Planning Ubud with kids?
This is one stop I wouldn’t skip — calm, affordable, and surprisingly magical.
Some monkey forests raise your heart rate. This one lowered it.
Sangeh Monkey Forest was where the monkeys stayed calm, the paths stayed shaded, and for once — parents could actually breathe.
When people hear “monkey forest in Bali,” their minds usually jump straight to crowds, chaos, and monkeys with absolutely no respect for personal space.
That’s exactly why we didn’t go there.
Instead of heading into the busy heart of Ubud, we drove about 30 minutes out and found ourselves at Sangeh Monkey Forest — and within minutes of arriving, I knew we’d made the right call.
This wasn’t loud.
It wasn’t frantic.
It wasn’t stressful.
It felt… manageable. And when you’re travelling with kids, that already puts a place several steps ahead.
Read This Your Way
(Best enjoyed in order — but jump to what you need)
- What Is Sangeh Monkey Forest (And Why It Feels Different)
- Why We Skipped the Ubud Monkey Forest (And Didn’t Miss It)
- Tickets, Costs & Why This Felt Like Real Value
- The Monkeys (Aka: The Moment Everyone Cares About)
- The Kids’ Moment (Feeding the Monkeys)
- Photos, Selfies & the “Gate of Heaven” Moment
- The Souvenir That Actually Made Sense
- Do’s & Don’ts
- Is Sangeh Monkey Forest Worth It with Kids?
- Final Reflection: Why This Moment Mattered
What Is Sangeh Monkey Forest
and Why It Feels Different
Sangeh Monkey Forest is a protected forest in the village of Sangeh, home to hundreds of long-tailed macaques living freely among tall nutmeg trees.
Unlike its much more famous cousin in Ubud city, Sangeh feels grounded — calmer, less crowded, and easier to experience with kids.
What stayed with me just as much as the monkeys was the setting itself.
Tall, ancient trees towered overhead, their canopies thick enough to soften the light and cool the air beneath. The forest felt older than the noise we’d left behind — shaded, steady, and deeply rooted. Scattered through the greenery were small Balinese temples, weathered stone softened by moss, offerings resting quietly at their base. They weren’t staged or attention-seeking — they simply existed, as if they always had.
Walking through Sangeh felt less like visiting an attraction and more like entering a shared space where nature and culture coexist without interruption. The kind of place that naturally lowers your voice and slows your steps — not because you’re told to, but because it feels instinctive.
There’s room to walk without rushing.
Room to pause without being in the way.
Room to observe without constantly guarding your bag or scanning for incoming monkeys with questionable intentions.
It felt less like a spectacle and more like an encounter — one where the monkeys moved around you, not toward you.
Why We Skipped the Ubud Monkey Forest
And Didn’t Miss It
We made a conscious choice to skip the Ubud Monkey Forest.
Not because it isn’t iconic — it absolutely is.
But because with kids, it felt like one variable too many.
Higher ticket prices, no included food for the monkeys, and a reputation for more assertive behaviour, layered with crowds and constant movement — it simply wasn’t the experience we were looking for on this trip.
Sangeh, by contrast, offered something we value deeply when travelling as a family: ease.
Tickets, Costs & Why This Felt Like Real Value
Entry to Sangeh Monkey Forest was refreshingly straightforward.
- Adults: around $7.50
- Kids: around $5
And that price included everything we actually needed:
- Entry to the forest
- Mineral water
- Food for the monkeys
No add-ons.
No awkward “do we need this?” moments.
No upselling halfway through the experience.
For a family outing in Bali, it felt fair, thoughtful, and genuinely good value — the kind that lets you relax into the experience instead of mentally tallying costs as you go.
The Monkeys
Aka: The Moment Everyone Cares About
Let’s talk about the monkeys — because this is where Sangeh truly shines.
They were calm.
Curious.
And, surprisingly, gentle.
They approached slowly, took food directly from our hands, and moved on without drama. No grabbing. No lunging. No sudden leaps onto shoulders.
The kids were cautious at first — watching carefully, hands held out just far enough — and then their confidence grew. Smiles replaced nerves. Curiosity replaced hesitation.
It felt interactive without being overwhelming.
Exciting without being stressful.
And at no point did I feel the need to hover in panic mode — which, honestly, says everything.
Some places don’t ask for your attention — they earn it.
Sangeh slowed us down simply by being what it was.
