Arashiyama Monkey Park
While you're busy touring Kyoto, you'll come across many worthy tourist attractions. But there is one site that a few people know of, and it's located on Mount Arashiyama. The Arashiyama Monkey Park is literally a playground for many happy Japanese Macaques, who are always unusually eager to snack on what you may have on you. Here's my list of top facts worth knowing about this monkey park.
1. The snow monkeys are iconic
You may have heard of or seen them before. They are well-known Japanese Macaques, or Snow Monkeys, which documentary films and magazines have featured in the past. Snow Monkeys are characteristically playful and endearing and the park's main attraction and a few people have the opportunity to observe them near and personally.
2. Incredible vistas of the city
Although it may be physically challenging for some visitors to climb up to the park, the panorama that you'll enjoy at the mountain peak will certainly reward you generously. So, bring your best walking shoes and a plastic bottle of water to enable you to hike to the monkey park. It'll take between 30 to 40 minutes to get there.
3. Feeding the Snow Monkeys
For sure, the highlight of your journey here is the opportunity to hand feed the monkeys. The park actually provides the correct monkey food that you could purchase so you can then offer it to the monkeys. Be fully prepared: these monkeys will come seeking their next feeding from your palms.
4. Visitors are locked up inside the cage!
Strange as it may seem, this monkey park gives its monkey residents the chance to watch their visiting guests inside cages. Isn't this supposed to be the other way around? Perhaps, however, that's the practice when anyone new comes here wanting to give food to the monkeys. In reality, joking aside, these monkeys could grow extremely aggressive in respect to food and that's why the cage is used, to keep people safe.
5. Monkey Quizzes
Everyone's knowledge regarding monkeys shall be tested while you get to provide answers to comical quizzes which the park offers. Do not feel depressed if you get any wrong. It's a great way for learning about monkeys in general as well as understanding how they reside up in the mountain.
6. Freedom to watch the monkeys
Arashiyama Monkey Park is perhaps the only area in Japan that allows you to freely watch wild Snow Monkeys in their natural habitat. You'll frequently see them relaxing everywhere, grooming one another, clashing with each other, and you might even get the opportunity to see one of them coming near you. If this occurs, don't try to pet it!
7. It's not only monkey business
If you visit this park, you'll imagine that you'll only be playing around with a bunch of monkeys. Sadly, that's not the reality. Although these monkeys may grow used to people after so many visitations over the years, they are yet wild animals. For example, if you refuse to obey the rules such as "Don't look at the monkeys in the eyes," injuries and accidents can occur. The lesson here is: obey all the park rules.
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