The Dusky Langurs in Prachuap Khiri Khan: Visiting the Cutest Thai Monkeys EVER
You’ll find monkeys all over Thailand, but we haven’t seen any that compare to the incredible dusky langurs or dusky leaf monkeys in Prachuap Khiri Khan. These sweet monkeys are incredibly gentle and tolerant of people, unlike the aggressive macaques that we’ve encountered elsewhere. Since they live on a restricted military base, you need to know exactly where to find them and what to bring. Read on for the answers!
Where Are the Dusky Leaf Monkeys in Prachuap Khiri Khan?
The dusky langurs live in a particular area on the military base immediately south of the town of Prachuap Khiri Khan.
The easiest way to get to the right spot is to navigate to Khao Lom Muak, a mountain on the base. This is the nearest landmark to where the monkeys live! And, since the mountain itself is closed except during festivals, you won’t run any risk of going too far.
At the foot of this mountain, you’ll see a boulder with statues of dusky langurs on it. This is their territory; look up into the trees and you should spot them!
Note: since the langurs live on a military base, you can only visit them while the base is open. The hours as of December 2019 are 6 AM to 6 PM.
How Do I Get to the Dusky Langurs?
We ALWAYS ride bikes to visit the langurs. (Read more about the various transportation options in Prachuap Khiri Khan at this link!) Going by bike lets us stay as long as we want without any extra costs, since we always have rental bikes here anyway.
If it’s too hot or you don’t feel like biking, you can hire a tuk-tuk to take you. Make sure you’re very clear about exactly where you want to go, and consider giving the name of the mountain where the monkeys live (Khao Lom Muak) instead of asking to see the monkeys themselves.
Story time: the first time we went to visit the monkeys, we took a tuk-tuk. The military base closes at 6 PM, and it was already 5:30, so we knew we’d only have about 15 minutes with them… but I was so excited to see them that it seemed worth it! Our driver insisted he knew where they were, and proceeded to take us to Ao Manao beach and point up into the empty trees, then shrug helplessly. Dejected, we left… only to discover the next day that this isn’t at all where the monkeys live.
What Do I Need to Bring?
Your passport! This is VERY IMPORTANT, and you won’t be able to visit the dusky langurs without a passport. Because the dusky langurs in Prachuap Khiri Khan live on a restricted military base, you’ll need to sign in (with your passport number) when you enter the base, then hand over your passport in exchange for a number as you approach the monkeys. Usually, the guards require only one passport per group, but each person should bring their own just to be safe.
Your camera. These monkeys are incredibly cute, and you’ll definitely regret it if you don’t bring your camera with you. If you have a DSLR, we recommend bringing whatever lens you use for portraits rather than a zoom lens for wildlife. The monkeys will come right up to you and may even sit on your shoulder, so we always use our 50mm f/1.8 lens rather than our 200-600mm wildlife lens.
Treats for the monkeys (optional). As we mentioned above, we never feed or tame truly wild animals. These dusky leaf monkeys are already mostly tame, though, and are fed every day, so we don’t mind bringing them treats. Their absolute favorite treat is boiled peanuts, which you can buy at any of the markets in town. (We recommend buying the peanuts the night before at a night market, then taking them with you the next morning.) Other options include corn on the cob and bananas, but peanuts are definitely their favorite.
A long-sleeved shirt in case the monkeys hop onto your shoulder, to offer some protection from their nails.
What to Expect From the Dusky Langurs
The dusky langurs are super cute monkeys that will come right up to you, especially if you have food. We’re always amused by their derpy hairstyles! And keep an eye out for any babies, which are a dramatic shade of orange when they’re very young.
Unlike the macaques that live in the nearby town of Prachuap Khiri Khan, the dusky langurs are sweet and gentle overall. They absolutely want any food that you’ve brought to them, but they’re more inclined to sit at your feet, staring up at you with puppy eyes and reaching out their hands for it.
With that said, they can definitely get riled up and excited. I’ve never (in about a dozen visits to them) seen them attack or hurt anyone on purpose, but they don’t always understand that people are hairless and fragile. When they get too riled up, they can bounce onto and off of people’s shoulders with too much enthusiasm, leading to cuts from their nails.
Here are some tips for calmer experiences with the langurs:
Stay out of the forest behind the boulder with langur sculptures on top. There’s a trail that leads into the forest there, but that puts you firmly in langur territory. They won’t attack, but they definitely get more reckless and excitable there than when they’re in the large trees in front of the boulder.
Put away any treats that you brought. The langurs usually get most excited when there’s some amazing food around, so if they start getting too worked up, hide the food away. Wait for a few minutes for them to calm down, then pull it out and start feeding them again.
Stay calm. I’m always amazed by how many people don’t realize that if they start shrieking in excitement, jumping around, holding out a peanut and then jerking away in fear, and otherwise acting crazy and over-the-top, the monkeys will pick up on that and respond in kind. If you’re calm with them, they’ll usually reciprocate.