Pune woman shares horrifying ordeal as monkey snatches sunglasses in Bali temple

In a post on X, Priti Jain shared her experience as she warned fellow tourists about the aggressive monkeys roaming around the premises of the Uluwatu Temple in Bali.

In Short

• Indian tourist's sunglasses snatched by monkey at Uluwatu Temple, Bali
• Priti Jain warned tourists about aggressive monkeys after her experience
• Monkey snatched her high power prescription sunglasses

A trip to a temple in Bali turned into a nightmare for an Indian tourist from Pune after a monkey snatched away her prescription sunglasses within seconds of her arrival at the spot.

In a post on X, Priti Jain shared her experience as she warned fellow tourists about the aggressive monkeys roaming around the premises of Uluwatu Temple.

“Monkeys in Bali, especially at Uluwatu Temple are scary and an absolute menace,” Priti said in her post, adding that she had watched several viral videos of monkeys snatching belongings from tourists but never imagined she would become a victim herself.

Priti had worn her new prescription sunglasses during the trip when the monkey suddenly snatched it from her.

“I have a very high power (-4) and thankfully I had a spare or I would be roaming around almost blind,” she said, adding that she narrowly escaped another monkey attack later even after switching to regular sunglasses.

The only relief for Priti, she said, was that she was not wearing her Prada sunglasses and that the monkey did not steal her phone. “It would have been a very, very expensive heartbreak,” she said.

Priti, thus, advised tourists to either remain extremely cautious or avoid the spot altogether. She also said she found the visit underwhelming despite going there to watch the famous Kecak dance.

“For sunset, there are much better places in Uluwatu,” she said, adding that she preferred spending time at Malini Cafe instead.

Priti also shared two videos from the incident. In one clip, she appeared visibly shocked moments after the monkey snatched her glasses. Responding to someone who asked if the sunglasses were resting on her head, she admitted that they were.

In another video, the monkey could be seen clutching the glasses while sitting at a distance as Priti said, “This is not done.”

Take a look at the post here:

Her post went viral soon after with several social media users sharing similar experiences from the temple.

“Even I was a victim at this same place. A monkey came from nowhere and snatched my prescription sunglasses. Then I gave him a food packet and got them back,” one user commented.

Replying to the comment, Priti said, “It didn't occur to me to react immediately by giving food. A guard came and offered him food, but he ran away in the other direction.”

Another traveller wrote, “We went there last month and they are really scary. They even snatch away hairpins. The scary part is that they can get aggressive if we try to push them away.”

Perched on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean, Uluwatu Temple is one of Bali’s most popular tourist attractions, known for its dramatic sunset views and traditional Kecak dance performances. Visitors, however, are often warned to keep a close watch on their belongings because of the monkeys roaming the temple premises.

- Ends