Quote:
Burhan, our Bemo driver, picked us up from our hotel at 9.00am for our ½ day trip to Tanah Lot Temple with a stop off at Canggu on the way back. After negotiating the traffic for approximately ¼ hour we came to the outskirts of the Kuta and started heading towards Tanah Lot.
A small distance out from Kuta Burhan asked if we had visited Kedaton Monkey Forest. After seeing us shake our heads he asked if we would like to go. Kedaton Monkey Forest, here we come.
Before arriving our driver informed us that we would have to pay an entrance fee (3,300 Rupah), and a guide would meet us to show us around the forest, introduce us to the monkeys and show us the large bats (flying foxes). He added that the guide, at the end of the tour, would escort us to their shop and we could either purchase something or give them a tip – as was the custom at this Forest.
As Burhan had said, we paid our entrance fee and as soon as we had stepped through the main entrance a guide was there, at our side, to show us around. Our guide was a lovely young lady with a small child and her shop was one of many small shops that lined the front precinit of the forest area.
We were given a packet of food to feed the monkeys. A word of warning – don’t have anything dangling of you belt, bag strap, glasses or anything that small hands can grab and take of with - the monkeys will try and take them from you. The monkeys were very friendly, especially if you had food or something that interested them.
After feeding the monkeys our guide then lead us around the outside temple – we weren’t allowed inside but could peer over the wall and through gates to get a glimpse of the enclosures/shrines inside – to an area where there was a large tree full for bats (flying foxes).
After viewing the tree we continued on the path, around the temple, back to the shops. Our guide then showed us her shop where we, after some hard bartering, ended up purchasing a number of items we liked.
After all piling back into the bemo, we continued on our way to Tanah Lot.
From journals
Bali: Even Better the Second Time Around