Self-guided
Just you and a bag
You carry the watch
- BagClosed, zipped
- FeedingNever on your own
- HelpStaff at the temple
Tickable checklist
Uluwatu Temple monkeys: what they grab and the rules to follow
Pack list · 10 items
Run this before you walk in
Check items off as you go; what you ticked is remembered on this device.
0 / 10 ready
Everything ready. Only the ticket is left to buy: your place at the cliff-top show.
Get my ticketsLong-tailed macaques with a role in Balinese belief and a weakness for sunglasses live at Uluwatu Temple. Learn why they live here, the feeding rule, what to do if one takes your things and what to check before you enter.
Editorial team, kecakfiredanceuluwatu.com · Updated November 2, 2026 · Roughly 6 min to read
The essentials up top
- NumbersRoughly 650 macaques call the temple home and about 50 live at Labuan Sait beach.1
- RoleThey are seen as the temple's protectors against negative energies.2
- TargetsThe management lists sunglasses, hats and mobile phones as items monkeys may grab.3
- FeedingFeeding disrupts their natural behavior and belongs under staff supervision.4
- If robbedStay calm, do not chase, offer no food and contact temple staff.5
A troop with a temple job
Travelers who look for the Uluwatu monkey temple, or for the monkey temple in Bali, Uluwatu, are looking for this same cliff sanctuary, and the macaques are not decoration. The temple's conservation page presents them as protectors of the sacred site, keeping negative energies away.2 Visitors can watch them roaming freely through the temple grounds and the surrounding areas, where they form social groups.6 The Balinese Hindu view adds another layer to that sight, and the management asks for respect, never for a chase.
The count is large. The count is roughly 650 long-tailed macaques at Uluwatu Temple, with about 50 more at Labuan Sait beach.1 The animals live in structured groups, and each group has a dominant leader, so a visitor who walks into a group is walking into a social order that already exists.7
The troop is looked after, and that care is worth knowing before you judge a pushy animal. The caretakers work with the veterinary faculty of Udayana University, and regular check-ups include vaccinations, tusk trimming and dietary monitoring.1,8 That is a managed population living around a busy attraction, and the rules you are asked to follow are part of how the arrangement holds together. Walking calmly, keeping food away and leaving the animals alone are small contributions to a system that works.
Belongings, one at a time
What a macaque wants and what to do with it
| Item | Risk | Your move |
|---|---|---|
| Sunglasses | Grabbed from the head or hand | Closed bag, not on the head |
| Hat or cap | Snatched away | Leave it off or zip it away |
| Phone, camera | Grabbed when held loosely | Firm grip, away between shots |
| Earrings, necklace | Draw attention | Leave flashy pieces at home |
| Snacks, water bottle | Invite a monkey over | Nothing eaten in the temple area |
From the temple management's visitor rules and conservation page.3,12,17,18,19,11,20,21
The target list: what a macaque reaches for
The management says the monkeys are curious and may try to grab sunglasses, hats or mobile phones, and asks visitors to avoid dangling accessories.3 The Ministry of Tourism puts it in fewer words: Uluwatu's monkeys have a habit of stealing glasses or hats.10 The list is short and predictable, and once you know it the encounters become much less dramatic.
The detailed list is longer. The temple names loose hats, sunglasses left on top of the head, large earrings, flashy jewelry, loose necklaces and small hanging accessories as items that draw the animals.11 Its own visitor rules add that hats and flashy accessories are better left off, since monkeys may snatch them away.12,13
Timing matters as well. The management says the monkeys are active during the afternoon, which is the same stretch of the day that visitors choose for the cliff and the show.14 If you arrive at 16:00 for the evening dance, you arrive when the troop is awake.15
Closing the bag before the first step
Prevention takes seconds. Before entering the temple pathways, the management says loose items should go inside a properly closed bag.9 It also warns against leaving sunglasses on top of the head or letting small items hang loosely from the body.17
Hands count too. The management advises a firm grip on your camera, to avoid accidental drops or monkey theft, and care with your phone, since monkeys may try to grab it.18,19 Photography is where visitors lose track of what is around them, so a quick look at your feet and your pockets belongs after every shot.
