Monkey Mountain in Phuket: what it is and how to get there. Monkey Hill - cute and dangerous monkeys in Phuket, Thailand Photos from Khao Toe Sae Mountain

Monkey Mountain in Phuket has become a popular tourist attraction thanks to the macaque population that lives on the hill. Representatives of the monkey family settled throughout the slope, but the main habitat is closer to the top. The Thai place name Khao Toe Sae is hardly used, and any taxi driver will know where to take you if you say "Monkey Hill".

A paved road about 3 km long leads to the top, where television towers, masts and cellular antennas are installed. Along the way you will come across well-appointed viewing platforms and gazebos for relaxation. The pink buildings are toilets, and the washstands are on the side wall outside the buildings. Viewpoints offer panoramic views of Phuket Town and the coast.

When traveling by car, you need to take into account that it will be difficult to pass oncoming cars, since the roadway is too narrow. In addition, there is no parking at the top, and suitable parking spaces are highly likely to be occupied. The slope is quite sharp and, sliding down, you will have to constantly slow down and keep your foot on the brake pedal to control the speed.

No traffic is allowed between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm as Monkey Hill is a prime location for locals to run and exercise. The lawns are equipped with physical training complexes with exercise machines, barbells, horizontal bars and other sports equipment. Once the heat of the day subsides, people jog and bike along the entire route. If you are in good physical shape, the hike will take about half an hour. Walking is quite comfortable: new asphalt was laid in 2016, trees growing along the roadsides create abundant shade, and shady canopies have been built in open areas.

Behavior rules

Treats for monkeys are sold in stalls at the base. A bunch of bananas or a bag of unshelled peanuts cost the same: 20 baht. It is better to remove the nuts from the packaging (out of sight of the animals), put them in your pockets and give them out a little at a time.

To ensure that contact with funny and seemingly harmless creatures does not end badly, you need to be careful and on the alert. Don't forget that these are wild animals with unpredictable reactions. Macaques are accustomed to humans and are peaceful, but tourists themselves sometimes provoke attacks. Gestures and facial expressions that are friendly by human standards are perceived completely differently by our smaller brothers. For example, you shouldn’t laugh: showing your teeth is considered a challenge to a fight. Do not come close to the cubs: females are able to attack first if they decide that something is threatening the offspring. Do not try to pet the macaques or make sudden movements.

Curious jungle inhabitants feel like masters of the territory; they can jump on shoulders, occupy a car or bike, pull the key out of the ignition, snatch a purse, camera or phone from their hands, rip off a cap, glasses and jewelry. It will be possible to return what was stolen only if the monkey itself considers the prey uninteresting and throws it away. Precautionary measures should be taken in advance: do not take valuables with you, remove hair clips, chains and earrings, do not leave backpacks and bags unattended.

When planning a visit to Monkey Mountain, wear dark clothing. Light-colored fabric will likely leave stubborn stains. If you follow these simple tips, communication with primates will bring a lot of positive emotions and will allow you to add touching pictures to your collection of vacation photos.

Most meetings end peacefully, but incidents do occur. If the bite cannot be avoided, you will have to seek medical help and receive rabies injections. By the way, the nearest hospital may not have a vaccine. Monkeys often become carriers of other dangerous infections. Stock up on bactericidal wipes and antiseptic, treat even minor scratches. There is no need to contact individuals who show grins and other obvious signs of aggression. Fights among males are a common occurrence; beware of approaching fighting members of the pack.

There are three observation platforms built on Monkey Mountain, located at different levels. Near the lower one there is a cafe serving Thai cuisine; there will be no food outlets further on.

How to get there

The best way to get around the island is a rented motorbike (200-300 baht per day). After passing the Central Festival shopping center, you need to move towards Phuket Town for about 1 km and turn left at the fork. After 3 km the prison will appear, after which you will have to make another left turn, and Monkey Hill will be straight ahead. From time to time you will come across warning signs “Monkey on road” and golden sculptures depicting a pair of macaques.

You can also get to Monkey Mountain by public transport. At the old bus station you need to take the pink songthaew bus, which goes to the new terminal. The fare costs 10 baht. The bus enters Surin Road and turns left at the bottom of the hill. There you need to get out by pressing the bell, giving the driver a signal to stop.

To call a taxi online, the GrabTaxi mobile application is useful; the service provides the ability to pay both by card and in cash.

Monkey Mountain on Google Panorama

Monkey Mountain: Video

I have the impression that many tourists coming to Phuket want to see macaques living in the wild. Personally, you won’t surprise me with macaques. I ate the dog out of monkeys: while traveling in Africa and, once leaving the tent, I came face to face with a baboon, in the Kenyan Masai Mara reserve I saw hundreds of vervet monkeys, and in the Ugandan Rwenzori Mountains - gorillas. However, I am still excited to see monkeys in the wild.

There are not many wild animals left in Phuket. Just 200 years ago there were impenetrable jungles in which elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses and other animals lived. Over the years, the island's fauna has become impoverished, not because of tourism, but due to industrial development. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, tin and rubber mining led to the disappearance of much of the island's jungle.

