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Bali monkey business …🐒

by Buy me a beerCosta RicaQueposTravel bucket list

… just a back rub…

They say monkeys are basically people. 

Case closed. 

🔽Please don’t make me explain this again🔽

🫣.

I spent a fun few hours wandering around the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud, which was equal parts entertaining and mildly threatening.

I’ve had the chance to see different species of monkeys in Thailand. The Philippines and Costa Rica, as well, and I can confidently say this is a global truth:

They’re all kind of assholes.

The rules are posted everywhere posted in the park:

1. Don’t bother them while they’re eating.

2. Don’t look them in the eye.

What they don’t explain is what happens if you do both.🤔

Spoiler alert:
They absolutely explain it to you themselves.

Still, it’s an incredible experience—just keep your snacks hidden, your sunglasses tight, and your confidence low. 

⬇️Click play – Exhibit EH⬇️

The monkeys run that park, and they know it. 🐒😅

The cool part is how organized it all is. The staff actually knows the different monkey groups—their neighborhoods, their territories, and which troop belongs where inside the park. 

It’s not chaos; it’s a full-on monkey city with zoning laws and unwritten rules.

Watching them interact, I’m pretty sure these monkeys use gang signals, have beef with rival crews, and settle disputes with intense staring contests.

And honestly?
I wouldn’t be shocked if they listen to Snoop Dogg, too.

Same confidence.
Same “this is my block” energy.
Zero respect for personal space.

You’re just a visitor in their neighborhood—and they make sure you never forget it. 

For additional clarification, please refer back to Exhibit EH. 

Here’s a little throwback to some other fun with monkeys in Costa Rica.

Part of The NorthAmerican Darrell Project—and easily one of the most unsettling wildlife experiences I’ve ever had.

If you’ve never heard a howler monkey before, imagine:

a demon

trapped in a jungle

screaming through a broken megaphone

I woke up convinced something terrible was happening outside, so I went for a pre-dawn walk. Turns out it was just monkeys… aggressively announcing their presence to the entire rainforest.

Spooky.
Loud.
Unforgettable

Manuel Antonio National Park – Quepos, Costa Rica

I’ve visited Manuel Antonio National Park in Quepos, Costa Rica, a couple of times.

Manuel Antonio is beautiful. Jungle trails, beaches, sloths, monkeys everywhere. What they don’t emphasize enough is that the animals there are professional thieves.

No food out.
Backpack zipped.
Situational awareness is high.

That’s when I realized Manuel Antonio isn’t a park—you’re just walking through their neighborhood. The monkeys aren’t cute mascots; they are just trying to steal the show from the sloths we came to see. They’re organized, confident, and clearly working in teams. One distracts, one steals, one watches for tourists making bad decisions like watching them eat or looking them in the eye

Just another fun Costa Rica lesson learned:
You are not the main character in Manuel Antonio.Â