In Phang Nga just North of Phuket is a very interesting place. Here you can hand feed monkeys at your discretion and also tour a temple that is inside a large cave in a mountain side.
Monkey cave and the temple called Wat Suwan Khuha are probably one of the more interesting, non adrenaline activities I have taken part in while living in Phuket. Inside this large cave you will find statues of Buddha, areas where you can purchase food for monkeys and a large wooden stair case leading up to an opening in the mountain top. On this stair case you will see many many monkeys climbing around and playing. This is where things get interesting.
First off you should always be aware that monkeys are wild animals, they are a bit unpredictable and if they can do some crazy stuff. You should always use discretion when dealing with them and never corner one. Also try not to make direct eye contact, they tend to jump at a persons face when you stare them in the eye. Another thing to note is if one climbs on you, remain calm. Do not poke at it, do not push it. This is aggression and they may bite you in defense. The best thing to do if you are in the cave and one climbs up on you is to toss some food out for them and hopefully they will go after it.
As you can see in the video above, these monkeys are more or less used to being hand fed so it is a bit safer than trying to encounter them in an area like Monkey Hill View Point in Phuket but they are still wild animals. The baby in the video was unreal. In person it looked like it was a puppet or toy, it simply did not look like a real animal. That made it a more interesting experience. The monkeys are so used to people they actually reminded me of domesticated cats at times the way they would strut around and come over to us. However the monkeys did get aggressive at times trying to steal our peanuts and when we were feeding the baby a large male got a bit jealous. The jealous male kept his distance and I ended up tossing him some peanuts as well but eventually he chased away the baby and displayed his genitals to us as he sat there expecting to be fed more. Had this been somewhere that the monkeys were more wild it would have been more difficult to feed the baby at all and chances are the male would have attempted to take the peanuts from us instead of waiting his turn.
Another thing to note when feeding the monkeys is do not buy bananas outside to bring in. When you come in you will find that you are only allowed to feed the monkeys peanuts, which I assumed was because bananas are messy and can be thrown both before and after they are eaten. No one wants to be pelted with monkey poop or squished banana while trying to enjoy their holiday after all. If you would like to feed bananas to monkeys for whatever reason, maybe to get a classic monkey eating a banana photo, you can do this at Monkey Hill View Point. If you do decide to do this, keep in mind I warned you about feeding them soft fruits. I would advise against it.
I would recommend monkey cave to anyone who is interested in monkeys. It's not a must see and if it is included as part of a tour I wouldn't consider it to be an attraction that would outweigh something else or as a major activity. At the end of the day you just climb some stairs and see some monkeys. You can actually do this in many places in the area.
Uselful Links:
For great videos and images check out the Lovin' it on Phuket YouTube Channel, Facebook Page and Instagram Account. If you are a blog writer you can find images available on Adobe Stock, Getty iStock and Shutterstock by following these links.
Adobe Stock
Happy travelling to Phuket and beyond! There are more interesting articles to come. Thanks for reading and showing your support.
About the Creator
Was I a Model in Japan?
During my time in Nagoya I worked and lived at the strangely famous hostel and café Nagonoya. With its chequered floors and florescent lighting it felt quite dated, but I think that was supposed to be part of the charm. The dorms were always fully booked on weekends with domestic tourists and there was always a buzz in the downstairs café. Camera crews were constantly in and out of the place interviewing the Japanese staff members who worked the café. I think it had something to do with the egg sandwiches. At least that was what was on most of the merchandise, except for that one dishcloth with the owner’s face on it. Was I being employed by a local celebrity?
By Susanna Kiernan5 days ago in Wander
Lafayette Along the Vermillion River
Lafayette stretches along the Vermillion River in southwestern Louisiana. Acadian Village is a privately owned park spanning 32 acres. It was founded in the 1970s to safeguard Acadian heritage. Within its premises, visitors can explore a Cajun village from the 1800s. The village is comprised of eleven structures, out of which seven are genuine 19th-century residences. Guided tours are offered, and the grounds can also be leased for various occasions.
By Rasma Raistersa day ago in Wander
Disarmament
They say there's no atheism in the foxhole. While I wasn't currently neck-deep in a river of soft sediment, I was still praying to whoever would listen. Why am I doing this again? I would ponder while staring at the device that in no less than a minute could be my undoing. I scanned each and every variable panel and commonplace button as I watched the bright red L.E.D ticker countdown. No wires to cut, no code to put in, there was only one way to stop this infernal machine, and that incurred perfect timing.
By James U. Rizzi2 days ago in Fiction
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.