We are exploring Phuket on our own. Monkey Hill - cute and dangerous monkeys in Phuket, Thailand Thailand Phuket monkeys

04.09.2021

The observation deck "Monkey Hill" or Khao Toe Sae got its name from the many wild monkeys that live here.

The largest number of monkeys can be guaranteed to meet in the morning and late afternoon, more than 50 individuals. During the daytime, there are no more than 15-20 of them.

Be careful when feeding, as the monkeys are very arrogant and can easily take the bag away and harm you. This case is described in the comments below.

From the observation deck, you can see the highest hill of the island with a radar at the top, as well as the Chalong pier, Phuket Town, the Kata area and the Golden Buddha statue, which is located on the territory of the Khao Rang temple. By the way, there is also a small temple at the foot of the monkey hill.

Locals living in this part of the island go jogging and cycling here. The 3.7 km long road rises smoothly and serves as a good help to keep fit. The asphalt is fresh and in very good condition, so walking and driving is a pleasure. During the day, the road is closed by a barrier, so leave your vehicle in the parking lot, and then go on foot.

reference Information

There are TV antennas at the top of the hill, hidden in the thick of trees, so the view here is not important. In order to admire the surrounding beauty, it would be better to choose the observation deck located just below.
Opening hours: around the clock
Price: is free

Monkey Hill in Phuket - Monkey Hill.

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View from the hill

Today after lunch we decided to climb the hill of monkeys, this is another place in Phuket where you can meet wild macaques. Where is this place and when and how best to visit it, I will write below.

Not that we have never been there, we have been there even once. Several times I even ran there. But this time the interest was not sporting. I wanted to go and take pictures of our funny little brothers who freely live there in their natural environment. Therefore, there are many photographs of monkeys, or it is more correct to say "rhesus monkeys", as this individual is called in the scientific language.

Another place where you can meet wild monkeys in Phuket is, I wrote about it earlier.

Climbing the hill is not so difficult, everyone can climb, although all the same some effort will have to be made. The entire climb from the parking lot to the top takes about 20 minutes. By the way, right next to the beginning of the ascent there is a Buddhist monastery, you can also look there.

The hill is located 550 meters above sea level, it is about the same level as the statue of the big Buddha. An excellent view opens up from the top. And many local athletes use this place for training and run uphill, we met about ten runners and a couple of cyclists. About half the way there is a small fitness park, but I have never seen anyone using it.

Legend:

Locals call this hill Khao To Sae, and in the common people this place is called Monkey Hill - Monkey Hill.
Approximately 10 minutes from the start of the ascent, there is a small altar with statues of wild animals, mostly tigers.

The altar has the same name as Khao To Sae. And it was built in honor of the man with the same name - “To Sae“.
It is rumored that “To Sae“ was a hermit who lived on this hill and possessed magical properties. In ancient times, residents of nearby villages and towns rose to him for help. From here the hill got its name. Where did the wizard go then “To Sae“ nobody knows.

On the way to the top, I took photos on my phone and posted them on Instagram, I didn’t want to take out and pack the camera until we went up to the monkeys, it was not convenient to go with it. But along the way I came across something interesting. Therefore, here are some photos from my instagram. And a couple of them, you have already seen above.

Monkeys can be found anywhere during the ascent, but there are two places where there are most of them. These places are located closer to the top. Macaques are specially fed there. They do this not to attract tourists, since 80% of the visitors to the hill are local. It's kind of a tradition.

These places cannot be missed. If during your ascent you are already desperate to see macaques, then just move on, they are waiting for you. There are a lot of monkeys there, they sit right on the road and sometimes even the car cannot calmly climb to the top of the hill.

There are several stories about the Thais, who was the first to feed the monkeys in this place. I came across these notes from other bloggers. But there is definitely no information, so in order not to lie, I will omit this moment.

Rhesus macaques are one of those primates that socially most resemble humans, so they are very interesting to watch.

For example, rhesus monkeys are characterized by several types of calls. These sounds are emitted by rhesus in different situations.

A monkey roars, which is confident in its strength and threatens another, lower rank.
I was lucky to find these two just at such a moment.

But this leader sat down at the very top of the observation deck.

The macaque below froze before jumping.

A piercing scream is first heard at a very high note, then abruptly ends; such a sound is emitted by Rhesus, which is threatened by a high-ranking relative.

