Safety Tips for Visiting the Ubud Monkey Forest

Wondering if the Ubud Monkey Forest is safe for tourists? Yes! It can be, you need to know how to visit correctly. If you’re visiting Bali, you’ve undoubtedly heard stories of people getting bit by monkeys while visiting the Ubud Monkey Forest. While rabies is a big problem in Bali, there have been no recorded instances of a monkey transmitting the virus.

A closeup of two gray Balinese Macaques at the Ubud Monkey Forest in Bali.

Ubud Monkey Forest Safety Tips

✔️ Don’t take a “Monkey Selfie” – Yes, I know many tourists do them, but getting up close to the monkeys drastically increases your odds of having a problem.

✔️ DO NOT SMILE at the monkeys! They see “baring teeth” as a sign of aggression.

✔️ Do not look a monkey in the eye, they see it as confrontational.

✔️ Don’t bring any food you don’t plan on feeding to a monkey!

✔️ Do not try to hide food, the monkeys will smell it.

✔️ Do not run from the monkeys.

✔️ Do not bring a paper/plastic bag into the forest, the monkeys will think food is in it.

✔️ Check your purse or bags at the front desk

✔️ Do not panic if a monkey pays you attention.

✔️ Take care of your belongings, monkeys will steal small items.

✔️ Do not touch/grab/disturb the monkeys, especially babies, the mothers are defensive.

✔️ Do not feed the monkeys

✔️ Consider visiting the Sangeh Monkey Forest – The less-touristy monkey forest in Ubud has a reputation for the monkeys being slightly more relaxed.

A monkey attacking at the Ubud Monkey Forest in Bali — *Ferocious*

Do Not Carry Food in Or Around the Monkey Forest

The monkey forest has a wall, but it’s just a boundary wall, not intended to keep the monkeys in. Because of this, there are monkeys all around the surrounding shops and areas.

I was shopping at a kiosk near the monkey forest and bought something that was packaged in a plastic bag (one of the monkey forest no-nos). Unknowingly, the crinkling sound of the plastic attracted three monkeys, who then started chasing me down the street trying to snatch my souvenirs!

Another time in the forest, we saw some monkeys just hanging out. My boyfriend approached them, made eye contact, smiled, and said hello. Reading his smile as a direct contact as a sign of aggression, the monkey charged him! Luckily we were not attacked or bitten in any capacity during our time in the forest, but others have been.

Two monkeys sitting on a moss covered sculpture at the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali.

If You Do Bring Food for the Monkeys

Some of the tourists buy bananas for the monkeys in order to get them to approach them for a selfie. It makes sense since food is one of the only ways to get the monkey’s attention, they’re pretty indifferent to the tourists, but by bringing food into the forest you drastically increase the odds of having a negative encounter with the animals.

If you do bring bananas or a treat for the monkeys, do not hide it on your person. They’ll climb all over you looking for a treat and can get pretty aggressive. Another thing that happens is you’ll hold out a banana to a monkey, and they will prefer the whole bunch of bananas you have in your other hand. They might try to take the whole bunch by force, leading to an altercation, or even an attack.

Blogger Katie Caf wearing a blue dress sitting on a stone wall at the Ubud Monkey Forest. In the foreground, you can see a monkey walking away from her.

Do Monkeys in Ubud Have Rabies?

According to the Ubud Monkey Forest’s website, the monkeys in the Ubud Monkey Forest do not have rabies. People DO get bit by them occasionally though, and need to seek precautionary rabies treatment. I guarantee that if you hang out in the monkey forest for a few hours you’ll witness a monkey “attacking” a tourist by running at them. Bites and injuries aren’t very common, but getting chased by a monkey or encountering a pissed-off primate happens around the clock.

There is no record of rabies being present in Balinese monkeys, and the Macaques in the Sacred Monkey Forest receive healthcare from the Primate Research Center of Udayana University. If you DO get bitten, the Ubud Clinic is right around the corner, and it’s better to be safe than sorry and receive treatment there.

A small family of monkeys, a father, mother, and baby, sitting on a wooden slat bridge at the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali.

Is The Ubud Monkey Forest Safe For Kids?

The Ubud money forest can totally be safe for kids! But, only if you limit your level of interaction with the animals. If you’re just going to watch, it’s highly unlikely you or your child would risk being attacked by a monkey.

