New Monkey Forest Opens In Bali For Tourists To Connect With Nature

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Bali is welcoming the opening of a new monkey forest attraction in Gianyar Regency close to Ubud.

The new monkey forest sanctuary has been designed to help connect tourists with Bali’s natural landscape and cultural heritage as well as providing sanctuary for long-tailed macaques, the white monkeys of Bali and flying fox. 

Kemenuh Monkey River can be found in Kemenuh Village, Sukawati District, just a 20-minute drive from central Ubud.

The attraction formally opened its gates on Saturday 12th April and the team are excited to be welcoming the first guests to the forest this week.

The Chief Operator of Kemenuh Monkey River, Aji Witara, shared with reporters the vision for the attraction, which is rooted in the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana. 

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The philosophy of Tri Hita Karana is one of the core principles of Balinese culture and is rooting in living in harmony with nature, people and the gods.

Witara explained to reporters that during a visit ti Kemenuh Monkey River tourists not only get the opportunity to observe wild monkeys but also connect in a meaningful way with the natural landscape and take time to rest and reflect. 

Witara shared This area has natural forests, the clear Petanu River, and artificial waterfalls that add to the coolness and beauty of the atmosphere.” The team have constructed traditional Balinese shalas in areas that feel most relaxing, to offer visitors areas to rest, to contemplate and to enjoy the scenery. 

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Tourists have the opportunity to observe Bali’s famous long-tailed macaques. The highly charismatic species is native to Bali and can be found in forests all around the island. Though the monkeys at Kemenuh Monkey River are used to the presence of people, they are still wild, interactions are not encouraged. Tourists must observe from a respectful distance and not touch, feed, or approach the monkeys. 

The new attraction has been developed by PT Synergy Alasse Indah in partnership with the Kemenuh Traditional Village. In a video posted on the Kemenuh Monkey River Instagram account Ida Bagus Putu Alit, the Head of Kemenuh Village, has shared his story of how the attraction came to life.

Alit shared “We deeply cherish nature. We are blessed by how exotic nature is. We hope there is a legacy we can leave behind for our future generations.”

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Kemenuh Monkey River is also home to a family of white monkeys. The pure white macaques are extremely rare and the team hopes that by creating a sustainable tourism initiative in the forest tourism can play a role in their conservation.

The forest area is also home to a captive population of fly fox bats, known locally as kalong. There is a breeding program in place for both species to help prevent their extinction, and there are plans to release the captive-born white monkeys and flying fox into the wild once they are mature enough. 

Offering tourists an authentic connection to Balinese culture and nature during a visit is the core aim of Kemenuh Monkey River and the team can also arrange for tourists to take part in a sacred and intimate melukat water blessing ceremony.

There are many water temples in Bali where tourists can take part in a melukat ceremony, Pura Tirta Empul being the most famous of all.

However, many of the water temples open for tourists to take part in a melukat ceremony are very busy.

Part of the beauty of the experience offered by Kemenuh Monkey River is that tourists can take part in a guided melukat ceremony without the big tourist crowds. 

Kemenuh Monkey River is now open daily, from 9 am until 6 pm, with the last entry to the forest at 5 pm. Special opening promotional ticket rates are IDR 80,000 for adults and IDR 40,000 for children.

Bali’s monkey forests are consistently named among the top attractions on the island. The most famous of all is the Sacred Ubud Monkey Forest, which can be found in the heart of Ubud.