Bali's Sangeh Monkey Forest Welcomes Record 206,000 Visitors as Feeding Experience Goes Viral

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A troop of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) chased after Hamdani, their eyes fixed on the bag of edamame and bananas carried by the visitor from Probolinggo, East Java.

Hamdani tried to stay calm even as a monkey climbed onto his shoulder. “I was a bit afraid of being bitten or scratched, but so far it has been safe because we were feeding them,” the 21-year-old told detikBali on Tuesday (28 July 2026).

It was Hamdani’s first visit to the Sangeh Alas Pala Tourism Destination (DTW Alas Pala Sangeh) in Bali. He took the chance to buy monkey food — bananas and edamame — for Rp 20,000 from vendors managed by the attraction.

His anxiety about being injured by monkeys subsided thanks to staff members from the Sangeh Monkey Forest who regularly patrol and watch over visitors. Some carry slingshots to ward off monkeys that pose a threat to tourists. “As long as you follow their instructions, you won’t be afraid of being bitten or scratched,” said the young man.

Ida Bagus Gede Pujawan, Chairman of the DTW Alas Pala Sangeh management, explained that visitors have been able to feed the monkeys since January 2024. Adult foreign tourists pay an entrance fee of Rp 75,000 (approx. HK$38), while children pay Rp 50,000 (approx. HK$25), which includes a bottle of mineral water and monkey food. Domestic tourists, meanwhile, pay Rp 15,000 (approx. HK$7.50) without monkey food.

Pujawan claimed that the monkey-feeding attraction has discouraged the primates from snatching visitors’ belongings. “With monkey feeding, the monkeys are more focused on the food,” he said. He added that the food purchased by tourists comes from local MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) collaborating with the Sangeh Monkey Forest management.

He noted that tourist monkey-feeding has become a unique selling point for the Sangeh Monkey Forest compared to other monkey forests on the island. The activity is also credited with effectively boosting visitor numbers to the 14-hectare sanctuary.

According to data from DTW Alas Pala Sangeh, tourist visits reached 144,733 in 2024. In 2025, the number of visitors to the monkey forest surged to 206,458, with foreign tourists still outnumbering domestic visitors.

Pujawan noted that the monkey-feeding activity has also slashed feeding costs considerably. Previously, the management spent around Rp 30 million (approx. HK$15,000) per month on monkey food. Now, that figure has dropped to approximately Rp 18 million (approx. HK$9,000) per month.

The management typically feeds the forest’s inhabitants twice a day — at 6:00 AM and 11:00 AM WITA (Central Indonesia Time). The monkey population in the forest numbers around 700. “We place the food in specific locations,” Pujawan explained.

Many visitors were seen enthusiastically feeding the monkeys during the visit. The food also attracts the primates to perch playfully on tourists’ heads, shoulders, and hands. These delightful moments of monkeys happily eating and resting on visitors are captured by on-site photographers. Tourists can purchase these photos as unique souvenirs from the Sangeh Monkey Forest.