Macaque with a cub.

Rhesus monkeys live in groups of 20 individuals.

When and how best to visit.

I like the view from the top of the hill even more than the view from the statue of the Big Buddha. Especially at sunset hours, which is about 5.40 - 6.30 pm. And it’s not so hot to get up at this time. Where the hill is located, see the map below. It is best to combine a visit to Monkey Hill with a visit, which is a five minute drive away.

I do not like to visit the same places several times, because there are so many things that have not yet been explored, but I will definitely go up here.
Probably not in vain the hermit “To Sae“ chose this place for myself. Maybe there really is something magical here.

Art:

Other notes about our smaller brothers and about nature:

One of the popular places in Phuket is Monkey Hill, or the mountain with monkeys, which also has a Thai name - Khao Toe Sae. Phuket Monkey Hill and Khao To Se Health Park are located on the northern outskirts of Phuket Town. In fact, this is the only hill that can be seen from all parts of Phuket Town when driving through or past the town. There, at the very top, there are radio towers and cellular masts, and the attraction itself (monkeys) - they hang in the jungle along the road that leads to the very top to these towers.

Phuket Monkey Mountain

For a tourist attraction, the road to Monkey Hill in Phuket is surprisingly narrow. I came here by car, so I say right away that it would be more comfortable on a bike. It is not that there was particularly active traffic here, and almost all the way there are places where you can pass with oncoming traffic. But whatever one may say - for all four kilometers of the way there is only one lane for traffic, with a bunch of pedestrians. Moreover, pedestrians are both local athletes who habitually keep to the side of the road or do not leave the sidewalk at all, and just tourists who scatter along the entire road like cows.

When you go to Monkey Mountain, then along the road, from the base of the mountain, you will encounter two intermediate parking lots that are not worthy of attention, but the third parking lot will be the main area. As a rule, this is where everyone stops for dangerous entertainment - to feed the monkeys. In the parking lot, you will see parked bikes, people and monkeys. Also, there is an option to leave the car at the very bottom, as many do, and completely walk all the way up.

Trekking is a useful pleasure, but not for everybody in the heat, plus a long one, so I got to the top by car to save time. If it is important for you to look closely at the monkeys and feed them, you can buy food for the monkeys at the beginning of the road, where there is a sanctuary with tigers and several shops. Fruits and nuts for 20 baht are sold downstairs. You can come like me and just watch the monkeys from the side, take pictures of how others feed them. I think this activity is quite dangerous, especially if you are with children.

At the bottom of the Monkey Mountain

Going upstairs

Monkeys, whatever one may say, remain wild animals, and on Monkey Hill it is not uncommon for them to bite people who then had to contact the insurance company (if you have insurance) and give rabies injections - a terribly unpleasant procedure, especially in vacation. If you decide to feed the monkeys, be on the alert. It makes sense to hide away bags, especially small ones, close them more tightly, hold them tightly, remove chains and earrings - they can also attract the attention of monkeys. The monkey can run up and snatch everything shiny from his hands, for example, the keys to the bike. You need to be careful with things. But many people ignore the elementary safety rules, feed the monkeys from their hands, let the children do it, then you decide for yourself how you feel about it.

I noticed that some people climb from the very bottom to the top purely for the load, they go in for sports, they are fit, athletic. For me, this is not the best place to do sports, run between people and monkeys. Better to climb the nearby Rank Hill, where there is a normal observation deck with a view, a couple of restaurants, but almost no macaques and tourists.

Someone wrote that this is not a mountain of wild monkeys, but a mountain of wild dogs, but I still did not understand why. Several dogs hang out at the base of the hill, but their number is clearly not enough to call the whole mountain that way. Apparently I was just lucky that there were no dogs higher up the slope.

This is the main site

Monkey Hill in Phuket

Monkeys in Phuket

Phuket Monkey Mountain

Have taken over my car

Observation deck

If you came here only for the sake of the monkeys, then you don't have to go above the last and main platform with monkeys (above in the photo). Although the first time, it will probably be difficult to understand that she is the last. Usually there are the most monkeys, people feeding them and there is enough parking space.

So, a little higher there will be an observation deck with a view of Phuket Town - a very small wooden platform with a railing. The views do not even open 180 degrees, as trees interfere. Monkeys come across all the way, but closer to the top they are almost nonexistent. If you are on transport, then why not go up.