If you’re bringing food and intending to feed the monkeys, or if you’re approaching them up close (or encouraging them to approach you), you might get a cooler Instagram pic but your risk of having a negative experience goes up exponentially. I would recommend if you’re with kids to keep a safe distance, and just enjoy the ambiance.

A yellow sign that says "caution monkeys crossing" at the Ubud Monkey Forest in Bali. In the background, you can see jungle. — A “Monkey Crossing” sign in Ubud.

What To Do If You’re Attacked By A Monkey

There are many stories about tourists being approached by a monkey, smiling at it, and the monkey misinterpreting that as a sign of aggression and running at them, or even biting them!

Don’t panic
Don’t scream
Don’t make eye contact with the monkey
Stay calm and contain your fear
Slowly walk away backward from the monkey
If they want something you have, like food or sunglasses, it’s best to just give it to them.

It’s counter-intuitive to stay calm and look away from the monkey, but remember these wild animals don’t follow our rules! The monkeys are just defending their territory and not trying to fight. If you’re just observing the monkeys, and not approaching them or trying to feed them, it’s very unlikely you’ll be charged by one.

Two grey macaque monkeys wandering through a moss-covered graveyard at the Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest.

Can You Touch The Monkeys At Monkey Forest?

No, you shouldn’t touch the monkeys at the Monkey Forest, but the monkeys can (and do) touch the tourists all the time! It’s not recommended to go up and pet the monkeys, but they are very friendly, so if one runs up and wants to start playing patty-cake with you (yes, this really does happen – I’ve seen it!) it’s fine to engage back.

Monkeys are great because they won’t do what they don’t want to do. If you run up to a Macaque in the Sacred Monkey Forest and try to pick it up and pet it as if it was a domesticated animal, expect to be bit!

A koi poind with orange koi fish in dark water in a stone pool surrounded by ferns at the Ubud Monkey Forest.

Is the Monkey Forest Ethical?

YES! As far as animal-related tourism goes, the Sacred Monkey Forest is one of the most ethical animal encounters I’ve come across. The animals have a history in the area and are not confined or contained in any manner. There are “walls” for the monkey forest, but they’re for containing the people, not the monkeys.

The bridge covered with vines at the Ubud Monkey Forest.

What To Wear To The Monkey Forest

The Monkey Forest is home to two Balinese temples, so it’s good to dress respectfully (knees and shoulders covered) for both men and women. Not all tourists do, of course, but it’s best to respect the awesome Balinese culture while visiting.

For the Monkey Forest, it’s just as important what you don’t wear as what you do. Don’t wear anything shiny, dangling, or easy to pull off. This includes jewelry, visible piercings, and sunglasses. If you have long hair it’s best to tie it up!

My Experience At The Monkey Forest

The monkeys were very friendly, and coming from America where zoos involve cages and glass barriers, it was great to interact with animals who seemed so happy and well taken care of in the natural environment.

We arrived later in the evening, around 4 PM, and it was still pretty crowded. The ticketing office took our leftovers and held them in the booth, saying the monkeys can both smell the food through the plastic and are aware that plastic bags often contain food (a double whammy for getting your bag stolen), and advised us to put our sunglasses/glasses in our bags.

The problem was we actually needed our glasses to see, so we kept them on and didn’t run into any thieving monkeys (thankfully!).

The forest is a decent size, you can walk around for 20-30 minutes without ever crossing the same path twice. Along the roads, we saw all kinds of Macaques; old monkeys, baby monkeys, snacking monkeys, angry-looking monkeys, etc.

Some tourists encourage the monkeys to approach them, but if they don’t have food to offer the monkeys would usually get disinterested and run away.

I was surprised that they weren’t more curious, since I’ve always known monkeys to be playful. Then again, these monkeys are constantly surrounded by tourists, so their indifference makes sense.

*This guy was lucky enough to have a monkey approach him, sans-bananas*

Occasionally we were approached by the monkeys, even without food to offer. My advice is if a monkey approaches you just let it happen, don’t run away, don’t yell, or show negative emotions because that could anger them (and they are wild animals, after all).

All in all, I had a blast at the monkey forest, it’s an amateur photographer’s dream.