The Sacred Monkey Forest is located in the center of Ubud. In fact, the street that runs through the town is known as Jalan Monkey Forest Road.
Getting a ticket is easy enough. It costs 50,000 IDR or $3.40. It's best to go in the morning before it gets too crowded.
Source: Monkey Forest Ubud
There are a lot of guidelines you'll want to follow to have a good time. The big one to remember is: don't carry anything you wouldn't want to lose. Monkeys are mischievous creatures.
If you insist on carrying valuables, it's best to put all your sunglasses, jewelry, and whatnot into a lockable bag. The monkeys will snatch anything shiny off your neck.
The temple complex has been designed with the traditional Balinese philosophy Tri Hita Karana in mind. Tri Hita Karana means the "three causes of well-being," which includes harmony with God, with people, and with nature.
Source: Monkey Forest Ubud
You can see manifestations of the philosophy all over the 30-acre grounds, which combine gorgeous nature such as rice paddies and a forest with temples and statues to the gods.
There are statues of monkeys in the forest. The sculptures are believed to "symbolize energies supporting the power of the temples," according to The Culture Trip.
Source: The Culture Trip
The sculptures, many of which feature gods and goddesses, are heavily influenced by Hindu teachings. Eighty-three percent of Balinese people are Hindu.
Source: 2010 Bali Population Census
Once I passed through the tunnel, I came into contact with my first monkey. In total, there are 600-700 crab-eating macaques, a species local to southeast Asia.
Source: Monkey Forest Ubud
They are also known as Balinese long-tailed monkeys. I wasn't kidding when I said you can get close to them.
For the most part, they eat fruit like coconut or papaya leaf. The staff feed them sweet potatoes three times a day. I wouldn't get close while they're eating.
Most of the monkeys are well-acquainted with humans. This staffer had no trouble interacting with the monkeys.
The monkeys are literally everywhere: perched on stones, hanging in the trees, taking naps in bushes.
But it isn't quiet. Approximately 10,000 tourists visit the forest every month, with more during the peak summer months.
Source: Indonesia Travel
In Balinese culture, it isn't just the temples that are sacred, but the entire area surrounding it. The trees, the statues, and the monkeys are sacred and Balinese often make offerings to them.
There are over 115 species of different trees in the forest. The most important are the Pule Bandak tree, which Balinese use to make wooden masks for religious ceremonies, the Banyan tree, which is used for cremation, and the Majegan, which is used to build shrines.
Source: Monkey Forest Ubud
If a monkey snatches your phone or jewelry — which apparently happens all the time — you're on your own. But if a monkey attacks you, which happens from time to time, a staffer will whip out a slingshot.
But so long as you aren't carrying valuables or hiding food, you've got little to worry about if a monkey lands on your shoulder. They're very friendly.
And, of course, they make for great content for your Instagram/SnapChat/Twitter/Livejournal/MySpace.
It is very entertaining to watch monkeys monkeying around. This monkey — let's call him Jim — was attempting to crack this coconut by slamming it against the ground for a solid 10 minutes.
There are three temples in the forest, all of which were built in the 14th century. The main one is the Pura Dalem Agung.
Source: Monkey Forest Ubud
There, people pray to Shiva, the god of destruction or transformation. The other temples are Pura Beji, where people pray to the goddess Ganga and perform ritual bathing, and Pura Prajapati, where people pray to the god Prajapati and perform cremations.
Source: Monkey Forest Ubud