And even above this point, literally after 100 meters, there are cell towers and all sorts of structures related to them. In principle, there is nothing to see there and there are no viewing platforms either. On the way up the mountain, you come across outdoor fitness equipment. There is also a small outdoor gym upstairs: dumbbell bars and two barbells.

Climbing even higher

Monkey Hill Observation Deck

The views here are mediocre

And even higher than the cell phone mast

There is even a small temple

The main radio communications building is located in the Dead End.

Maximum that you can see here through the trees

Driving back down

Information to visit

Open from 6 am to 8 pm. The best time to visit the viewpoint is closer to sunset.

If you get into the feeding hours (I could not find out which ones), then you can participate and you don't have to buy fruits and nuts. Do not keep nuts and feed in the bag - they will take it away. It is better to put nuts in your pocket and not to attract attention with the rustling of the packaging, then you can safely feed the macaques. Do not leave food under the seat of the scooter - they will smell it, they can turn the saddle and drop the scooter. Macaques near feeding sites are calmer than on the outskirts and on the top of the mountain. Do not smile at them, for them a smile is an aggressive grin and a challenge to a duel.

Everything shiny does not belong to you, either hide it in advance or get ready to fight back. But you should be afraid in general, even for bags, wallets and other items hanging on you. I'm not kidding. They tried to take the camera away from me, grabbing the strap from it. Honestly, little pleasant.

A warning at the foot of the hill that everyone ignores

On the map

The point marked on the map stands in the place where the main platform with monkeys is. There is one road, you can figure it out along the way.

And now useful information for those who wish to diversify their stay in Phuket and decide to go to Monkey Hill.

Friends, I must say that at the moment we are no longer in Phuket, but in the town of Udon Thani bordering Laos. We managed to spend an unforgettable month in the cultural capital of Thailand - Chiang Mai, I will definitely write about this in the following articles. Our journey continues, and we are returning to Phuket and today I will tell you about one of the amazing days spent in close proximity with monkeys!

After the first close acquaintance with humanoid mammals in Phuket, which I described in detail in my article "What to see in Phuket Khao Rang", we wanted to intensify the emotions from communicating with monkeys, to observe them in their natural environment.

Initially, I remembered that there is a zoo in Phuket, where, perhaps, it will be possible to "touch" the most diverse tropical fauna, and, at the same time, to make acquaintances with all the representatives of monkeys living in Thailand. I did not find any information about a zoo in Phuket on the Internet - either we dug up a pearl that has not yet been disclosed by anyone, or a zoo in Phuket is not a budget pleasure, which means it is no longer a pearl. After guessing a little on the "sandy thick" we got on a bike and went to the zoo. The discovery did not work - the pleasure turned out to be by no means budgetary, the entrance cost - 500 baht for an adult and 300 baht for a child - is too expensive, and it is completely incomprehensible what awaits us there. There are no traveler reviews about the Phuket Zoo, and it is not known, perhaps the animals there, just like in our zoos, sit in cages and do not communicate with them live.

Therefore, waving to the zoo, we turned around and went to Monkey Hill - and not for a second regretted this adventure! Looking ahead, I must say that I have already visited the Chiang Mai Zoo, which is considered one of the best in Thailand, the entrance there, by the way, costs 150 baht. So, our visit to Mankay Hill was no less bright in terms of emotions, and somewhere even more interesting! In addition, admission there is completely free.

Monkey Hill is a large park in Phuket Town, where monkeys live and everyone can do sports. At the end of the post there is a map, looking at which it is easy to navigate. The best way to get to the monkey park is by bike. Since we live in Panwa, the road to Phuket Town took very little time. Several turns, a slight climb - and we are already there. We decide to go further on foot, park the bike (parking is convenient, with markings) and walk 200 meters along the road. I had no idea what we would see ahead, we just walk along the asphalt road and thoughts pop into my head - where can monkeys live here?

And we, it turns out, are already being met!

I did not expect to see animals sitting right on the road, I thought that they still live somewhere in the trees. Looking around, I noticed a lot of tailed individuals in the forest, some were sitting on tree branches, but a large number of monkeys just sit on the road. Since people feed them (even feeding places with buckets are organized), the animals brazenly lie right on the roadway.