Clothes can help. A plain outfit with no hanging pieces gives the animals little to take, and the temple's own dress code guidance, covered on its own page here, favors modest and simple clothing.23,24 The cheapest security on this cliff is a zipper, and it works in every season.
What you carry along
Choose what goes in the bag
The animals are fixed, so what changes is what you carry and how.
If I wear sunglasses on my head
Take them off
The temple advises against leaving sunglasses on top of the head.17
If I wear a hat for the sun
Zip it into the bag
The management lists hats among items monkeys may snatch.12
If I like to film as I walk
Keep a firm grip
A firm grip avoids accidental drops or monkey theft.18
If I have a snack
Keep it in your room
No eating is allowed inside the temple area.20
If I am here on a Sunday
Be at the statue by 4 PM
A supervised feeding takes place in front of the Kumba Karna statue at 4:00 PM.22
Three ways to take the walk
Alone, with a temple guide or in a small group
Guided
Temple guide
Guide at the north gate
- LengthA 2 to 6-hour visit
- GuideSpeaks English, Indonesian
- Pricefrom $15
Small party
Small party
A tour limited to 12
- LengthA 5.5-hour outing
- GuidesFrench, English, German
- Pricefrom $20
Feeding: the rule and the Sunday exception
The rule is stated plainly in the temple's visitor guidelines. The temple's rule on feeding is that it upsets the animals' natural behavior and belongs under staff supervision.4 Human food can harm the macaques' digestion and alter their natural foraging behavior.29
The management also asks visitors not to carry food openly, not to offer snacks to attract a monkey for a photograph and not to use food to make an animal come closer.21 Eating inside the temple area is prohibited, which removes the temptation at the source.20 The temple also says not to try to feed individual monkeys outside the supervised process.30
There is one organized exception. Sundays at 4:00 PM bring a supervised feeding at the foot of the Kumba Karna statue.22 The statue shows Kumbakarna, a warrior of the Ramayana, a fitting backdrop for an event about monkeys.31 The temple describes it as an official supervised activity.32 A visitor watching that event is watching a staff-run routine and is not invited to join in.
Company totals
Compare the ways to visit with company
Enter the size of your group to see what each way of visiting costs.
Weigh up 4 options
Compare the ways to visit with company
Enter the size of your group to see what each way of visiting costs.
- Ticket, three optionsFrom 1 to 6 hrs · a guest, from $9
≈
View - Temple guideA 2 to 6-hour visit · a guest, from $15
≈
View - Tour capped at 12A 5.5-hr tour · a guest, from $20
≈
View - Jimbaran sunset tripA 6-hr trip · a guest, from $39
≈
View
Lowest GetYourGuide prices, converted with the ECB reference rate; checkout shows the final total.
When a thief strikes
A snatched item, step by step
The moment
Freeze, then breathe
Stay calm and avoid shouting or sudden aggressive movements.5
Next
Do not chase
Do not chase the monkey and do not grab the object directly from the animal.5
Then
Keep your food out of it
Do not offer random food in an attempt to negotiate the item back.5
After that
Find temple staff
Contact temple staff and follow their instructions.5
Afterwards
Check the bag
Loose items belong inside a properly closed bag before you enter the paths again.9
When something gets taken
It can happen to anyone who stops for a photo. The temple's advice is to stay calm, avoid shouting or sudden aggressive movements, not chase the monkey, not grab the object from the animal, not offer food to bargain for it and contact temple staff.5
The calm approach starts before the incident. If a monkey approaches, the temple says to remain calm, and not to wave belongings suddenly, run away or make aggressive movements.25,33 Visitors are also asked not to touch, chase or disturb the monkeys and to observe them from a safe distance.26
For a picture that looks close, use the zoom instead of your feet.27 The result is the same photograph without the risk, and the animal keeps its space. Selfies at arm's length with a macaque are the situation these rules exist to prevent. A monkey that holds your sunglasses is a story, and a staff member helps with the ending.
Video
A monkey steals sunglasses at Uluwatu Temple and holds them for ransom
Black Manta Photography on YouTube · YouTube is contacted only once you press play.
