The unique Monkeyland, one of the top eco-tourism destinations along the Garden Route, is the only sanctuary on earth to protect primates from different continents. Here, real conservation issues are top of mind and strict ethics are normal practice.
Monkey Business
It all started in 1998 because CEO Tony Blignaut believed that not enough was being done to protect primates. Now Monkeyland rehabilitates previously caged primates from around the globe and is home to 14 different species from four continents, including white-handed gibbons from Malaysia; spectacle langurs from Asia; ringtail and ruffled lemurs from Madagascar; marmosets and Mohican-looking cotton-top tamarin squirrel, capuchin and spider monkeys from South America; and vervets from Africa.
The goal of Monkeyland is to reintroduce these primates to the wild so that their home ranges can be repopulated. Hand-in-hand with this is an ongoing international campaign to conserve primate habitat being lost through deforestation while bringing pressure to bear on governments to change legislation that exploits primates.
A long-term plan to establish an orang-utan sanctuary for previously captive orang-utans is currently underway.
Monkey Habitat
Unless undergoing rehabilitation, monkeys are completely free to roam and explore the indigenous forest environment at the self-sustaining Monkeyland. For elderly, orphaned, disabled and behaviourally difficult animals who cannot survive in this natural high canopy forest there is a special ‘monkey home’.
Monkey Safari
From the time you enter this 12 hectare sanctuary to the time you leave, monkeys are all around, swinging from tree tops, sitting and watching, or grooming their young. On a monkey safari you can expect to see a range of primates in perfectly natural surroundings.
Entrance to Monkeyland is free, but there is a fee for the guided safaris conducted by knowledgeable, multi-lingual rangers who will guide you over the longest suspension bridge in Africa, which is also tree-top high, and along well-tramped trails through the forest that is home to over 400 monkeys. Along the way they will point out other forest wonders, trees, flowers and birds while explaining the eco-system of the forest.
Monkey Lunch
After a walkabout, the Forest Café in the main lodge serves light lunches and refreshments. This affords visitors the unique opportunity of enjoying cake and coffee while relaxing on the sunny deck surrounded by monkeys of every description. 
Monkey route
If you’re driving the Garden Route, be sure to stop at Monkeyland for an up close and personal primate experience that is both touching and unforgettable. Look for the turnoff from the N2 highway, just 20km east of Plettenberg Bay at the Crags. It’s the chance of a lifetime to commune with our wild cousins living in a monkey paradise.
Images courtesy and copyright Monkeyland
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