The Temple of the Macaques: Bukit Sari

In the shade of the nutmeg trees, the Bukit Sari Temple, founded at the end of the 17th century, stands secluded. Today it is a place of meditation, a starting point for a tour of the forest in which it is immersed. There are several legends about the origin of this mossy temple which seems to have been born through inspiration during a meditation by the adopted son of the second ruler Mengwi. The royal family itself has taken care of the temple over the centuries, a task now passed to the people of Sangeh village. Even the trees of the forest bring with them various stories that speak of journeys and miraculous migrations to other places, magically interrupted paths that led to the birth of the Sangeh Forest. A large statue of Garuda appears to protect the temple, but it is the macaques that are the true guardians of this peaceful place. In fact, the forest is currently inhabited by hundreds of long-tailed gray monkeys, around 700, completely peaceful, divided into different groups whose leader is an alpha male monkey. Although numerous, the animals will not interrupt the experience of a walk in the forest and the contact with nature and the mystique that can be felt in this temple.