The day started out like any other during our time in Bali. We awoke with the roosters at our beautiful villa, ate our gorgeous breakfast poolside, and probably read a book in the sun.
Our villa manager was taking us to Ubud that day, to show us the places her guests usually like to be taken. We bought silver jewellery at the market, wandered around the temples, that sort of thing. We were having a cold beer and iced coffee (not together, gross) at Cafe Lotus, overlooking the Pura Taman Kemuda Saraswati and the large lotus pond, when we asked our villa manager where our next stop on today’s trip would be. She told us the Monkey Forest before heading up to see the Mt Batur volcano, and while neither of us are keen monkey-lovers, it seemed the thing people did when they went to Ubud. We’d had dinner with some Australian friends a few days earlier and they said it was lovely – the monkeys even sat on your shoulder and ate bananas.
To the monkey forest we went.
Now, had I ever googled that monkey forest before I went to Bali, I would never have stepped foot in it. But we knew no better, and when in Rome…
We paid our money and saw monkeys within seconds. Some loud American dude was like “holy fuck you guys, there’s totally monkeys here!” in his booming voice. The monkeys really were everywhere though, mostly little ones. Kind of cute, if you’re into that sort of thing. One girl stood there, stock still with a half-smile, half grimace as they crawled all over her, screeching on her shoulders and tearing into bananas.
We carried on, past the big trees, more monkeys, some weird looking-lizards, a HUGE sign that said how to deal with the monkeys (I went back and read it after I’d taken a few steps past – don’t look them in the eye, don’t snatch shit off them, don’t yell at them, that sort of thing) and carried on past the tourist trinket huts and down some stairs, where we saw a cheeky monkey run over and turn the tap on to get himself a drink. People were taking photos, monkeys were picking each other over for bugs, doing what monkeys do.
We heard a commotion behind us (different from the usual commotion when the monkeys unexpectedly drop out of the trees and onto people’s shoulders at the speed of light) – someone had taken a water bottle into the park and the monkey was jumping all over his head, fighting him for it. A guard called out to put the bottle away and the man apologised, stashing it in his bag. I clung closer to Lunchbox, expecting one to jump out of the tree AT ANY GIVEN SECOND.
We walked a few more metres, wondering how long this pathway was when a monkey came screaming out of the bushes and across our path, followed closely by another screaming monkey. They ran back and forth across our path fighting over something, and we didn’t know what to do. I thought we should probably turn around, but as they ran off into the bushes, Lunchbox took a few tentative steps forward along the path.
BIG GODDAMN MISTAKE.
The monkeys, furious as ever came flying back out of the bushes and screamed at him, grabbing at his shorts. He made a noise at them (I’m sure his reaction was wanting to kick them) and they kept screaming and grabbing at him. He walked up a short set of stairs and I didn’t know what to do so I followed. He made it to the top of the stairs, hounded by these two vicious monkeys and suddenly found myself in the middle of the stairs, surrounded by eight more, all screaming and growling or looking at me like they were going to rip my eyes out.
I didn’t know whether to keep going or to go back, so I took a few uncertain steps back down and then one more back up. The monkeys kept screaming and growling and I didn’t know what to do. Two of them leapt forward and grabbed my dress, clawing and biting at it while their posse growled at me. I called out to my husband like “uh, what should I do?” and he was like “yell at them!” (hey, it worked for him) and I was like “um, the sign says you can’t do that!” but it was too late because I’d already tried to snatch back my dress before realising you couldn’t do that either. I made some awful noise that would probably scare nothing but a small blind kitten, but they monkeys paid no attention. In fact, by then, two of them had stealthily crept up and slowly put their furry little arms around each of my ankles. So here I am, pinned to the stairs by two ankle-hangers, two dress-rippers and four growling hangers-on, for ages, completely mystified as to how to deal with this, and also slightly beginning to panic, when one of the little fuckers bit me.
I yelped, and he? she? who knows relaxed his bite just a bit before sinking his/her teeth in again. So here I am, surrounded by growling monkeys, two of them still hanging off my dress, two of them hanging off my ankles and one of of them also hanging off my calf by this teeth. Lunchbox was still pinned back by the two at the top of the stairs, and I was vaguely aware of a big group of people a few metres back, watching the spectacle unfold. I was clueless, I had no idea how to overpower eight monkeys and carry on, Lunchbox didn’t know what to do, and nobody was around to give us any advice. Finally after five minutes and a hell of a lot of confused thoughts, a guard appeared and yelled at them in his native language. He had a slingshot (“how often does this happen?” I thought) and the monkeys scampered off. I walked to the top of the stairs before I even remembered I had been bitten and I sort of looked at it in disbelief. I even said “oh it bit me!” like I didn’t even know.
