Alas Kedaton Temple is Small Forest with Monkey Around
ALAS KEDATON TEMPLE
ALAS KEDATON TEMPLE LOCATED INSIDE SMALL FOREST WITH NATURAL MONKEY HABITAT
Alas Kedaton Temple is a small forest with the width about 6-7ha located in the middle of the rice field in Tabanan regency, west part of Bali. The total size of this forest, temple and its supporter facility is about 12 ha. In this forest, there is a temple called Alas Kedaton Temple and owns the natural environments that is looked green with its fresh air and create the calm, quite and holy atmosphere. The monkeys in Alas Kedaton are very tame and free gallivanting in temple yard, so that the calm atmosphere is sometime solved by noise voice of the monkey, which are playing around and scrambling of food. The monkeys who dwell in this forest, there are jump up and down in temple wall, take a bath in moat or there is also hang out in few leaves representing impression view. The monkey like as custodian of temple, which are always ready to greet all visitor who are paying a visit to this place. Beside monkeys, in Kedaton forest also can be met the bats and some other animals. At least 24 types of grove plant have been identified in Alas Kedaton.
Alas Kedaton is located in Kukuh countryside, Marga Sub district Tabanan Regency. The journey go to this place can be done easily by using motor vehicle follow the major roadway from Denpasar to Tabanan. On the way go to thistour place, we will see the beautiful nature view where in front of us will meet the carpet of rice field and irrigation voice at the side of road to bear the impression/peaceful atmosphere. Alas Kedaton Temple have three yard that are external yard, middle and center yard. In the center and middle yard are encircled by wall and the outside yard is representing a open yard. The interesting point of this temple is the inside yard representing holy yard, its situation lower than the middle yard. This thing is different compare with the general temples in Bali that are more goes to inside the temple, the more higher the place will be. Beside of that another interesting point of this temple owns four entrances.
The temple ceremony in alas Kedaton temple is carried out every 210 days a year. It is on Anggarakasih Medangsia (Balinese Hindu calendar) or on every Tuesday where on that time the society do the worship or pray to request the safety and prosperity. The unique in this ceremony is do not use the fire and do not hence Penjor and also finished before the sunset or before the night is come.
In growth of handling of this tourist destination, Alas Kedaton has several become a training location about tourism nature, environmental handling and agro tourism. Alas Kedaton is many visited by the tourist from local and foreign countries which are generally a lot of paying a visit on August, December until January, while the local tourist generally pay a visit on holiday season and feast day of Ramadan (Moslem holiday) and this place is good to be visited in the day time. In front of Alas Kedaton temple there are quite a lot small shops selling the handicraft as souvenir, for example clothes, pants and other handicrafts. Others, there are some shops booth selling food and beverage, toilet and park area which is wide enough.
Visiting Alas Kedaton Bali, at least there are 3 interesting things we can see. First is the funny of the monkeys around the trees, the second one is bat show, and the third one is take some pictures with the snake. The first one is free from charge. Two last mentioned must paid in order to enjoy the show. However, once again third of them, especially for the children, can bring a very interesting experience related to the animals.
In Alas Kedaton, there are about 2.000 monkeys. They are the most attractive magnet for the visitors. The visitors can give some foods to the monkeys directly. Just put some nuts or cookies on your hand and those monkey will be happy to eat. With only some nuts on the hand, some brave visitors can take some pictures while the monkeys eating the nuts on their head, or hand. When doing this activity it is very advised to not wearing your hat, or glasses. The monkey have a bad attitude: they will steal your hat or glasses when ever they have a chance.
The authorities of Alas Kedaton forest, Desa Adat Kukuh, Marga, Tabanan has designed the forest full with the monkeys, to interact with the visitors directly. Of course, all of the monkey is gentle. They are not bad, as long as the visitor does not doing some bad thing, like hit them.
Another attraction is a bat show. It is not ordinary bat, but a giant bat. Very big. You will not see this kind of bat in daily life. So in Alas Kedaton this could be the only one experience taking picture with a giant bat. With Indonesian Rupiah(IDR) 10.000 per session, the visitor can take a picture near the bat. Smile!
Last attraction or the third one is taking the picture with the snake. Not only for adults, kids is also very happy with the attraction. Again, this is not a wild snake like we often see in National Geographic. Although the snake is very big and long, but this creature is a gentle one. Some photograph with the snake in Alas Kedaton can be good here.
Alas Kedaton Bali can be reached from Kuta in about 30-45 minutes drive. You can go there, commonly by a car rental. The best time to visit this place of interest is around noon time. Alas Kedaton is at the same route with Tanah Lot Temple. So, if you put Tanah Lot Temple on one of your itinerary, then Bali Tanah Lot Tour is best choices.