Of course, there were small untouched areas left. But, in general, Phuket is cultivated by man and, if there is no longer room for tigers, then monkeys, and above all macaques, quickly adapted and learned to live in new conditions. There are several places on the island where you can meet them [read about which macaques you can see in Thailand].

First of all, you need to go to Monkey Hill mountain. It is located in the northern part of Phuket Town. Its top is crowned with various antennas and radio masts. Monkeys also live mainly in the upper part of the mountain.

In general, Monkey Hill is not considered a tourist attraction, although people come here to feed the local inhabitants. You can climb the mountain by car or motorbike. Some daredevils even go for a run here. Personally, I wouldn't risk climbing Monkey Hill on foot. I'm not sure if the local macaques are aggressive, but it's better to watch them from the car. Last year they wrote that one of the monkeys attacked a tourist.

Another interesting place where you can watch macaques is on Sirae Island, connected to Phuket by a small bridge. On the way to the island, passing by the fishing port and shipyard, you find yourself in the territory of mangrove forests inhabited by wild monkeys. Phuket authorities even built a small observation deck on the side of the road so tourists could watch them. Locals love Sira Island. It is beautiful and calm here, and the top of the hill is decorated with a marvelous temple.

If you happen to visit the Temple of the Reclining Buddha near the city of the administrative center of Phang Nga province, then here too you can meet wild monkeys. The temple is built in a cave and is located about 90 minutes from Phuket Town. Macaques live outside the cave. They will most likely try to sell you fruit or nuts so you can hand feed them. There is not a single monkey in the temple itself. These animals, unlike birds and bats, are not allowed in the cave and the macaques seem to follow these rules.

Perhaps the most unusual place inhabited by monkeys is located next to the famous Bang Pae waterfall. It is unusual for two reasons. Firstly, despite the fact that most of the forests of Phuket are inhabited by macaques, gibbons live in this area. Secondly, here, in a natural environment for monkeys, they are cared for by people - employees of the Gibbon Rehab Project or GRP. Here, monkeys that were once illegally captured and kept in captivity are taught to live in their natural environment and communicate with their relatives. I know the gibbons are a bit of an outlier, but I included them because the creatures, combined with the waterfall and jungle, are worth seeing.

In Thailand, as in all civilized countries, illegal capture and trade of animals is prohibited, so if you see a person on the street offering tourists a photo opportunity with a gibbon, please contact GRP.

Jamie Monk lives in Phuket and has been blogging about the island for about 10 years. The original English version of this post and all of Jamie's other notes can be found at

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 arrogant 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 thicket of 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

Monkey Hill in Phuket - Monkey Hill.

5 (100%) 1 votes

View from the hill

This afternoon we decided to climb Monkey Hill, this is another place in Phuket where you can meet wild macaques. I will write below where this place is located and when and how best to visit it.

It’s not that we’ve never been there, we’ve been there more than once. I even ran there several times. But this time the interest was not sporting. I wanted to go and photograph our funny little brothers who live freely there in their natural environment. Therefore, there are many photographs of monkeys, or more correctly, “rhesus macaques,” as this individual is called in scientific language.

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

Climbing the hill is not that difficult, anyone can climb it, although you will still have to make some efforts. The entire hike from the parking lot to the top takes approximately 20 minutes. By the way, right next to the beginning of the climb there is a Buddhist monastery, you can also look there.

The hill is located 550 meters above sea level, which is approximately the same level as the statue of the Big Buddha. There is a great view from the top. And many local athletes use this place to train and run uphill, we met about ten runners and a couple of cyclists. About halfway along the route there is a small fitness park, but I have never seen anyone use it.

Legend:

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

The altar has the same name Khao To Sae. And it was built in honor of a man with the same name - “To Sae”.
There are rumors that “To Sae” was a hermit who lived on this hill and had magical properties. In ancient times, residents of nearby villages and towns came to him for help. This is where the hill got its name. Where did the wizard go then? “To Sae” No one 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 climbed to the monkeys, it’s not convenient to walk with it. But along the way we came across something interesting. So here are some photos from mine Instagram. And you have already seen a couple of them above.

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

You can't miss these places. If during your climb you are already desperate to see the 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 a Thai who was the first to feed 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 point.

Rhesus macaques are one of those primates that are most similar in social structure to humans, making them very interesting to watch.

For example, rhesus monkeys have several types of calls. Rhesus dogs make these sounds in various situations.

A monkey roars, confident in its abilities and threatening another, lower-ranking one.
I was lucky to catch these two at just such a moment.

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

The macaque below froze before leaping.

The piercing scream first sounds at a very high note, then ends abruptly; This is the sound a rhesus makes when it is threatened by a high-ranking relative.

Macaque with baby.

Rhesus macaques 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 big Buddha statue. Especially during sunset hours, which is approximately 5.40 - 6.30 pm. And it’s not so hot to get up at this time. See the map below for where the hill is located. It is best to combine a visit to Monkey Hill with a visit, which is a five-minute drive away.

I don’t like visiting the same places several times, because there is still so much that has not been explored, but I will definitely come up here again.
Probably not for nothing that the hermit “To Sae” chose this place for myself. Maybe there really is something magical here.

Art:

Other notes about our little brothers and about nature:

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 down, 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.