Heri Sisworo
If you visit Bali, you must be prepared for the many places that are considered holy sites by Hindus there. The Balinese Hindu community is very religious and adheres to their culture and customs which have existed since millennia ago.
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Aside from temples, some forests are also deemed sacred by Balinese people. One example is the forest with macaques’ populations; the most popular example is the monkey forest in Ubud. But there are several other sacred forests that are also occupied by long-tailed Macaques, one of which is the Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest and Sanctuary.
Alas Kedaton location
The official name of Alas Kedaton is the Obyek Wisata Alam Alas Kedaton. This forest is located in Kutuh Village, Marga District, Tabanan Regency. The distance from the provincial capital of Bali, Denpasar, is about 20 km to the northeast.
From the capital of Tabanan Regency, this forest is only about 5 km away. Access to this forest has been quite smooth with well-made and maintained road infrastructure. You will not find any difficulties reaching it by driving a car or motorcycle.
Not as popular
Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest is more regarded as the other monkey forest in Bali. It means that the main monkey forest is, of course, the Monkey Forest in Ubud. As the name suggests, there are hundreds of long-tailed macaques that occupy this protected forest.
For the Balinese people, these animals are indeed considered to be sacred. As a result, those macaques are protected and prohibited from being hunted.
Wonderful temple
In this forest, there is also a temple with the same name, popularly known as the Kedaton Temple. But officially, this temple is called Pura Dalem Kahyangan Kedaton. This temple is situated in the midst of a dense tropical forest, its existence is contrasting but still stunning.
There are a lot of Meru that line up with a multilevel roof among the clearing in the jungle. This temple was built by Mpu Kuturan to unite all Hindu religious sects in Bali into Hinduism that we know today. The concept is to allow everyone from all castes or sects to pray in this temple.
Tips
It is not recommended to feed the monkeys in this forest. It must always be remembered that they are wild animals that have their own feeding cycles. In addition, macaques here are naughty and can take your luggage if they see food in it. The best policy is to simply look without touching.
Even though it is only the number two monkey forest in Bali, Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest is definitely not inferior to Ubud. However, this place only less popular because it is not collocated among many other favorite tourist attractions. You can find Jatiluwih rice fields and Batukaru temples nearby. Next
