Bali — Alas Kedaton, Bali, Indonesia
Not a pleasant experience — avoid
August 2015
Alas Kedaton — my advice is that it is best to avoid this temple. It was a big disappointment and a definite tourist trap.
The entry fee was around 25,000 Indonesian Rupiah (£1.30 GBP; $1.80 US), and I didn’t think it was worth that much.
The place was full of monkeys, specifically Long Tailed Macaques (also called Crab-eating Macaques) — Macaca fascicularis — and stunk of monkey urine.
As I arrived, I was assigned a guide with a stick, whose main job seemed to keep monkeys off the visitors and ensure that no tourists left without visiting the nearby shops.
Weirdly, you can buy monkey food (no wonder the monkeys are so friendly) at the temple, and this seemed to make the situation worse as it encouraged the monkeys to climb on the visitors.
Another problem is that the monkeys will try to steal people’s glasses, and I was advised to remove mine. This meant I couldn’t see anything of the temple due to my blurred vision.
Taking the photos below involved a lot of squinting.
The inner temple complex looked quiet and peaceful, but there was the ever-danger presence of monkeys lurking nearby.
The stone carvings at Alas Kedaton were stunning and a little worn due, I guess, to the monkeys climbing all over them.
The temple almost seemed abandoned. I could see no sign of the worship taking place at the temple.
At the entrance to the temple complex, there is a terrifying monkey sculpture.
And as you exit the temple area, there is a large complex of shops which your guide will endeavour to take you to even if you don’t want to go.
At Alas Kedaton, there were a lot of monkeys.
I find monkeys interesting, engaging, and quite cute. If you want to take photographs of monkeys, then the temple is an ideal place to visit as the monkeys are friendly and used to humans. Hence, getting close for a decent photo is straightforward. But watch out for that monkey behind you, as it is likely to try to jump on your backpack searching for food.
During my time at Alas Kedaton, I got some great shots of monkeys, which can be seen below.
It was interesting that the newborn monkeys were the darkest black. I guess this would help it hide among the shade of leaves in the trees.
The attention the monkeys give to each other grooming is fascinating.
The human quality of the monkey’s eyes is engaging.
I often look at monkeys and wonder what they’re thinking.
What are they thinking? Most probably, has this one got any food, and can I steal his glasses?
Even if the monkeys are engaging, they are a nuisance in the temple, and the scary sculpture at the start doesn’t help,
At Alas Kedaton, you can also have your photo taken, for 20,000 Indonesian Rupiah (£1 GBP; $1.50 USD), with Fruit Bats (Family Pteropodidae), which to me seemed wrong. Fantastic-looking creatures. I loved the wings.
A bat wrapped in its wings looked practically peaceful and yet strangely menacing.
Overall, I was not that impressed with the Alas Kedaton temple.
Yes, it was interesting to visit, it was fun seeing the monkeys and the Fruit bats, but the place was a tourist trap.
My advice would be to avoid this particular temple, particularly if your time in Bali is short.
FourSquare: Alas Kedaton