"Hello! What did they come with? "

For tourists, there are benches here where you can sit in the shade and watch monkeys. Just the saddles are located behind the sign.

Bikes pass here very rarely, and the drivers behave modestly, trying not to frighten the animals. In fact, Monkey Hill in Phuket is also a health park, where Thais come to exercise in the evening and, at times, they themselves are surprised at the abundance of monkeys.

Macaques are allowed quite close to themselves, but you cannot approach adults closer than half a meter without treats. Seeing a visitor - not an athlete, the animals begin, like professional beggars, languidly to look into the eyes, begging for something tasty.

I don’t know how it happened, but we again came to the monkeys without any treats at all. Honestly, I didn't want to come very close to them and touch them, just to observe - this is already a great pleasure, which I enjoyed in full. Despite the traditionally hot day, I jumped around the macaques with a camera, sat down, I think, 200 times, if not more. This place is conducive to sports

Realizing that we didn’t bring anything tasty with us, the animals immediately lost interest in us and turned their booty.

The most interesting thing about meeting a large pride of monkeys or macaques is observing the social roles in their community. The pride of monkeys on Monkey Hill has quite a lot of individuals - about 20-30, maybe more. We found only one leader - an angry monkey with frowning eyebrows and a hard gaze, who imposingly and flexing his muscles walked around the territory and fertilized the females.

As helpers, he had less muscular males acting as guards. They controlled the periphery of the pride and were ready to emit a signal of danger, in case there really was a place to be. The assistants were the first to start moving if the pride decided to move to a new place. I came face to face with one of these male guards in an article on Khao Rang.

Females and cubs live a carefree life inside the pride, at the same time forming the backbone of this social organism.

Having finally lost interest in us, the monkeys dispersed in different directions: someone scratched on the road, others cautiously watched us from a tree branch, others looked at something in the distance, stretched out on the side of the road. I was in a state of creative euphoria - just imagine that there are 20 live monkeys next to you, not trained, without collars with a chain, not hiding behind bars, but they walk around and look closely, sniff, also study and observe!

Meet the "great thinker" who comprehends the meaning of being. How impressed I was by this rock-sitting macaque!

More than an hour had passed, we calmly, but under the watchful eyes of the pride guards, moved from one monkey to another. The animals were not allowed close to them, but they behaved quite friendly. Suddenly the monkeys became agitated, some of them screamed and rushed off to the side. With fear, I froze in place and goggled. What's happening?

And here is the cause of concern - a European man, passing by, threw peanuts to macaques. What a scuffle has begun there! Some individuals simply fell from the tree to grab food. There was even a small fight, as a result of which the food went to the strongest and most arrogant. As soon as the last nuts were eaten, the animals calmed down.

When the excitement of the monkeys passed, I decided to take a photo with them, but did not dare to come close. It turned out, maybe not very well, but there is documentary evidence of my presence in this place 🙂

After a not very successful photo session, where we turned out to be quite tense, albeit happy, I started observing the macaques again.

Look at this romantic monkey, who was dreaming so much that he did not even notice the butterfly flying by.

But a caring mother hugs the baby. Of course, they look unnatural on the pavement, but are they better than in a cage?

For the purpose of exploration, we decided to leave the monkeys for a while and climb higher up the mountain.

After about 500 meters, we discovered a small view point, from which a rather pleasant view opens up and, by the way, a statue of Buddha can be seen. But we didn’t linger here - it’s too hot.

There is some kind of building on the mountain, something like a sports facility, many runners disappear from view in that direction. But I couldn't wait to get back to the macaques, which we did.

On the way back, we met this monkey, I don't know why, but I decided that it was a girl, although I didn't look under the tail. With her, we made another attempt to take a good photo, but, unfortunately, this attempt failed, and the animal quickly got tired of excessive attention.

I noticed that the tailed beasts are demonstratively calm with us, but in reality they are looking at the main one, whether he will emit an alarm signal, but this one did not take his eyes off us.

"Why, haven't they gone yet?"

It's been over two hours now, but I'm still not tired of watching. It was getting close to sunset, so some of them had already started their evening dress.

Some were given a massage, others were catching fleas, and still others were fighting a little.

She raised her head up, and there the tailed beast rushes along the wires.

"Well, here's how to explain to you ... You see, ..."

