Ubud Monkey Forest: what the sanctuary is and why it matters

Ubud Monkey Forest is the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Padangtegal, Ubud: a 12.5-hectare forest and temple complex where long-tailed macaques live in a semi-wild setting, according to the sanctuary’s official site and Desa Adat Padangtegal. It is one of Ubud’s most recognisable nature-and-culture attractions, and its appeal comes from the mix of protected forest, sacred temples and free-roaming monkeys.

What is Ubud Monkey Forest?

The sanctuary’s official name is Mandala Suci Wenara Wana, and it is described as a natural sanctuary in the village of Padangtegal, Ubud, Bali, according to the official sanctuary site. The same site says the forest covers approximately 12.5 hectares and is home to over 1,000 long-tailed macaques.

Desa Adat Padangtegal says the area was formally designated as the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in 1982, when organised conservation efforts began. That makes the site both a living wildlife habitat and a managed cultural space.

Why do visitors go there?

Visitors come to see macaques in a semi-wild environment and to walk through a forest that also contains Hindu temples, according to the sanctuary’s official site and Indonesia.travel. Indonesia.travel says the sanctuary is a nature reserve and temple complex in Ubud, and notes that it is often visited by over 10,000 tourists a month.

Travel guides published in 2026 also describe three temples inside the sanctuary, but the sanctuary’s official site and Indonesia.travel are the better sources for the core facts: the site is both a conservation area and a cultural one.

Where is it, exactly?

The sanctuary is in Padangtegal village in Ubud, Bali, according to the official site. Indonesia.travel places it in Ubud and describes it as a major destination there, while the official sanctuary site identifies it as a sacred sanctuary rather than a simple park.

For readers trying to orient themselves, the key point is that Ubud Monkey Forest is not a zoo or a random patch of woods; it is a managed sanctuary with a defined conservation and cultural role.

How many monkeys are there?

Different sources give different figures. The sanctuary’s official site says there are over 1,000 long-tailed macaques, while Wikipedia says that as of 2023 about 1,260 Balinese long-tailed macaques lived there. A 2026 travel guide also repeats the 1,200-plus figure, but the official sanctuary page and the 2023 population figure are the most useful reference points.

Because monkey numbers can change with births, deaths and group movement, readers should treat any headcount as a snapshot rather than a fixed total.

What should readers understand before visiting?

The main thing to understand is that this is a wildlife sanctuary, so the macaques are not pets and their behaviour is not controlled like animals in a fenced exhibit, according to the sanctuary’s description of a semi-wild environment. That is what makes the site distinctive, but it also means the experience depends on respecting the animals and the sanctuary setting.

• Official identity: Mandala Suci Wenara Wana, also known as Ubud Monkey Forest.
• Area: approximately 12.5 hectares, according to the official sanctuary site.
• Conservation milestone: formal designation in 1982, according to Desa Adat Padangtegal.

For environment readers in Bali, the Ubud Monkey Forest matters because it is one of the island’s best-known examples of a site where biodiversity, temple heritage and tourism share the same space.

Sources

• About Us, Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
• Ubud
• Ubud Monkey Forest
• Wikipedia