Sangeh Monkey Park

Sangeh is the village whose northern part covers about 14 hectares of a holy homogen forest of "Pala" trees with hundreds of monkey in habitants. The trees cannot be found on any other part of Bali and their existence in this village remains a mystery. Look for a lovely mossy temple, which is hidden amongst the tall and gracious "Palatrees".

The Sangeh Monkey Forest, a cluster of towering trees and home of hundreds of sprite monkeys. The forest is sacred and for many years no one has been permitted to chop wood there. The temple was built around the 17th century by the first king of Mengwi Kingdom, and dedicated to the God of Mount Agung.The temple is surrounded by tall nutmeg trees. Many monkeys roam the surrounding forest .As they live in this sacred forest, the monkeys are also held sacred and are rather tame, but it is advisable not to play with them.

Sangeh monkey have a special status in Hindu religin, and a number of temples in Bali boast a resident monkey population, respected by devotees and duly fed and photographed by tourists. The Monkey Forest (Bukit Sari) in the village of Sangeh is probably the most visited of these on Bali, its inhabitants the sef-appointed guardians of the slightly eerie Pura Bukit Sari. According to local legend, the forest itself was created when Rama's general, the monkey king Hanuman, attempted to kill off Rama's enemy, Ravana, by squashing him between two halves of the sacred Mount Meru. In the process, part of the mountains fell to earth at Sangeh, with hordes of Hanuman's simian retainers still clinging to the trees, creating Bukit Sari and its monkey dynasty. The temple was built here some time during the seventeenth century, in a forest of sacred nutmeg trees, which tower to heights of forty metres.

The forest borders the main road, and as soon as you pull up at the roadside car park you can see just how untamed Sangeh's monkeys are - every small warung in the vicinity is wreathed in wire netting, and the creatures race fearlessly up and down the road and over any parked vehicles. As you pass into the forest area (donation requested), huge signs warn you to beware of the monkeys, and the attendants hand out sticks in case you are attacked. This can make you feel pretty uneasy, but it's unlikely you'll have any trouble if you keep cameras and jewellery out of sight and remember to take all foodstuff out of your bags and pockets.

Pura Bukit Sari, located in the heart of this fairy-tale forest, is best appreciated in late afternoon after the tour buses have left. During peak hours, the place can seem disappointing, but seen in waning light with only the monkeys for company, the forest and the temple take on an attractive ghostly aspect, pound of the weathered and moss-encrusted grey-stone temple is out of bounds to everyone except the monkeys, but beyond the walls you can see a huge garuda statue, stonecarved reliefs and tiered thatched meru. There are no paths through the forest, but a track runs clockwise around most of its perimeter, along the edge of an expancse of cultivated land that drops down to a river a few hundred metres to the west.

Rawana, the villainous giant of the Ramayana epic, could die neither on earth nor inair.Tokill him,themonkeygeneral Hanuman devised a plan to suffocate the giant by pressing him between two halves of the holy mountain Mahameru-a destruction between the earth and air. When Hanuman took Mahameru, part of the mountain feli to the earth in Sangeh, along with a group of his monkey armies. And so they stayed to this very day.

Such is the legendary origin of Bukit Sari, or The Monkey Forest, a cluster of towering trees and home of hundreds of sprite monkeys. The forest is sacred and for many years no one has been permitted to chop wood there. A moss-covered temple lies in the heart of the woods and is a familiar hideout for the nimble inhabitants. You make many friends b buying a bag of peanuts, and for such a east the monkeys often bring their families along.

Fulmar tells of a king of the monkeys who invariably has the first choice in selecting peanut handouts. He oversees one camp, while a rival king and his followers control another area of the forest. A beautiful restive place, Sangeh has long been an inspiration for painters and monkey-watchers.

The temple, Pura Bukit Sari, was originally built around the 17th century as an agricultural temple and has been restored several times, most recently in 1973. In the central courtyard, a large statue of Garuda, an old carving of uncertain date, symbolizes freedom from suffering and the attainment of amerta, the elixir of life. The forest of nutmeg trees in which it lies was presumably planted deliberately a long time ago, for it is unique in Bali.

There is a separate route linking Sangeh directly with Denpasar that begins at Jalan Kartini, making it a short trip. A side - road joins Blahkiuh, just south of Sangeh, with Mengwi which can also be reached by returning to Denpasar and taking the trip to the west. A sub-standard road links Sangeh with Ubud