According to the lunar calendar, it’s the year of the Monkey – a very important year that all the monkeys in Bali have been waiting for. Based on the planetary movements, this is the best year for them to stage an attack to expand their territories- so it’s highly unlikely that they’ll want to miss this rare window of opportunity.

“But why would they want to stage an attack?” You ask in disbelief. “Surely they’re happy with the Ubud Monkey Forest?”

Well that’s not quite the case. There’s been signs of unrest – starting from subtle ones, like monkeys giving innocent travellers menacing looks during their visits to the Monkey Forest. These furry creatures have been sneakily trying to encroach the surrounding areas too – you might have noticed a growing number of monkeys chilling out at the shops and cafes close to the Monkey Forest. Don’t be misled by their seemingly harmless appearances – these are spies on a mission to recce the areas nearby.

The obvious signs are harder to miss. Just recently they’ve planned an attack to take over the beloved pizza parlour, Warung Pepe. Their fire attack didn’t quite work out (Warung Pepe is now restored and operational), but these hairy ones ain’t giving up. Their next target? Your plush Bali villa.

We think it’s likely that these furry imps have their eyes on villas located in Ubud. Geographically, it makes sense – these villas are located within close proximity to their headquarters (a.k.a Ubud Monkey Forest), making it much easier for the monkeys to stage an attack. These vacation rentals also have all the stuff that a monkey’s dream home is made of, like lush tropical gardens, outdoor gazebos, spa beds and gourmet kitchens stocked full of bananas.

If you’ve already made a booking, or are already staying in your villa, don’t panic – simply follow the escape strategies we’ve devised:

1. Ring up the Bali pest control

The first thing you need to do is to call in the Bali Pest Control. We can’t say if they’ll actually be able to help subdue an attack from a bunch of rabid monkeys. The only information we have is that they offer the following: rodent, termites and roach control services.

But that doesn’t matter, because the actual plan is to have them act as decoys (don’t say a word about the monkeys when you call these guys in). When the pest controllers enter the villa, the furry creatures will be enticed by their sparkling pest control equipment (monkeys love shiny things!) and will readily pounce on them. While the pest controllers struggle to fight off the furry ones, gather all your important documents and swiftly make your move to escape through the back doors of your villa. Sneaky move, but it’ll work.

2. Contact your trusted Villa-Finder.com consultants

Don’t worry – we’re definitely much better equipped to handle the situation compared to the guys from Bali Pest control. We’ve got extensive emergency measures in place, and know Bali like the back of our hands, so we’ll be well-placed to advise you on the best routes to escape your villa or the island – whether you wish drive, fly, sail or swim your way out.

3.  Escape via helicopter

If you’ve got a bad case of monkey phobia, we recommend calling for an emergency helicopter. For best results, use in combination with strategy number one – you’ll need a decoy to buy time before the helicopter arrives.

See our villas in Bali. Selected and inspected by Villa-Finder.com