What to see in Phuket. Monkey Hill. Monkey Mountain in Phuket: what it is and how to get there Background information about Monkey Mountain

Monkey Mountain is one of the highest points in Phuket. The Thais call it Khao To Sae, and everyone else calls it Monkey Hill.

Description

There is a spacious observation deck on the mountain, which offers a beautiful view of the surrounding Phuket Town. However, most tourists come here not for the picturesque panorama, but to communicate with the inhabitants of the unusual mountain. The hill is home to several hundred wild macaques. It was thanks to them that Monkey Mountain received its name, as well as the status of one of the main attractions of the resort.

Local macaques are very friendly and sociable. They have long been accustomed to tourists and are not afraid to take treats from their hands. Some become so impudent that they beg for food from everyone passing by, sitting along the road. The inhabitants of the hill are peaceful and do not attack people. They know that guests come to their home with good intentions and, most importantly, not empty-handed. Don’t upset the hospitable hosts and also take some goodies with you on the excursion - for example, fruit.

At the same time, it is worth remembering that you are communicating with animals, and wild ones at that. Therefore, compliance with safety rules is a mandatory precaution. When hand feeding, do not try to pet the macaque, otherwise you risk being bitten. Do not leave your belongings unattended or in open bags or baskets, and do not tease the monkeys - they do not like this and their reaction to such pranks can be unpredictable. Keep an eye on your children and better not touch the baby monkeys: macaque macaque is scary when angry.

One Phuket resident delivers fruit to the hill every afternoon for its residents. During his friendship with the monkeys, he taught them various tricks, which they gladly demonstrate in public.

After playing with the residents of Monkey Mountain, you can go to the observation deck. From it you can see almost the entire city, and with it the statue of the Golden Buddha. It is best to take photographs from this particular site - there is no point in climbing higher: at the top of the hill, TV antennas and trees interfere with the perception of the landscape.

You can climb the mountain on foot, or by bike or car. However, it’s not worth climbing to the very top by transport: firstly, because of the steepness of the climb, and secondly, because of the likely lack of spaces in the tiny parking lot.

Below, at the foot of Monkey Hill, there is a small Thai restaurant where you can relax and refresh yourself after a long walk.

Practical information

Location address: to Chae Road, Phuket, Thailand.

Coordinates: 7.898325, 98.395228.

The hill is open for independent visits 24 hours a day.

Free admission.

How to get there

From the Central Festival Phuket shopping center, go towards Phuket Town for about 1 km. At the fork, turn left and drive another three kilometers. After passing the city prison building, be careful and do not miss the left turn, from which the ascent to Monkey Mountain begins.

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Holidays in Phuket provide a rare opportunity for Europeans to observe monkeys in their habitat and hand-feed these funny animals. For this purpose, within the city there is a landmark called Monkey Mountain in Phuket. It is located in the northern part of Phuket Town and is visible from all points of the city, attracting attention with the cellular towers located on its top.

What kind of attraction is this?


The forested Monkey Hill in Phuket is inhabited by hundreds of macaque monkeys who live freely, but at the same time are accustomed to being the object of human attention and willingly accept treats from them. At certain hours, the reserve's employees feed the monkeys, and the rest of the time the macaques cluster along the road and in parking lots, waiting for tourists who are always ready to treat them with something tasty.

The road from the bottom of Monkey Hill to the top of the hill is about 2 km long. You can travel part of this route by bike or car, then leave your vehicle in one of the three parking lots available here. But you can also climb on foot, following the example of the Thais, who have chosen this mountain for sports jogging and training on exercise equipment, sites with which you come across along the way. This hobby is shared by macaques; they climb the exercise machines with obvious pleasure, jumping from one to another.


The road leading to the top of the mountain is quite narrow and has a significant slope; it is not convenient to go down it on a bike or car, so you should not drive high, especially since there may not be a small parking lot. At the beginning of the path, tourists are greeted by two gilded sculptures of sitting monkeys, but to see their living prototypes, you need to climb higher - the macaque habitats are located closer to the top of the mountain.

Visiting Monkey Hill is free, but the products sold here to feed the monkeys are much more expensive than in the city, so it makes sense to stock up on treats in advance. When going to Monkey Hill, buy bananas, corn or mangoes. Unshelled peanuts are also in demand among monkeys.

What can you see here?

In addition to the monkeys, which, in fact, are the purpose of visiting the mountain, there are three observation platforms located at different levels. The higher the level, the greater the view opens to the eye. On the lower platform there is a cafe of Thai cuisine, there are benches for relaxation, here you can eat and relax while admiring the seascape. On the observation deck a level higher there is a gazebo, which offers a more spacious view.


The widest view awaits tourists at the third observation deck, located closer to the top of the mountain. The view is especially impressive during sunset, when Phuket Town, lying in full view, and the mountains framing it are illuminated by the light of the setting sun. This place is equipped with benches, which in the evening hours become a haven for romantics and lovers.


But the highlight of the excursion program when visiting Monkey Hill in Phuket, of course, are the monkeys. Most of them are absolutely not afraid of people, they come close, begging for a treat, and take food from their hands. The friendliest ones can hug you by the leg and even climb on your shoulders. For those who love animals, and especially children, this brings a lot of positive emotions.

It is interesting to observe the relationships in monkey families, females with cubs. But it is better not to get close to children, since their parents, in an effort to protect their offspring, can be very aggressive. Monkeys can be photographed; many of them happily pose, taking touching poses. Adolescents and young individuals are the most active, while adult monkeys are calmer and more imposing.


