Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest

Mandala Suci Wenara Wana, also known as Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest, is a sanctuary located in Padangtegal, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.

Monkeys
About 1260 Balinese long-tailed macaque monkeys live in this sanctuary. They are divided into 10 groups, namely Temple Group, Selatan Group, New Forest Group, Central Group, East Group, Michelin Group, Utara Group, Ashram Group, Atap Group, and Cemetery Group.

The Ubud Monkey Forest is a famous tourist attraction in Ubud. Every month, around 10,000–15,000 visitors come to Ubud Monkey Forest. The Ubud Monkey Forest has 186 species of plants and trees in 12.5 hectares of forest. The Ubud Monkey Forest has 3 temples, namely Dalem Agung Padangtegal Temple, Holy Spring Temple, and Prajapati Temple. The forest is owned by the Padangtegal community and is managed by Mandala Suci Wenara Wana Management. The purpose of the management is to preserve the sacred place and promote the Ubud Monkey Forest as an international tourist destination.

The Monkey Forest lies within the village of Padangtegal, which owns it. The village’s residents view the Monkey Forest as an important spiritual, economic, educational, and conservation center for the village.

Mission
The Ubud Monkey Forest describes its mission as the conservation of the area within its boundaries according to the Hindu principle of Tri Hata Karana (“Three ways to reach spiritual and physical well-being”), which seeks to make people live harmoniously during their lives. The “three ways” to this goal under the Tri Hata Karana doctrine are harmonious relationships between humans and humans, between humans and the natural environment, and between humans and The Supreme God. Accordingly, the Monkey Forest has a philosophical goal of creating peace and harmony for visitors from all over the world. It also seeks to conserve rare plants and animals for use in Hindu rituals and to provide a natural laboratory for educational institutions, with a particular emphasis on research into the social interaction of the park’s monkeys with one another and their interaction with the park’s natural environment.
Physical features and facilities
The Ubud Monkey Forest covers approximately 0.1 square kilometres (10 ha; 25 acres) and contains at least 115 different species of trees. The park is heavily forested and has lots of hills, And a deep ravine runs through the park grounds, and at the bottom, there is a rocky stream. Trails allow visitors access to many parts of the park, including the ravine and stream.

The Monkey Forest grounds have a forest conservation area, a public hall and gallery, an open stage, a canteen, a first aid center, a police post, parking and toilet facilities, and a composting facility.

Temples
The Monkey Forest grounds are home to three Hindu temples, all apparently constructed around 1350:

The Pura Dalem Agung Padangtegal (“Padangtegal Great Temple of Death”), also known as the Main Temple, lies in the southwestern part of the park. The temple is used for worshiping the god Hyang Widhi in the personification of Shiva, the Recycler or Transformer.
The Pura Beji, or Beji Temple, in the northwestern part of the park, is used for the worship of Hyang Widhi in the personification of the goddess Gangga. A “Holy Spring” bathing temple, it is a place of spiritual and physical cleansing and purification prior to religious ceremonies.
The Pura Prajapati, or Prajapati Temple, located in the northeastern part of the park, is used to worship Hyang Widhi in the personification of Prajapati. A cemetery adjacent to this temple receives the bodies of the deceased for temporary burial while they await a mass cremation ceremony, held once every five years.
The temples play an important role in the spiritual life of the local community, and the monkey and its mythology are important in the Balinese art tradition. The Monkey Forest area is sanctified by the local community, and some parts of it are not open to view by the public. Sacred areas of the temples are closed to everyone except those willing to pray and wear proper Balinese praying attire.

Animals

Monkeys
There are five groups of monkeys in the park, each occupying different territories; one group inhabits the area in front of the Main Temple, another the park’s Michelin area, a third the park’s eastern area, and a fourth the park’s central area, while the fifth group lives in the cremation and cemetery area. In recent years, the monkey population has become larger than an environment undisturbed by humans could support; it continues to grow, with the population density in 2013 being higher than ever. Conflicts between the groups are unavoidable; for example, groups must pass through one another’s territory to reach the stream during the dry season, and increasing population pressures are also bringing the groups into more frequent contact

The monkeys rest at night and are most active during the day, which brings them into constant contact with humans visiting during the park’s business hours. Visitors can observe their daily activities – mating, fighting, grooming, and caring for their young – at close range and can even sit next to monkeys along the park’s paths.

The monkeys have lost their fear of humans. Generally, they will not approach humans who they believe are not offering food, but they invariably approach human visitors in groups and grab any bags containing food that the humans have. They may also grab plastic bottles and bags not containing food, as well as reach into visitors’ bags and trouser pockets in search of food, and will climb onto visitors to reach food being held in a visitor’s hand, even if the food is held above a visitor’s head. The visitor will notice the interesting phenomenon of numerous obese monkeys, a testament to the almost unbounded food supply the huge number of tourists entering the forest provides.

The park staff advises visitors never to pull back an offer of food to a monkey or to touch a monkey, as either action can prompt an aggressive response by the animal. Although they generally ignore humans who they believe do not have food, they sometimes mistake a human’s actions as an offer of food or an attempt to hide food. If a human does not provide the food the monkeys demand or does not provide it quickly enough, the monkeys will occasionally bite the human.