The guard looked at it and looked at me and pointed me out to another guard, who looked thoroughly unimpressed, like “again?” and said “no rabies” to me with a sigh.
Some Betadine and a Band-Aid later, we were released into the pits of hell to make our way back to the entrance somehow.
On the way through, cautiously and mostly terrified now (thanks, adrenaline), I watched a man reach down and pull a monkey off his screaming baby.
I won’t be back.
Brooke {Slow Your Home} says
Probably the most terrifying thing I’ve read for a while. And I just finished a collection of Stephen King short stories which were scary as shit.
Veggie Mama says
SO YOU’RE SAYING I’M AS GOOD AS STEPHEN KING?! this is what i’m telling myself anyway
Brooke {Slow Your Home} says
You’ve got him BEAT with your terrifying monkeys.
Candice says
That sounds fucking awful.
Veggie Mama says
I’d say it was a low point of the trip…
Lor says
It happened to me yesterday. Did you end up getting the rabies vaccine afterwards?
Lori says
It happened to me yesterday. Did you end up getting the rabies vaccine afterwards?
Stacey says
Oh I hope you’re ok? It can be scary. I did get the first round of rabies shots when I got back to Australia, and a round of immunoglobulin shots to ensure there would be no infection, but I was fine.
MotherDownUnder says
That monkey forest terrified me…I only made it about 1 metre in and was there for about 30 seconds before I hightailed it out of there and back to our villa’s pool!
I totally would have cried.
I am glad you don’t have rabies.
Veggie Mama says
I so wish I’d known about it before I went. Awful!
Josephine says
OMG. I’d have been straight to the nearest bar after that.
When my husband and I planned a trip to Borneo many years ago, we went to get the obligatory shots. The doctor administering them was a delightful Indian fellow, and I’ll never forget how he wagged his finger at us after the rabies shot and said in his thick accent, ‘Don’t touch the monkeys!’ It has been a motto for our lives ever since…
Glad you’re back safe 😉
Veggie Mama says
hahah I’m a monkey-free zone
cityhippyfarmgirl says
Yeah monkeys are great…on tv. I remember going to the monkey forest years and years ago, and it was a swift walk through and straight out the other side.
Your experience sounds like less monkey magic and more monkey hell!
Veggie Mama says
So much monkey hell! Bad too because I didn’t know how far the end was haha
www.boyeatsworld.com.au says
I wish we’d known before we went last year. The place is terrifying! We didn’t stay long because I was convinced the rabid little bastards would devour the kids. No more monkey forests for us. And glad you escaped rabies free! x
Veggie Mama says
They have lost all fear of humans, that’s for sure. I thought they were going to eat me.
Sarah @ DaydreamsofSummertime says
Oh gosh! This sounds terrible, I went the Monkey Forest a few years ago but thankfully I had no problems at all. x
Veggie Mama says
Yes, that seems to be the case with most people. Maybe I was just unlucky.
Bobbie says
We are heading to Bali in 4 weeks (provided that b***dy volcano stops errupting 🙁 ) and the kids have been so excited about visiting the monkey forest (my daughter is crazy about monkeys), but after reading this I think we should pass.
Veggie Mama says
There is no way I’d take a kid in. No way at all. It was so fast and I was powerless to stop them.
The Plumbette says
Holy heck that sounds scary! I’ve never been a fan of monkeys. No monkey forest for me. I freaked out when you shared your pic on Facebook. X
Veggie Mama says
Yeah I’m skipping it if I ever go back!
Betty says
This is actually my worst nightmare. I felt terrified reading your description of 8!! growling fur bags and am actually still recovering. I avoided the Monkey Forest on a recent trip to Ubud, as I got a bit of a sense of the perils and know I’m not cut out for that! I can’t believe you had to walk back out through to the entrance. I possibly still would be stuck there, crying. Glad you survived!
Veggie Mama says
I still can’t believe how gullible I was like “oh a monkey sanctuary, how nice!”. NOT NICE!