“Why were you late for the lecture? Next time I won't let you in! "

Toddlers are the sweetest, most spontaneous and curious. They let me close to them. It's not scary to feed them from your hands, but to be honest, we haven't tried it, and I'm afraid big macaques will come running in and take everything away.

Still, monkeys are very similar to us: in their habits, appearance, postures.

"Doctor, what have I got there?"

Affection is off the charts! At this moment, the macaque (for some reason I decided that he is a male, maybe he is, I can guess by the cats in the face) do a back massage.

This kid at first played funny with flies over a piece of shit, then looked at my lens.

We offered friendship to the monkey. I think he was hoping to see something more.

He almost agreed, but at the last moment changed his mind and ran away.

The sun began to set, I could not get enough of the monkeys, but I had to say goodbye to the pride and move back to get down from the mountain even before dark. While we were descending, twilight began and the entrance to the park was blocked off, but we were released. Impressed by what we saw, we went home to Panwa.

A visit to the park is free. In the evening, a barrier is set up, so after 17.00 you can only get to the very top on foot (go far, about 1.5-2 km). In the evening I see no reason to come, we were in the park from about 13.30 to 17.30.

There is no need to worry that you will come - and you will not see the animals. There are no tourists in the park, I saw only a couple of Thais who also came by bike, the rest went in for sports. Since there are no tourists, it means that there are no huge tourist buses, which with their beeps can scare away all living things a kilometer away. Feeding of animals is organized on the spot, so monkeys are constantly nearby.

If you want to feed the animals, as well as the presence of more macaques around you, take peanuts with you (not roasted), this is what they feed the macaques there.

I think it's a bad idea to travel with children under 5-8 years old (although I admit that children are different). Here you are not in a zoo, where you have paid to enter and are guaranteed safety. In Monkey Hill, you will be in charge of yourself and your children. Children can scream loudly, fearlessly come very close to the animals, but there are also such offspring who will tease and generally behave incorrectly, which can provoke aggression from the whole flock. For those who like to drink, I strongly advise you to stay lying on the beach, as any animals do not like the smell of alcohol, and you need to be able to control the situation. A visit to Monkey Hill is not an entertainment attraction, but an opportunity to communicate with representatives of the animal world, to observe - a place for naturalists and romantics.

Map attached, have a nice trip!

Monkey

Monkeys feel good here 🙂 Tourists come and feed them constantly. With you, in order to feed the monkeys, you can take peanuts, bananas, corn. I recommend that you do not immediately show the monkeys all the food that you brought with you, as they can snatch it out of your hands. We fed the monkeys with bananas. If you forgot to take food with you, nuts and bananas are sold at the bottom of the mountain.

Personally, I really love monkeys and am not afraid of them. Of course, it is important to adhere to a few rules in order for your communication with monkeys to bring you only joy. Monkeys can be given food, but they should not be stroked, as they can perceive this as a danger and bite you. Monkeys can carry a variety of diseases, and you probably won't want to spend the rest of your vacation in the hospital. It is also not recommended to smile, as they can take your smile for an enemy grin and get angry. It is better to take off all small things, such as glasses, bracelets, hats and put in a bag, and also hold your phones and a camera very tightly, as you can very easily be left without them 🙂 It is also not recommended to approach baby monkeys somewhere their mother walks next to her, who can perceive any gesture as dangerous and rush to rescue her baby. And one more piece of advice - don't look the monkeys eye to eye, they can perceive it as aggression.

Otherwise, the monkeys are pretty cute, they will gladly pose for your camera and eat the offered food. The platform for communication is not very large, but there are simulators that monkeys also like very much, they crawl on them, jump from one to another, in general, this is completely their territory.

I strongly advise you to visit this wonderful place, the monkeys are here in their natural habitat, and not like in a zoo, behind bars.

And also a visit to the mountain of monkeys is absolutely free.

Phuket Monkey Mountain on the map

Phuket hotel specials

Read other articles on Phuket Island, Thailand:

Promthep Cape - the most beautiful observation deck and the southernmost point of Phuket
Mai Khao, Mai Khao - beach with planes
Big Buddha - Big Buddha temple in Phuket and an excellent observation deck
Karon Beach is one of the best beaches
Similan Islands - a real paradise in Thailand, Similan
Phi Phi Islands, the famous Maya Bay - super excursion from Phuket

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Infrastructure

In addition to the main attraction - the monkeys, there are several places that you can visit (since you have chosen the time and forced yourself to drive up the mountain), including:

Buddhist temple (located at the very base of the hill).
Chapel (located slightly above the temple and here the attention is drawn to the statues of primates and tigers).
Observation deck overlooking the sea (the very first along the ascent).
Observation deck with an increased view.
Panoramic observation deck.
A cafe.
Shops where you can buy treats for the monkeys.