Park personnel carry slingshots with which to intimidate aggressive monkeys and intervene quickly in confrontations between monkeys and humans. Given the monkeys’ apparently increasing aggressiveness toward humans and the risk their bites pose to human health, Balinese politicians have called for a cull of crab-eating macaques in Bali. Authorities have not formally accepted these calls.

Timor rusa deer
The Ubud Monkey Forest contains a fenced enclosure for a small herd of Timor rusa (Rusa timorensis timorensis), a type of deer native to the island of Timor. Visitors can view the deer enclosure.

Management
The Ubud Monkey Forest is owned by the village of Padangtegal, and village members serve on the Monkey Forest’s governing council. The Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation – “Wenara Wana” being Balinese for “Monkey Forest” – manages the Monkey Forest and serves to maintain its sacred integrity and promote it as a destination for visitors.


Bali Zoo

Bali Zoo – Bali’s first and only zoo is an amazing place to learn the way more than 450 rare and exotic animals do in a luxuriant tropical environment. A park where you can take part in a fascinating animal adventure, some of which in Indonesia are uniquely unique.

Whether the Bengal tiger is being fed closely and personal, the elephant safari over the friendly Sumatran pachyderm, dining a couple of meters away from King Jungle and his pride, having an orangutan breakfast, or having a part in Bali Zoos Mahout trademark for a day.

The Bali Zoo is located in the center of the Bali’s Gianyar Collection in the vicinity of Kuta, Sanur, Seminyak and Nusa Dua tourist resorts, just a 15-minute drive from Ubud. The islands were founded in 2002 by the only private zoo belonging to Balinese as the first and only zoological park that still stands today.
In Bali Zoo, on 22 acres of lush landscaping of the Singaporean art village, there is a variety of animals, the majority of which is natives of Indonesia, including Sumatran Elephant, Sumatran Tiger, Orangutan, Sun Bear and Binturong. In this region there is also a collection of 350 exotic animals.

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A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. Read More “Introducing this amazing city”

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A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. Read More “Change your place and get the fresh air”

About Bali

Bali with a reputation as being one of most beautiful and diverse tourist spots in Asia, Bali attract over 1 million visitor a year from all around the world.
Geographically, Bali lies between the islands of java and Lombok and is one of more than 17,000 islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago. Bali is small, stretching approximately 140 kilometer from east to west and 80 from north to south. running east to west and slightly off centre ,are a string of volcanic mountains, the highest and most recently active being is mount Agung, which reaches 3,142 m at its highest point and last erupted in 1963.

Lying just 8˚south of equator, Bali boast a tropical climate with just two seasons a year an average annual temperature of around 28˚ Celcius. The rich volcanic soil and healthy monsoon season make this island extremely fertile and ranges of crop are grown here. The wide, gently sloping southern regions play host to Bali’s famed terraced rice paddies, among the most spectacular in the world. In the hilly, northern coastal regions, the main produce is coffee, spices, coconut, vegetables, cattle and rice

The Balinese people have strong spiritual roots and despite the large influx of tourist in recent years, their culture is still very much alive. The main region is Agama Hindu Dharma, which arrive in Bali with the spread of Hinduism through Sumatra and Java during the 11th century. Although originally from India, the Balinese religion is a unique blend of Hindu, Buddhist, Javanese and ancient indigenous beliefs, with customs that are very different from the traditional form Hinduism practiced in India today. With the arrival of Islam neighbouring Java during the 15th century, a large number of courtiers, artist renaissance.

Naturally creative, the Balinese have traditionally used their talents for religious purposes and most of the beautiful work to be seen here has been inspired by stories from the Ramayana and other Hindu epics. The incredibly colorful cremation pyres and the everyday offering to the gods, placed inside every shop and business, are made with precision and an eye for beauty.

The majority of Bali΄s population of 3,5 million live, for the most part, in tight village communities with large extended families. The largest town are the regional capital Denpasar, population 300.000 and Singaraja in the north. The main tourist area is Kuta, situated near the airport ‘ Ngurah Rai International Airport ‘. During the tourist boom of the 70’ s, this small village became a major attraction because of its famed white sand beach, the surf, and sunsets.

Today, kuta, Legian and Seminyak are major hustling and bustling resort Town , with hundred hotels, villas, restaurant, bars, night club and shops. Those in search of a little and quite tend to head for the more sedate resort on the southern-most peninsula of the Island, Nusa Dua, caters for the more up market crowd, and is home to almost all of the bigger 5-star hotels, as well as one of Bali’s golf course, the Bali golf and country club. the central village of Ubud, in the hilly region of Gianyar, has also recently blossomed as a tourist attraction as is now considered to be the artistic and cultural center of Bali.

(more…) "About Bali"

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A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. Read More “How to travel with paper map”

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A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. Read More “Pack wisely before traveling”

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A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. Read More “How to travel with paper map”

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A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. Read More “Introducing this amazing city”

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A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. Read More “Change your place and get the fresh air”

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A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. Read More “Pityful a rethoric question ran”

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A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. Read More “Even the all-powerful Pointing”

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A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. Read More “Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove”

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A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. Read More “The Surfing Man Will Blow Your Mind”