Previously, we talked about the one and only Jatiluwih Rice Terrace, that is the icon of the things to do in Jatiluwih Bali. It’s one of many places in Bali that can provide you with much peacefulness. People want to visit it in order to feel that relaxing feeling that probably can’t be felt everyday.
If the terrace is already visited, there is something that must be put into your bucket list. A place that works as a mood booster. A place that’s suitable for all families. Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest.
Interacting with animals could be a humble way to increase someone’s happiness. And this time, the visitors can interact with the endemic animals, the true owners of the forest, the monkeys.
They are the aspect that’s making this place shine as one of the most visited forest areas in Bali. They are all over the place, whether interacting with the visitors, or just enjoying the day at a special monument-like building there. There’s a hidden story awaited.
If you already interested to dig in, here’s the Alas Kedaton Forest for you:
Alas Kedaton Forest
In the Elephant Safari Park Lodge Bali, you can interact with the big mammals. Meanwhile, within the forest, you’ll be greeted with thousands of monkeys.
Alas Kedaton monkey forest is one of the best known locations on the island of Bali, which has an area of approximately 6.4 hectares. Its wide area is inhabited by thousands of monkeys and big bats. Of course there’s a meaning behind its unique name.
The name Alas Kedaton is taken from the word “Alas” which means forest / jungle in Balinese/Javanese and “Kedaton” which means castle or palace. So it’s basically the monkeys’ palace. And it doesn’t lie. They inhabit the location like their own palace. And we as the tourists are just wondering people.
Alas Kedaton is located in Kukuh Village, Marga District, Tabanan Regency, approximately 35 kilometers from Denpasar City. The forest itself is a small rain forest which is included as a sacred monkey forest and very much guarded by the locals.
Despite its location as a tourist destination, be advised to always respect the locals and the place itself by not littering around. It’s also advised to give a little donation, since it’ll help a lot.
The History
The history of this place is strong due to the existence of a temple there, called Alas Kedaton Temple. Despite the lack of a unique name, it has a strong history of the Ancient Balinese Kingdoms. Alas Kedaton Temple was built by Mpu Kuturan or Mpu Rajakertha during the reign of King Sri Masula Masuli.
According to the inscription that was found in the village of Sading, Mengwi, Badung Regency, Raja Sri Masula Masuli began to rule in 1100 Saka Year (1178 AD).
The inscription used the Year of Saka 1172 (1250 AD) which also mentions that King Sri Masula Masuli ruled on the island of Bali for 77 years, which means his reign ended in Saka 1177 or 1255 AD. The position of the Alas Kedaton temple faces the West side and it has 4 gates for the entrance and exit ways.
This temple has a unique courtyard with the position of the inner / main yard (Viscera or Main Mandala) is lower than the central courtyard (Jaba or Madya Mandala), unlike the other temples in Bali. Inside the temple, there are also some sacred buildings (pelinggih), a Lingga and some statues.
The statues inside are the Ganesha with one tusk or Ekadanta, and Durga Mahishasura Mardhani that riding a bull while holding a bow (Sara).
All of them are still intact due to the extensive care given by the locals that the tourists can actually support by donation.
What to Expect
Other than visiting the known National Parks in Bali, Alas Kedaton serves as an iconic place to visit. And surely, the first thing to expect is the monkeys.
Species of monkeys that inhabit the Alas Kedaton forest are crab-eating macaque type (Macaca Fascicularis), or also called as the long-tailed macaque.
This type of monkey is a native inhabitant of cercopithecine primates in Southeast Asia. The monkey species is also referred to as a cynomolgus monkey, and it has a long history with humans.
They are also considered as agricultural pests, as sacred animals in several temples and temples, and also as the subject of medical experiments. These macaques live in matrilineal social groups with a predominance of female hierarchies in the wild.
The male members will leave their group when reaching puberty / adulthood. In total, you can meet about 2000 monkeys within the forest.
Additional Information
It’s just as good as the lakes in Bali worth visiting, and let us tell you why. For such an exotic place, it costs very lightly. The ticket for adults is Rp20.000,-, while the kids will be charged with Rp15.000,-.
Also there’s an additional fee for parking tickets. Forest opens every single day from 9 am to 5 pm, and possibly never closes except for certain circumstances.
Bunch of Activities You Can Do
Surely there are a lot of activities that can be done in this beautiful place, like:
- Interacting with the monkeys.
- Feeding them with the provided nuts or bananas.
- Taking pictures with the monkeys and snakes.
- Visiting the temple.
- Witnessing the temples and statues structure.
- Taking picture at the iconic front gate.
- Exploring the forest area.
- Introducing your kids to forest environment and the endemic animals living within.