Katie says
OMG alright All I could think about was rabies when we went to the monkey forest years ago. Surely some do have rabies as there are problems still with rabid dogs?? Anyway your description was amazing – even better than something about monkeys in a Dean Koontz (?) novel i read ages ago.
Veggie Mama says
No, no rabies. A rabid monkey would be pretty obvious what with its foaming mouth and ripping other monkeys to shreds and dying within a month. Well, having said that, there haven’t been any rabid monkeys yet, but who knows what the future will hold! And I love Dean Koontz, than man is freaky!
Reannon @shewhorambles says
FUCK THAT SHIT!!! Seriously? Betadine & a band aid? That’s not cool man! Are you scarred for life? I’d be scarred for life.
Veggie Mama says
Haha it’s a monkey bite, not a fucking shotgun blast! What did you want them to do?
Reannon @shewhorambles says
lol I meant mentally scarred!!
And I’d be wanting bandages & some sort of magical cream that would guarantee my leg wasn’t going to fall off!
Veggie Mama says
Haha true but I also didn’t want to be the rich white clueless woman that assumes all third world primates are disease-ridden. I went by what the locals said and did. Well, half-half 😉
Reannon @shewhorambles says
You are better than me then. I would have acted like a right asshat.
Veggie Mama says
hahah I am badass with a little bit of naivete/stupidity
Jess says
I do not think your concern should be appearing like a rich white woman, especially when our native physicians scare us shitless about our susceptibility to third world illnesses (including water, rabies, and more). There is a point where we can avoid unnecessary drama but if we possess empathy toward foreigners in our home countries, I don’t see why we can not seek for empathy in countries where we are the foreigners. If you aren’t assertive about self care it could mean more trouble and sometimes you just have to be firm. My parents are from India and were very naïve about us kids traveling, I ended up being hospitalized for a month in India because Mom and I were “nice” and politely accepted the food and drink that was offered to us. In my opinion it’s ok to be assertive, not ok to be aggressive. Don’t feel bad about feeling bad in a foreign country, it can awkward but you have to prioritize health for everyone’s sake. Good luck to you guys, best wishes.
Veggie Mama says
Very true! I think if I was really concerned, I’d have advocated for myself, but I honestly wasn’t that worried about it. Sorry to hear you were ill though – that must have been horrible.
Hugzilla says
I was hoping that you’d blog about this and it does not disappoint! That sounds actually quite terrifying. I just assumed one of them had chased you and sunk the teeth in but I had no idea you were mobbed. That’s fucked up.
Veggie Mama says
HANGING ONTO MY ANKLES. horrible, horrible shit.
Angie@TheLittleMumma says
So much no to this, lady. So. Much. No.
I totally thought all monkeys have diseases. When I saw your original FB status, I for real thought to myself you would definitely have rabies. So happy you don’t have rabies!
Pinky Poinker says
I was waiting for this after I saw it on FB too. Bloody hell. I love small furry creatures but these ones sound like they’re possessed by demons. This made me laugh (nervously) and shudder at the same time.
sammie@theannoyedthyroid.com says
I felt terrified just reading it. Aargh! Totally a case of once bitten, twice shy!
Nicole - Sew Knit Create says
I just stumbled across your site while looking for Costco shopping tips and saw this article. My partner and I had a very similar experience while visiting The Monkey Forest about 7 years ago, those monkeys are vicious!
Veggie Mama says
haha aren’t they! Never going back. And welcome! Hope the Costco post was helpful 🙂
Shari from GoodFoodWeek says
Oh man, I am so glad that I didn’t read this article before being at the monkey temple in Malaysia. I’m not an animal person and the thought of having a monkey touch me at all gives me the hibbie-gibbies! Glad you made it out alive.
Veggie Mama says
It makes for a funny story now, but it really was horrible!
Marietta says
Ok so I was just at the Monkey Forest. I was carrying no food, no shiny things and totally unprovoked a monkey climbed up my leg and started biting my head. Only came away with some scratches and the guards also assured med that rabies isn’t present in the monkeys here. But still a little terrified. Did you get a rabies shot after your bite??
