
SANGEH MONKEY FOREST

Tourists go to Sangeh Monkey Forest to see the tropical forest where monkeys live and the Sangeh temple, which is so beautiful to look at. During the golden age of the Mengwi Kingdom in the 17th century, I Gusti Ketut Karangasem, the son of Gusti Agung Made Agung, the King of Mengwi, built a temple in the middle of the Pala tree forest. It was later called the bukit Dari Temple. Tourist spots in Sangeh have always been popular with both foreign and local visitors. Attractions in Sangeh offer beautiful views of the forest, which has large tropical forests and monkey habitats. The many trees in the area keep the air cool and fresh. fresh, which will make the area around the Sangeh Monkey Forest feel very nice.
BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL FOREST WITH HABITAT BY TAME MONKEY AND THE UNIQUE PALA TREE IN THIS FOREST
Where is the Sangeh Monkey Forest?
The Sangeh Monkey Forest is in the northern part of the village of Sangeh, in the Abiansemal District of the Badung Regency. The name of the village is Sangeh, and hundreds of monkeys live there. The northern part of the village is covered with Palas for many hectares. It’s about 21 km from Denpasar, and a good road makes it easy to get there by car. If you drive from Denpasar or Kuta, it will take you about an hour to get there. It’s not hard to find because there are many road signs at the intersections, and you can also use Google Maps to get there. If you don’t want to travel alone, Bali Tour can take you to the Sangeh Monkey Forest in private transportation with an experienced driver.
Meaning name Sangeh
The local villagers say that the word “Sangeh” comes from the words “Sang,” which means “person,” and “Ngeh,” which means “to see” or “to observe.” People say that the Pala trees in the forest came from Mount Agung and then made their way to the Taman Ayun Temple. They were going to decorate the garden that was part of the Mengwi Kingdom. So that they wouldn’t be seen, they went on their trip at night. People were saddened to see the Pala trees walking in a line. They stopped all of a sudden. The name of the place where they stopped, “Sangeh,” means “one who sees.” If you go to the island of Bali, it would be nice to visit this Sangeh Monkey Forest to see the beauty of this tropical forest and Pala Trees that are hundreds of years old. You can also see tame monkeys roaming around the forests and temples here.
What’s up with the Pala Tree in Sangeh Monkey Forest?
People in Badunga call Sangeh, a tropical forest in the district of Badunga, “Alas Pala,” which means “Pala forest.” The Pala is for a plant called Dipterocarpus haseltii in Latin. There are a lot of species in this forest. It is thought that the Pala tree in Sangeh is hundreds of years old. You can’t find Palas like these anywhere else in Bali, and why they are in Sangeh is a mystery. The 10 hectare nutmeg tree forest is a holy place that is protected by Sangeh Customary Village and the area around it. In the middle of such a green and dense forest, there are more than 600 friendly and tame monkeys that always attract people. Aside from being holy places, the forest and monkeys have become interesting tourist attractions that are worth seeing. Dipterocarpus hasseltii is a group of trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae that are grown for their commercial value. The tree has supports and can grow as tall as 45 meters and as wide as 1.5 meters. The Malay Peninsula, Thailand, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Bali, and the Philippines are all home to this species. This species is called “keruing” in the trade of wood.
Pucak Bukit Sari Temple at Sangeh Forest
In the Sangeh Monkey Forest, there is a very old temple in the middle of the forest, surrounded by monkeys. This temple has a very interesting history, which you can read about. The Pucak Bukit Sari Temple building is in the middle of the forest. According to history, the tall Pala trees in the middle of the forest shade the Pucak Bukit Sari Temple. This temple was built in the 17th century. It is a holy place that the Mengwi Kingdom gave to Sangeh Village. this temple was built by Anak Agung Anglurah Made Karangasem Sakti, the adopted son of King Mengwi, Tjokorda Sakti Blambangan. People say that Anak Agung Anglurah Made Karangasem Sakti did “rare asceticism” as a child, which meant that he meditated like a child. After his magic got stronger, he also got a magical sign to build a place of worship in the middle of the Pala forest in this sangeh. This place of worship is now called Pura Pucak Bukit Sari.
Lanang Wadong Tree at Sangeh Forest
In addition to the Pala tree, the Sangeh forest has other well-known plants. The locals used to call one of them the “Lanang Wadon Tree,” which means “Female and Male Tree” in English. It’s called the Lanang Wadon Tree because it looks like it has a “body part” like people do. At the bottom of the tree is a hole that looks like a female genitalia, and another trunk grows out of the hole that looks like a male genitalia. The tree was given the name Lanang Wadon, which means “male and female,” because of this. The tree grows right in front of the tourist attraction in Sangeh. You can see a tree that grows very tall and has a hole in the middle. The roots stick out in ways that look like male genitalia, and the holes look like female genitalia, so the locals call them “male” and “female” trees. As for how old this tree is, you can tell by how strong its roots are and how far down they go. The history of this sangeh forest is a very beautiful thing to learn about.
History of the Sangeh Monkey Forest
There are a lot of different stories about how this Sangeh monkey forest came to be. These stories come from local people, historical books, and other sources. But no matter what the history says, the Sangeh Monkey Forest is very old and was left to us by our ancestors. As the younger generation, we are expected to be able to keep the legacy of our ancestors and do what they told us to do. We’ve collected and summed up several different versions of history. You can decide for yourself if they are true or not.
Macaca fascicularis is the Latin name for the long monkeys that live here. Local people tell stories about how the monkeys here are the spirits of soldiers who were turned into forest creatures. Up until now, no one in the area would have dared to mess with them because they were thought to be sacred monkeys that brought good luck. The people who live near Sangeh think of it as a sacred forest. The Pala trees and monkeys in the Sangeh forest have survived because of a story that has been told from generation to generation. Because of this myth, the Sangeh forest has been kept and is now one of the most popular places for tourists to visit in Badung Regency.
Among the tall Pala, there is a small temple that is hidden by mushrooms. The back pillar of the temple has a statue of an eagle on it. In the story of Samudramantana, the eagle is a magical bud that goes to the bottom of the ocean to look for holy water (called Tirta Amerta in Balinese). Then, the God who showed up as Vishnu (Batara Vrsnu) gave the eagle a swallow because he met him while he was looking for holy water. The eagle became this God’s faithful vehicle.
Another story says that it has to do with the story of the Ramayana. In this story, these monkeys are soldiers who were sent to attack Ravana to get Dewi Sita out of his hands. tells that the people who lived in the forest were monkey soldiers who helped kill Ravana in the battle. The monkeys fell with the pieces of mountain forest that were used to hold Ravana’s body down. They then made a permanent home in the forest and are still there today.
Another story comes from Bali, where the story of the Mengwi kingdom says that a princess named Mayangsari fell in love, broke off her engagement, and ran away to a nearby forest, where she lived alone as a hermit. He didn’t wear a single dot during his escape, so he had to use his long hair to hide the parts of his body that were against the rules. He lived his dreams, but he died in a strange way. People in the area think that the goddess’s new name is Batari Mayangsari.
The things you can do at Sangeh Monkey Forest
The facilities in Sangeh Monkey Forest are very complete. They are there to support tourism in Badung Regency by making tourists feel at home and happy to visit. The parking area is very big and can fit many buses, so you don’t have to worry about finding a place to park your car. There are many food and soft drink shops nearby, so if you’re hungry or thirsty, you don’t have to worry about where to go because it’s all right here. You can use this bathroom, which is pretty clean. There is a small shop with lots of handicrafts that you can buy as a gift for visiting this beautiful and sustainable Sangeh village.