Bali is famous for the Ubud Monkey Forest, but there are actually a bunch of other monkey sanctuaries like it that are spread out over the island.
One of these is the Alas Kedaton monkey forest in Tabanan, which is home to hundreds of monkeys and also some huge flying foxes.
This travel guide will explain how to get there, and everything you need to know before you go!The Alas Kedaton monkey forest is a 12 hectare (30 acre) jungle habitat surrounding an old Hindu temple in Tabanan, Bali.
If you went to the Ubud Monkey Sanctuary and liked it, then you may enjoy this one too. If you haven’t been to the Ubud one yet, skip this place and go to Ubud first. It’s a better overall experience.
With that said, one positive is that the monkeys here are much more peaceful and less aggressive than the ones at Ubud or Uluwatu.
I think it’s because this place is way less crowded and the monkeys don’t have so many people feeding and scaring them.
If you’re wanting to take good pictures of monkeys, this place is probably a better bet than the other monkey sanctuaries in Bali. The monkeys here are really relaxed and easy to photograph.
Aside from that, the facilities and management here are not so great. The park is depressingly dirty and run down, and there are starving stray dogs walking around.
The Ubud monkey sanctuary is in much better shape, and it’s just a much better overall experience.
The main draw of Alas Kedaton is the huge fruit bats (aka flying foxes) that you can see here. Some of them are tame, but others are wild and you can see them perched high up in the trees.
The fruit bats are super friendly and love interacting and climbing on people. These are native to Bali, and they normally live in the treetops here at the monkey sanctuary.
None of the animals are chained or caged, and they seem to be healthy and well treated by the guides. This is a bit like a Bali flying fox sanctuary.
You can pay a small fee to have your picture taken with the bats, and they seem to enjoy the interaction.
These kinds of bats may look scary, but they eat only fruit so they are not dangerous to people at all. Still, I don’t know how clean they are, so you might want to bring some hand sanitizer to use after handling them!
It’s hard to describe what these things are like and how they behave, but the closest comparable animal would have to be dogs or foxes, so the name makes sense.
In any case, they are not shy and they love interacting with people and climbing on their arms. I even saw them licking peoples’ fingers (no thanks)!
One of the coolest features about these bats is the huge transparent wings. When they spread them out on a sunny day, you can see right through them.
When you enter the Bali flying fox and monkey sanctuary, a guide will walk with you and carry a stick in case any of the monkeys act aggressive.
After the tour, they’ll take you to a souvenir shop and ask you to buy something. These are overpriced, so you can politely decline, but a tip is appreciated.
The Alas Kedaton monkey forest is located in Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia.
It’s just a 45 minute drive from the Ubud area, or about 1.5 hours from Kuta and the other touristy places in south Bali.
The best way to get there is to rent a scooter or hire a private car and driver (both of these can be booked online).
If you want to explore Bali in the comfort and safety of a private car with an English speaking driver, my top recommendation would be GetYourGuide.
Their prices start at 700k Rupiah (~$48 USD) for a full day of driving and sightseeing in Bali (up to 10 hours) for 1-5 passengers. That's the total price for the whole car + driver + petrol! It's a great deal. They also offer affordable hotel transfers from the airport.
If you'd rather travel by motorbike, they have that too. Their scooter rentals start at 140k Rupiah (~$9) and include a helmet, rain coat, and free delivery in the south Bali area.
We've used GetYourGuide for lots of tours and activities around the world, and they're great! Highly recommended.
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