Monkey Jungle: A South Florida Family Vacation Hidden Jewel

During the last school vacation, Spring break, our family decided to head south to the keys, and along the way, stopped at Monkey Jungle. Monkey Jungle is located in South Miami-Dade county. The park is a bit off of the main road, US 1, and there are not many signs to guide the way, but many locals know of the popular spot. Having visited once while in college, we decided our children would LOVE this unique visit.

Started in 1933, Monkey Jungle sits on a 30 acre preserve and is home to nearly 400 monkeys, orangutans, and a very social gorilla named King. According to the park's website, it is the only habitat for endangered primates that the public can explore. Their motto says it best, "Where the humans are caged, and the monkeys run wild."

The fun begins as soon as you walk through the front gates. Once you recover from the wallet shock, the park can be a little pricey with adult tickets costing $29.95 and children costing $23.95, be sure to purchase some monkey snacks from the ticket/gift office. We have always bypassed the snack bar which offers the typical park fair of hot dogs, burgers, pizza, chips, and soda, etc. Just past the eating area, the human cages begin.

Feeding the monkeys is the highlight of the trip. Our girls would have been happy to continue to plop those raisins into the little metal dishes the monkeys would drop through the cages and then hoist back up again with their special prize. It kept them entranced. The monkeys would ask for a treat, waving their arms, and sit there and wait for you to comply. There were dishes scattered throughout the park, from start to finish. Humans would walk through the cages while the monkeys ran wild all around playing and looking for food. Be sure to watch out for the surprise "yellow rain" attacks from above.

Monkey Jungle also offers 4 special presentations and locations in the park. The first you will encounter is the monkey swimming pool. Along with a colorful array of fish, the pond provides a place for the monkeys to come swim and play. One of the guides, during scheduled feeding times, will also work to display the fun antics of the monkeys, including diving.

Your second presentation location will be the Orangutan enclosure. A guide will feed and interact with the primate, including a beauty called Mei. They are very responsive and entertaining, and while we were there, Mei was quite fond of holding his bag. Be sure to also visit the gorilla enclosure to see King. He is a great big lowland gorilla who just recently was moved into this new, larger enclosure. King responds to the guide by standing, dancing, and imitating facial expression. For being such a large intimidating figure, King came across as very lovable.

Lastly, make a stop at the Amazonian Rainforest exhibit. Most of the plants were gathered and shipped to the park from around Iquitos, Peru in order to simulate the rainforest as much as possible. There are three types of monkeys in this area including howlers, capuchins, and squirrel monkeys. All three types show up for the guide when it is feeding time.

Monkey Jungle is a wonderful day stop for families, especially those with children. There is something about feeding these creatures that just brings a smile to your face. Even though the tickets may be a bit pricy, it is well worth the money. With operating hours of 9:30 - 5:00, it is a perfect day trip. Our children thoroughly enjoyed the park, and we will be returning again in the future. I highly recommend at least one trip for any family.

Monkey Jungle is located at
14805 SW 216 Street
Miami, Florida.

http://monkeyjungle.com/