Monkey treats cost 20-30 baht

It is worth noting that the panoramic platform does not allow you to view the island 360 degrees, maximum 180 degrees, and then with some difficulties (many trees). So if the purpose of your visit is to enjoy the landscape, we recommend paying attention to Rank Hill, where the view is better, and there are not so many monkeys.

At the very top of the hill, contrary to popular belief, there are no sites; there are cell towers and a radio room. Therefore, it is a controversial pleasure to come here to see the towers.

Communication rules

Despite the fact that the monkeys are quite friendly in appearance and look almost tame, they are wild animals that have adapted to new conditions for themselves, and this is what cause danger.

The best option is to simply watch the primate walk along the observation deck or bask in the sun in the wild. But everyone understands perfectly well that this is not enough for the average tourist and he will want to feed, or even stroke the monkey. In such a situation, we recommend that you observe the following rules:

you should not look directly into the eyes of the monkey, as they perceive this as an open threat and can attack;
do not smile at the monkey, this will be regarded as a grin with all the ensuing consequences;
do not try to pick up a baby monkey, as his mother will, to put it mildly, not be thrilled with this idea and may bite;
It is a bad idea to stroke primates, as this is fraught with possible bites;
if the monkey begins to bite his teeth, this is far from a smile, it is better to move away;
watch your children and in no case leave them alone with monkeys - these cute creatures can scratch or even bite;
do not come into conflict between two primates, you risk getting hurt.

Why are there so many cautionary tips? The thing is that monkeys are carriers of many diseases and the most terrible of them is rabies. In the event of a bite, the tourist must immediately consult a doctor and get himself vaccinated against rabies. So, if the insurance is not issued, the family budget may suffer.

So, the warnings have been given, now you can describe the feeding rules:

do not show all the treats to the monkeys, as you risk saying goodbye to him as quickly as possible, which means that your company will get bored with monkeys (keep most of the treats in your pockets, and take out in small pieces);
securely hide valuables, mobile phones, chains, wallets and even car or bike keys in a bag or pocket (every third review tells how a monkey stole glasses or a wallet from him);
if you want to take a photo or video, hold the technique firmly, as the flash can attract the attention of primates;
nuts, it is worth pouring from the bag into your pocket, as it rustles;
you should not leave food in the scooter, as you risk finding a torn up seat and a motorbike on your return, which will roll on the road (the desire to eat overpowers everyone else).

At the very beginning of the ascent, a large banner hangs on which there is a warning that it is forbidden to feed monkeys, there is a certain time when workers do it, but for some reason vacationers do not react to this warning. But what a sin to conceal, the Thais themselves create the prerequisites for violating the warning, selling treats for monkeys (of course, it is sold not for monkeys, but for tourists).

Caution banner

Health care

If you are traveling on your own, and there is simply no one to ask for help, it will not be superfluous to know where you can turn in case there is any trouble related to your health. For example, if you twist your leg, or get sunstroke, or God forbid, you will be bitten by a monkey.

In the case of the guide, everything is simple, the money has been paid - figure it out. And if you are independent, there are two ways, at least:

contact any Russian-speaking guide who will be on the mountain;
independently drive to the hospital.

If everything is not so rosy with the first option, there will be nothing left but to go on your own. And here are two failures. Firstly, we did not find a medical center right next to the mountain, and secondly, we did not find it as close as we would like to go there on foot. Below is a map of the nearest medical facility.

Upon arrival, if at all with languages at all (which is rather strange for an independent traveler), show at the reception what happened to you. If that monkey in English is Monkey, and the bite is Byte. I was bitten by a monkey -Ay car bitten bye e monkey.

In the case of a bite, this will be enough ...

Take care of yourself!

How to get there

If you are resting in Patong or Karon, then first you need to get to Phuket Town, from where you can go to the hill by transport.

Songteo doesn't come here, so be prepared to rent a tuk tuk or taxi. The cost of such a trip is 300-400 baht.

