Secret Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest: Bali's Crowd-Free Wildlife Adventure

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Secret Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest: Bali's Crowd-Free Wildlife Adventure

The macaque monkey is one of Bali's most famous wild animals. These beautiful, highly intelligent primates hold deep spiritual significance for the Balinese people and can be found in their natural habitats from Ubud to Uluwatu and across the forested areas in between.

While the monkeys at Uluwatu Temple have been described as running a 'criminal enterprise' and those at Ubud's Sacred Monkey Forest draw the most attention, a troop of macaques at one of Bali's secret monkey forest attractions can be observed without the crowds.

So few people actually know about Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest that, on average, the attraction welcomes just 40-50 visitors a day, and a busy day sees only around 100.

Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest is one of Bali's lesser-known nature attractions. Spanning more than 12 hectares, it is a heavily protected forest stewarded by the local community for centuries.

The forest is home to around 2,000 Balinese long-tailed macaques - some never leave the forest, while others happily wander into the park's tourist area.

As Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest explains: "The local community considers the forest a sacred sanctuary that must be preserved at all costs, and it's an integral spiritual, educational, economic and conservation centre for Kukuh Village."

Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest is open every day from 9am to 5pm and is rarely crowded. The sanctuary is home to more than just the monkeys, though they inevitably steal the show.

The forest is also home to flying foxes - huge fruit bats that are a marvel to behold and particularly active at dusk. It is a sanctuary for this species too, which has been losing habitat across the island over the last 100 years.

Inside the forest complex, visitors will find a stunning Bliense Temple. As the Alas Kedaton team explains, "Pura Dalem Kahyangan is believed to serve spiritual power, as a means of avoiding all sorts of dangers, indicated by the image of Ganeca sitting on a lotus with two dragons, and the eight-hand Durga Mahesasurawardani, believed to provide protection and conquest."

While visitors are welcome to enjoy the space at their own pace, a local guide or ranger is always close by to keep observations safe for everyone.

The guides and rangers work at Alas Kedaton as part of a community-based tourism initiative, and each has their own personal stories of the village and forest to share with guests.

The daily schedule at Alas Kedaton helps connect tourists to the landscape in a meaningful way, and to Balinese culture too.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11am and 1pm, local artists perform the Barong Bangkung.

New ticket prices for Alas Kedaton are set to roll out in early 2026. Speaking to reporters in August 2025, the Head of Kukuh Village, I Gusti Ngurah Arta Wijaya, said his team has decided to raise the tourist entry fee to align with other monkey forest attractions around the island.

He explained: "Don't compare the prices in Ubud, which already cost hundreds of thousands. For example, in Sangeh Monkey Forest, the price is already IDR 75,000. The increase is also driven by tour guides. If the price is too low, it will be difficult to find funding for monkey food."

International adult tickets are expected to rise from IDR 30,000 to IDR 70,000, while children will be charged IDR 60,000, up from IDR 20,000. It's advisable to bring cash to Alas Kedaton and other smaller, emerging attractions like it.