The Kids’ Moment
Feeding the Monkeys
What I’ll remember most wasn’t the photos or the setting — it was the sound.
The moment the monkeys stepped closer, the kids squealed — that mix of nervous laughter and pure excitement that bubbles up before they can contain it. Hands stretched out, then pulled back, then stretched out again. Giggles echoing through the trees as the monkeys gently took food straight from their palms.
There was no fear, no chaos — just curiosity meeting trust in the most uncomplicated way. Laughter carried through the forest, light and unfiltered, blending into the rustle of leaves and distant movement overhead.
Those sounds — the squeals, the laughter, the breathless “Mum, did you see that?” — felt like the real souvenir.
Photos, Selfies & the “Gate of Heaven” Moment
Right at the entrance, there’s a gate that looks remarkably similar to Bali’s famous Gate of Heaven, standing quietly against a backdrop of towering trees and filtered jungle light.
And yes, we took photos.
Which felt especially satisfying, considering we’d already decided to skip the actual one at Lempuyang Temple.
Because that would have meant 2.5 hours of driving, at least another two hours of waiting, and all of that for a single photo.
Seven hours of travel and queuing wasn’t worth it for us — not with kids, not on this trip.
Sangeh gave us the moment without the exhaustion.
And honestly, that felt like a very good trade.
The Souvenir That Actually Made Sense
As we were leaving, the kids spotted monkey fridge magnets — priced at $1 each.
They chose carefully, paid proudly, and carried them like treasures.
Just something small, affordable, and tied directly to the memory they’d just made.
Exactly the kind of souvenir that earns its place back home.
Do’s & Don’ts
Do:
- Keep bags zipped
- Follow staff guidance
- Let monkeys approach you
- Supervise kids closely
- Move slowly and calmly
Don’t:
- Stare aggressively
- Make sudden movements
- Touch or tease the monkeys
- Touch the baby monkeys
- Panic — they feel it before you do
Is Sangeh Monkey Forest Worth It with Kids?
Without hesitation — yes.
Sangeh strikes a balance that’s surprisingly rare. It’s calm without being boring, interactive without tipping into chaos, and respectful of both visitors and animals. The monkeys are curious rather than confrontational, the space allows you to move at your own pace, and the experience feels considered rather than crowded.
For families, that matters.
You get the magic of a monkey forest without the constant vigilance, the pressure, or the sense that you’re bracing for something to go wrong.
⭐ Sidoodle Review
Overall: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
Vibe: Calm, family-friendly, quietly magical
Best For: Families, first-time monkey encounters, slower travel days
Kid-Factor: Calm monkeys + shaded paths + stress-free interactions = win
Worth It? Yes — especially if you value ease over hype
Sid Says:
Not everything in Bali needs to be loud, iconic, or viral.
Sangeh was gentle, joyful, and stress-free — the kind of place where kids can explore freely and parents can actually enjoy watching them do it.
Final Reflection
Why This Moment Mattered
Sangeh Monkey Forest gave us everything we wanted from a monkey experience — curiosity, connection, and genuine joy — without the stress we were trying to avoid.
It didn’t overwhelm us.
It didn’t demand anything.
It simply invited us in.
In a trip filled with movement, schedules, and decision-making, this was a moment that unfolded naturally — calmly, gently, without performance. The monkeys, the trees, the temples, the kids’ laughter — it all came together in a way that felt balanced and deeply present.
If you’re visiting Ubud with children and choosing between monkey forests, this is the one I’d return to — calmly, confidently, and without second thoughts.
Not every Bali experience needs to be iconic or bucket-list worthy. Some just need to feel right.
This one did.
Among tall trees and quiet temples,
we found wonder — and let the kids lead the way.
If you’re building your Bali itinerary, you might also enjoy:
👉 Ubud with Kids — The Complete Family Guide
👉 Tegenungan Waterfall & Omma Dayclub — Adventure + Recovery Done Right
👉 Sangeh Monkey Forest with Kids — Calm, Gentle & Worth It
👉 ATV Riding in Ubud with Kids — Mud, Noise & Big Grins
👉 Where We Ate in Ubud — Restaurants That Actually Worked for Families
👉 Kuta with Kids — The Complete Family Guide
👉 Nusa Dua with Kids — The Complete Family Guide
Tell me — would you choose calm over crowds?
Share your story in the comments or tag me on Instagram @eatplaytravelwithsid.