If you are moving on your own, then from the Central Festival we move towards Phuket Town, and at the fork in a kilometer we turn left, and after another three kilometers, after the prison building, we turn left again, where the ascent will begin.

The road here is narrow, only one lane, you can drive by car, but you will have to constantly disperse with vehicles descending from above. In addition, there are many pedestrians on the road who decide to walk up the hill.

Monkey Mountain is open from 6 am to 8 pm.

Phuket is one of the most unique places in Thailand. The incredible wildlife is mesmerizing from the very first step around the island. Tropical greenery all around. Literally the whole island is surrounded by greenery. And not only people like it, but also animals. That is why there is a place in Phuket Town that was chosen by the tribe of wild monkeys. And this is not just a flock, this is a tribe, because they live there, go about their business, bring up offspring. And people have a chance to watch all this! Today we will talk about Monkey Mountain, which is located in Phuket. Recall that you can find the cheapest flights to Thailand.

How to get to Monkey Mountain in Phuket

So, the mountain of monkeys is located within Phuket town, namely in its northern part. It is easy to spot from afar because there is a telecommunications antenna at the top of this hill. In Thai, the mountain is called Toe Sae Hill. In addition to many monkeys, there is an observation deck on it, but more about it later. You can get to the mountain by car or motorbike. This is the most convenient way. There is a parking lot at the bottom, so you can leave your vehicle there and go to meet the monkeys.

The best starting point is the Center Festival shopping center. From it in the direction of the city you need to drive about 600 meters, then at the fork turn left onto Mae Lean Rd. Further, for about three kilometers, you should move straight. Mae Lean Rd flows smoothly into Thungkhar Rd and then Damrong Rd. Then you find yourself in the area of the administrative institutions of Phuket. There will be a prison to your left, and a couple of administrative buildings to your right. Continue straight for about 200 meters and turn left onto Soi To Chae. After driving a little more straight, you will find yourself at the foot of the Monkey Mountain.

It is most convenient if you have a navigator. You just set the desired point on the map - and calmly drive according to the route. The exact location of the mountain is indicated on the map below.

Things to do at Monkey Mountain in Phuket

You have parked and are ready to head out for your adventure. At the entrance, you will find cute monkey sculptures painted in gold. It's like one of the pointers that you are on the right track. Of course, half of the route can be traveled on a bike, but the ascent is quite steep, and walking will have a good effect on your body.

Entrance to Monkey Mountain

If you decide to feed the monkeys at the top, take some food with you, because all purchases on the way up will be quite expensive. Whatever one may say, this is a tourist place, and everyone who is not lazy wants to make money on tourists. Feeding monkeys is not prohibited, but you should be extremely careful. They are wild monkeys and they can be aggressive if they feel that you do not want to share food with them.

Do not be surprised, but the first half of the journey you will not meet a single monkey. They all live on the top of the hill. So, in order to meet our smaller brothers, you need to cover the entire path of several kilometers.

Monkey meeting guests

But closer to the top, you will meet such a number of monkeys, which you probably have not seen before. They will be everywhere: on the road, on the side of the road, in the trees. They can sneak up behind you, jump onto your backpack, or grab the bag from your hands. So be careful.

A family of monkeys on Phuket Monkey Mountain

You will meet both the leader of the pack and mothers with little monkeys in their arms. They will look at you with big eyes affectionately. But mom will not let you close, protecting her offspring. So you will have to admire the cubs from a distance. Monkeys can be hand-fed, perhaps even stroked, but again, be careful. They can bite or scratch you. And this is not the best thing that can happen to you. But in this case, if this does happen, you must have health insurance so that you go to the doctor and do not pay anything for it. If you want to buy inexpensive but high quality insurance - go.

Phuket monkey family

Climbing to the very top, you will be amazed by the views that open from there. Huge open spaces will be at your feet. You will see not only the whole Phuket Town, but also the snow-white Buddha on the hill in the distance. The views are especially beautiful at sunset, when the setting sun turns everything gold-red.

View from Monkey Mountain in Phuket

When visiting this wonderful place, do not forget about the precautions and a number of important points that will help you not to cloud your trip to Thailand. So what you need to know when visiting Monkey Mountain:

Do not take a lot of things with you to make it comfortable to climb.
Leave all excess packages at the hotel or in the car, otherwise the monkeys will bite on them.

