Sangeh, Nature tourism park in Abiansemal, Indonesia

Sangeh is a nature tourism park in Abiansemal, about 25 km north of Denpasar, covering 13.97 hectares. It is known for its tall nutmeg trees, where gray macaques roam freely, and for Pura Bukit Sari, a small moss-covered temple in the forest with a Garuda statue on one of its shrines. The temple stands on a low, moss-covered base amid the trees, with a tiered stone tower, thatched shrines behind a low wall, and a roofed gate reached by stone steps.

According to the Lontar Babad Mengwi, a nutmeg forest from Gunung Agung moved by night toward Mengwi and stopped at Sangeh when villagers saw it pass. The first adopted son of the Mengwi king, I Gusti Agung Putu (Cokorda Sakti Blambangan), found the remains of a shrine there and had it rebuilt as Pura Bukit Sari, dedicated to Ida Batara Gunung Agung and Batara Melanting. In 1993 the nature reserve was reclassified as a nature tourism park.

Sangeh takes its name from the nutmeg forest said to have moved here overnight from Gunung Agung. Pura Bukit Sari honours Ida Batara Gunung Agung and Batara Melanting, and the temple was built by the Mengwi kingdom and later handed to local residents. The monkeys are held sacred by the villagers, and legend gives them a king and three territories.

Sangeh lies about 25 km north of Denpasar, in Desa Sangeh, Abiansemal, Badung. The 13.97-hectare Taman Wisata Alam is bounded by Desa Sangeh on the north, south and east and by Desa Cau Blayu in Tabanan regency on the west. Paths run through the nutmeg forest to Pura Bukit Sari; the ground is bare earth and can be muddy after rain.

The gray macaques in the forest are normally not aggressive toward visitors, but it is important not to display food openly or maintain direct eye contact. These precautions protect both visitors and the animals from conflicts during your visit.