Veggie Mama says
Oh you poor thing, my heart goes out to you! It really is extremely unpleasant. I’m reasonably convinced there are no rabid monkeys in the forest (I did my research) but after conferring with the hospital, my Dr told me maybe to get the shots anyway for safety’s sake. I did end up getting the first dose, along with tetanus and immunoglobulin, which were the only things I was worried about, really.
Jan says
I wonder she is alive still. I got bitten by a monkey yesterday at Uluwatu. I didn’t wash it straight after. There was no staff there.
I got to see a doctor in 5hrs after that happened and had a shot.
I am just worried and feel so bad though there wasn’t any blood :(
I could see so many aussies got bitten by monkeys looking through online… Wondering they are all ok??
Veggie Mama says
Yep, i’m still alive! Perfectly healthy 🙂
I hope you’re ok!
annie wheatley says
I used to walk my dog in there every day when we lived there. The monkeys used to tease the dog mercilessly running up behind him and pulling his tail. They did used to come into the house regularly and look for food also, which was a bit freaky. Highlights were one day coming across one drinking out of my sons sippy cup in the hallway and another day catching sight of movement on my daughters bed as I was walking past her bedroom. Turned out to be a monkey helping himself to one after another chocolate from a Dairy Milk box. He wasn’t going to be shooed away before he finished the lot either. 🙂
Morgan says
Same experience happened to me today. Thank you for this post! Everyone is freaking me out that I need some sort of shot or vaccination now.
Stacey says
Oh no! I hope you’re ok – those monkeys are vicious!
Jay says
How long after the bite did you get your shots? I got bit at the monkey forest a couple of days ago and am wondering if I should get the rabies immunoglobulin and vaccine
Meagan says
I got bit too and wondering he same! It seems as though it’s pretty common and we just have to trust that the monkey forest is and stays rabies free! I truly would be more concerned with other infectious diseases. I personally didn’t get the shot. I’ll consult with my dr when I get home which will be 7days after the bite. As long as a monkey doesn’t die within the next 20 days unexpectedly, I think I’ll be ok. But it has scared me to death!
Emma says
Sounds like we got bit right afohnd the same couple days. Still havent got the shot cause we read online there were no reported cases, but wondering if I should now that we’re back home. Rabies just freaks me out, its not a joke and I dont know if I can trust tourism sites to wave away concern that their monkies are perfectlfy safe. Its been more than 7 days tho since my bite and I read it has to ben within 7 days, wondering if thats true. Not sure if I should just wait it out and hope for the best at this point ? Are all you other peeps who got bit fine? Did you get the shots? What did the Dr.s back home say?
Meagan says
Curious- did you end up getting the vaccine? Mine didn’t bleed so I’m thinking it wasn’t a fully open wound so I’m just praying that I’ll be ok!
Stephanie says
Aren’t they awful!!! I went in July (thinking it would be a leisurely afternoon with our primate friends) and was instantly shook down for bananas within seconds of entering the forest. One of my friends was bitten and had to get rabies shots, and another friend was almost bitten (but instead just had her hat stolen when she tried to defensively swat it away.) Boo.
Tristan says
Just for balance, I have to say I’ve been to the Ubud Monkey Forest, having read in advance what to expect. The monkeys certainly are very comfortable around people and will likely come and show interest in you at some point, but with a bit of common sense it was one of the most enjoyable and unique holiday experiences I have had. I can see the temptation to scream and shoo away the monkeys, but remember they are animals and only likely came to you because they are curious – rather than cause a scene and maintain their interest, stay still and quiet and they will soon move on. It goes without saying to read the signs carefully and follow the advice, and keep your distance from anyone with food, as that’s inviting trouble. Just stay calm if monkeys do come to say hi, and it can be a great experience.
Stacey says
Thanks Tristan. I have no doubt that folks do go to the monkey forest without incident, but that unfortunately wasn’t my experience. Seeing this blog is me telling the stories of my life, that’s the only story I had to tell! I’m sure you read that I followed all instruction as required and sadly for us the monkeys weren’t just coming to say hello because they were curious, we just happened to be right in the middle of an existing monkey fight where they were already fired up. I didn’t scream or shoo the monkeys away even though they didn’t just come over to be friendly, but were growling, tearing my dress, hanging off my legs, and sinking their teeth into my flesh. I was calm as can be even though I was literally getting attacked by animals I was powerless to stop (yes, I remembered they were just animals)! But I still hated it and I won’t go back. Glad you had a better time than me 🙂