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Tourists usually from the first day plan not only a beach vacation, but also an active one. Clarify the dates of excursions, their cost, try to cover the maximum of attractions and entertainment. But do not forget that Phuket is rich in unique places where vacationers can get on their own, paying only for travel to the place.

Among the leaders of such amazing places is the mountain of monkeys, which is the highest hill in the country. On the mountain (Monkey Hill ) wild monkeys live in their habitat. In front of the entrance to the park, there is a Buddhist temple with a statue of a golden Buddha, next to which in a shop you can buy bunches of bananas and other monkey delicacies at a low price to please the flock with fruits and nuts.

Considering that about 700 meters you will have to walk up the spiral road, which is quite tiring, the best time to visit the Monkey Mountain Park is in the afternoon, closer to 15:00. By the way, from the observation deck you can watch the southern sunset. You will have to climb within an hour, but the first, most curious monkeys will meet you at the beginning of the journey. On the way, a restaurant awaits you, where you can order cold drinks, ice cream and light snacks, as well as admire the excellent surrounding view.

Monkey Mountain has three equipped observation decks. At the beginning of the path, you will see a large stone on which there are two sculptures of monkeys. You will find about a dozen of such sculptures before the observation deck. This viewpoint is called “Sea Views”. See the gorgeous Andaman coastline. The place is equipped with tables, benches, a toilet with a washstand. Cold drinks can be bought in the pavilion.

The road to the main observation deck will take no more than 30 minutes. Along the way, you can rest on the benches that you will see all along the way. On the main platform, you will have a magnificent view of Phuket Town.

The mountain of monkeys is so named because hundreds of wild monkeys live on it, which are accustomed to being fed and photographed by tourists every day. These small, active animals are very greedy for food, so try not to lay out all your supplies right away. This is such a national monkey's fun - to snatch a banana from a tourist's hands, and then run for a long time and beg for a new one. But if you show empty palms, they will lag behind, realizing that you have nothing else.

Observations of the communication of these animals are amazing. This is a real society with its own pack structure, hierarchy, structures and laws. The leader of the pack is the largest and most unconditional leader. When he appears, the whole flock becomes silent and does not beg for anything from tourists. The leader's movements are full of importance and absolute dignity. He does not ask, he approaches the tourists and brazenly takes the treat as prey.

As wonderful as these animals are, but the mountain of monkeys is home to wild flocks, so take note:

Look after your things, or even better - take them away, the monkeys can snatch them out of your hands;
The behavior of wild monkeys is unpredictable, so feed carefully. If they begin to demand food with aggression, give what they demand;
Do not even iron babies, they can bite. This is very dangerous, because any individual can become a carrier of infections and sexually transmitted diseases.

Monkey Hill is another of the interesting places on Phuket Island, which you can visit on your own and absolutely free! Monkey Mountain is located in the north of Phuket Town, and the hill on which it is located can be seen from anywhere in the city. There are various towers on the mountain - cellular communication, as well as television, and on the sides of the road that leads to this mountain there are many monkeys.

Monkey Mountain is located in Phuket Town, but it cannot be reached by public transport. You need to take a taxi, tuk-tuk, or go to the mountain of monkeys in a rented moped or car. The road to Monkey Hill is rather narrow, so I would recommend taking a moped here. This is exactly what we did. Locals, as well as some tourists, like to trek from the base of the mountain - a 4 km long road usually takes about an hour to climb. Therefore, if you go on your own - be careful, along the way you will meet both people and monkeys.

You can also visit Monkey Mountain as part of an organized one.

Where is the mountain of monkeys, you can see on the map at the bottom of this article.

Observation Decks on Monkey Mountain

There are 3 observation decks here and they are all at different levels. The first level is the lowest and a small view of the sea opens from it, from the second level there is a little more view, and from the third, highest level, a stunning view of the sea and Phuket town opens. There are benches on which you can rest and enjoy the beautiful view.

We did not stop at the first two sites, but immediately went to the very top. We liked the view very much, only it is quite hot here, and there is nowhere to hide from the sun.

Monkey

I strongly advise you to visit this wonderful place, the monkeys are here in their natural habitat, and not like in a zoo, behind bars.

And also a visit to the mountain of monkeys is absolutely free.