhere in Bali, especially at the temples. You are often warned when venturing into monkey territory to avoid wearing hats or glasses, because the devious little things can and will swoop down from the trees, take your head/face-wear, and hold it for food-related ransom. Or they’ll simply swipe your food if you have any.

If you love monkeys like me (and you should, because they’re cute, clever, and hilarious) then you must stop by the Ubud Monkey Forest. The Monkey Forest is about 1/10 of a square kilometer and populated with about 600 crab-eating macaques. Due to the high number of tourists, these monkeys have more or less lost their fear of humans.

Monkeys are a devious bunch.      

As soon as I entered this monkey sanctuary, I saw a keeper walk in with a large bunch of bananas. Immediately, a monkey ran up behind him, grabbed the entire bunch, climbed up a branch hanging over the path, and pointed and laughed at the disgruntled keeper.

I was not expecting anything of the sort happen otherwise would have had my camera on video and footage to entertain friends for years to come. I got this at least. Look at this smug, banana-thieving culprit.

Mostly, they just hang out, groom each other, or peer curiously at visitors hoping for food. But warned though, they can be aggressive, especially the males and will lunge at you if you bother them or get too close. It’s easy to tell the males from the females due to their very large and very prominent family jewels.

The Ubud Monkey Forest comes very highly recommended and was definitely one of my favorite destinations in Bali!

I had hired a driver to take me around Bali for the day. Monkey Forest was the last stop and I honestly have to say that I can’t quite remember anything that happened before it, memories all lost in a cloud of squees. My driver was thoroughly entertained by how much I enjoyed hanging out with little fuzzy primates.

Pensive monkey is pensive.

You came to the wrong neighborhood, Hoomin.

Also, here is a monkey scratching its butt then carrying on it’s merry way.