These monkeys, believed to be the temple's guardians, are said to protect the sacred site from negative energies.
The temple calendar and the animals
Balinese practice sets aside a day for animals. Tumpek Kandang, dedicated to animals, returns every 210 days, and in 2026 it fell on Saturday, September 5.34 The temple's own anniversary, the Piodalan, also returns every 210 days by the Pawukon calendar.35
A date on this calendar can bring a ceremony to a temple that is a living religious site, where worshippers still pray and present offerings.36 Arrangements and prices may change around ceremonies and public holidays, and the management recommends checking its site before you travel.37
If you arrive on a day with a ceremony, give worshippers room and follow staff instructions, and keep your voice low near anyone praying. The restricted temple zones are open only to authorized personnel and worshippers, and a ceremony is not a photo opportunity.38
Hurt animals, the clinic and the white macaque
Visitors are asked to tell staff if a monkey is sick or injured.28 Injured or sick macaques receive immediate care at the Anom Veterinary Clinic.39 Do not touch, feed or treat an animal yourself.
Among the troop lives a rare white macaque. The management says it is kept in a protected enclosure after being attacked by the dominant grey macaques.16 You will not stumble across it on the path, and the protected enclosure keeps it out of sight.
Respect extends past the animals. The management also bans drones unless authorized, and knives and other sharp items, and asks visitors not to sit or climb on the boundary walls above the cliffs.40,41,42 Together with the monkey rules, those make a short list that protects both you and the animals. Read it once at the gate, and the rest of the walk is easy.
FAQ
Kecak questions, straight replies.
How big is the troop at Uluwatu Temple?
Which items do Uluwatu monkeys steal?
Is it allowed to give the monkeys a banana?
No, not on your own.
Feeding upsets the animals' natural behavior and belongs under staff supervision.4
Is there a day when the monkeys are fed on purpose?
Sundays at 4:00 PM.
Sundays at 4:00 PM bring a supervised feeding at the foot of the Kumba Karna statue.22
What should I do if a monkey grabs my glasses?
Breathe, then fetch staff.
Do not chase it, do not grab the object back and do not offer food; contact temple staff.5
Can I take a close-up photo of a monkey?
Use the zoom.
The temple suggests using the camera zoom rather than moving closer to the animal.27
Where do the macaques live besides the temple?
Sources
- Uluwatu Temple management · Conservation and Wildlife ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Conservation and Wildlife ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Conservation and Wildlife ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · 5 Rules You Should Follow Around Uluwatu Sacred Monkeys ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Conservation and Wildlife ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Conservation and Wildlife ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Conservation and Wildlife ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · 5 Rules You Should Follow Around Uluwatu Sacred Monkeys ↩
- Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia · Pura Uluwatu, A Cliffside Paradise with Ocean Views ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · What to Wear When Visiting Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · The Ultimate Guide to Experiencing Uluwatu Cliffside Sunset ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Kecak Dance ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Conservation and Wildlife ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · 5 Rules You Should Follow Around Uluwatu Sacred Monkeys ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · 5 Rules You Should Follow Around Uluwatu Sacred Monkeys ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Weekly Event: Feeding Monkey at Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · What to Wear When Visiting Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · What to Wear When Visiting Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · 5 Rules You Should Follow Around Uluwatu Sacred Monkeys ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Conservation and Wildlife ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · 5 Rules You Should Follow Around Uluwatu Sacred Monkeys ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Conservation and Wildlife ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Conservation and Wildlife ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Why feeding the Uluwatu monkeys should only be done with staff guidance ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · 7 Quick Facts About Uluwatu Monkeys ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · 5 Rules You Should Follow Around Uluwatu Sacred Monkeys ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Tumpek Kandang 2026 at Uluwatu Temple and Its Meaning ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Why Uluwatu Temple Is One of Bali Sacred Sea Temples ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple Entrance Fee 2026 and What Is Included ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Conservation and Wildlife ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Uluwatu Temple ↩
- Uluwatu Temple management · Temple Ticket and Kecak Ticket Are Different ↩
Keep reading