When communicating with monkeys, one should not forget that these are wild animals that feel like masters of their territory and can be aggressive. If you receive bites or scratches from monkeys, you should definitely get vaccinated against rabies by immediately contacting any medical facility in Phuket Town. In case of such an unforeseen accident, medical insurance will be very useful, which should be taken care of in advance.

You can avoid an unpleasant incident on Monkey Mountain if you exercise caution and behave in accordance with the tips outlined below.

How to get there



You can get to the foot of Monkey Hill by tuk-tuk, taxi or bike. If you decide to go on your own, then your reference point will be the Central Festival shopping center. After driving about 1 km from it towards Phuket Town, you will find yourself at an intersection where you will need to turn left. After driving another 3 km, you will see the prison building, after passing which, after 0.2 km you need to turn left again, and Monkey Mountain will be straight ahead.

Then the road leads uphill. It's up to you to drive along it or leave the vehicle in the parking lot. Just keep in mind that driving up Monkey Mountain is easier than going downhill, which requires you to constantly keep your foot on the brake pedal, especially if the asphalt is wet after rain. Also at the top you may have difficulty finding a parking space and the danger of monkeys attacking your bike in your absence.

Monkey Hill got its name because of the large number of wild monkeys living on the slopes of the mountain. The furry inhabitants of the jungle sit along the road leading to the top and beg for a treat. Therefore, when going to Monkey Mountain (Thai name Khao Toe Sae), take bananas or nuts with you.

I will warn you right away: when dealing with monkeys, be extremely careful, do not try to pet the monkey, otherwise you risk being bitten or scratched.

You can climb the mountain by bike or car, but it is best to walk as there is not much parking at the top. In addition, the mountain is quite steep, and you will have to drive on the brakes the entire way back. On the way to the top there is an observation deck with views of Phuket Town. From here you can see the very beautiful Wat Khao Rang temple - it is easily recognized by the large statue of the Golden Buddha. By the way, at the foot of Monkey Mountain there is also a Buddhist temple, but less beautiful than Khao Rang.

From the top of the mountain the view is a little worse - trees interfere, as well as large television antennas installed at the top.

Background information about Monkey Mountain

  • How to get to Monkey Hill: From the Central Festival store you need to go towards Phuket Town. After 700 meters the road bifurcates - we take the left. Then we drive without turning anywhere for a little less than 3 km, we pass the cheerful building of the Phuket prison and after 200 meters we turn left - we have arrived.

Monkey Hill / Khao Toe Sae on the map

Video from Mount Khao Toe Sae

Monkey Hill or Khao Toe Sae viewpoint got its name from the many wild monkeys that live here.

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

When feeding, be careful, as the monkeys are very impudent and can easily take the bag 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 on top, as well as 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, at the foot of the monkey hill there is also a small temple.

Locals living in this part of the island jog and ride bicycles here in the morning. The 3.7 km long road climbs smoothly and is a good help for maintaining physical fitness. The asphalt is fresh and in very good condition, so walking and driving on it is a pleasure. During the day, the road is closed with a barrier, so leave your vehicle in the parking lot and then walk.

reference Information

  • At the top of the hill there are television antennas hidden in the trees, so visibility is poor. In order to admire the surrounding beauty, it would be better to choose an observation deck located just below.
  • Opening hours: around the clock
  • Price: for free

One of the interesting natural attractions in Phuket is Monkey Hill near Phuket Town. It got its name due to the huge number of monkeys that live there.

Get there getting to it is completely easy: if you take the Central Festival store as your starting point, then from there you need to drive 700 meters towards Phuket Town to the fork and turn left, then drive straight all the time for about 3 km, when you see the building of the Phuket prison, then after 200 meters turn left again and you'll find yourself at the base of Monkey Mountain.

You can climb the mountain itself by transport: a bike, scooter or car, but the descent from the mountain is quite steep, and you will have to drive down, constantly holding the brake. You can climb on foot, which is what all the locals usually do, using this mountain as a platform for fitness training. The ascent takes about an hour, and you will meet the first monkeys at the very beginning of the trail. On the way up you will come across a restaurant where you can have a snack and which offers a good view of the surrounding area.

Monkeys on the mountain itself, indeed, a lot: some are just strolling nicely, others are hanging on trees, others are watching people with interest, others are fighting. You can feed the monkeys bananas and any other fruits, as well as nuts, and you can photograph them.

In addition to the animals themselves, there is also an observation deck on the mountain, which offers a magnificent view of Phuket Town. You can admire the Wat Khao Rang temple, which is not difficult to recognize by the prominent Golden Buddha Statue.

And at the foot of Monkey Mountain there is another, also very beautiful, Buddhist temple, built on a small hill and surrounded by tropical trees. On the way up there is a small chapel with many figurines of monkeys and tigers.

No matter how cute and harmless these little animals may seem, you need to remember precautions:

– Do not leave any things unattended, especially if you arrived in an open vehicle. Monkeys will not miss the opportunity to steal things that are dear to you and may have time to ruin them. The smartest representatives can even snatch the camera from a gaping tourist, so don’t let your guard down.

– Don’t forget that these are still wild, untamed animals, and their behavior can be unpredictable. You can feed them, but petting them is not recommended because they can bite. They can also be very persistent and even aggressive in demanding food from you. Do not resist under any circumstances, but give the monkeys what they ask for.

Be sure to take the time to see the cute monkeys in their natural habitat, because it can't be compared to any visit to the zoo.

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