Sangeh Monkey Forest

Sangeh is sold as a monkey forest, and the macaques are certainly the first thing you notice. But the real reward is Pura Bukit Sari, one of the most atmospheric temples in Bali, set deep in a compact forest of about 14 hectares.

The forest is dominated by giant pala trees whose straight grey trunks rise far above the temple roofs, keeping the grounds in permanent green shade. Moss coats the stone walls and gateways, and the whole place feels older and wilder than the busier Monkey Forest in Ubud. Sangeh was the first of Bali’s monkey forests to welcome tourists, and it remains a sacred site where villagers bring offerings.

Paths wind beneath the trees to four temples spread through the forest. Near the entrance to the main complex stands a large statue of Hanuman, the monkey king of the Ramayana. Visitors may not enter the main temple, but its walls and moss-softened gateways are impressive from outside.

Follow the path to the right of the main temple to reach a sacred tree known as the “male and female” tree, named for its suggestive shape. Souvenir stalls and simple drink stands cluster near the entrance.

The macaques are used to people and quick to grab sunglasses, hats, earrings and anything that rustles. Keep bags zipped, don’t carry food in your hands and don’t feed them, and give mothers with babies a wide berth.

Sangeh lies in the village of the same name, roughly half an hour’s drive west of Ubud along small roads through the rice fields; follow the signs as you head first west and then north. It pairs well with Pura Taman Ayun in Mengwi, a short drive to the south-west, and is an easy stop on the way between Ubud and the beach towns of the south. Hiring a car and driver is the simplest option, since the back roads are tricky to navigate.

Pura Bukit Sari dates from the 17th century, when this area belonged to the kingdom of Mengwi, whose royal temple is Pura Taman Ayun. Tradition credits its founding to Anak Agung Anglurah Made Karang Asem Sakti, an adopted son of the Raja of Mengwi, who practised meditation in the forest and built the temple to honour the gods of Mount Agung. The forest itself is protected as part of the temple, which is why such large trees survive here amid the rice fields of the lowlands.