Help! I am mugged by a monkey mafia!

You think Indonesia may be the perfect place to spend your holiday. I thought so, too. But if you ever find yourself in Bali and you’re visiting the picturesque Uluwatu temple, then beware of the sneaky cheeky monkeys that live there. Yes, you should really be on the lookout for mischievous monkeys when you are in Bali. And you’d better take my word for it!

I was on holiday in Bali last month. I was visiting that temple. Then I saw them, the world's sneakiest animals. Those long-tailed macaques live near that temple. They have figured out how to steal the belongings of tourists. They grab valuables, such as glasses, purses, hats, flip-flops and cameras. Then they wait for you to offer them food. Yes, they sell your stuff back to you for food!

On that day I was walking towards the temple. Then all of a sudden one of these took my smartphone. No one wants to get their phone stolen on holiday, of course. But what about being robbed by a monkey? Oh, God! It must be a joke! I immediately asked for help from officials. They gave him his favourite snacks and we could get my phone back. Phew. That was a nightmare. I thought I would never get my phone back. “You should have had their favourite snacks with you,” said the officials laughingly. But I wasn’t laughing.

Still, I was lucky because it could have been worse. These monkeys at the temple steal your belongings for food. But I heard there are also monkeys that do not accept food. They only want money to give your stuff back. I think people must have trained them to steal. I think money can’t have any value to an animal. Am I wrong?

This holiday has made me a professional monkey thief catcher and here are my tips to stay safe from this macaque mafia if you are planning to visit Bali. First, you should take off little things like spectacles, wallets, handbags and so on. Yes, all of them! You must keep a safe distance from the monkeys. You shouldn’t try to steal items back from these monkeys. It is a risky move; instead, you should ask for help. And the last but not least you had better keep a tasty treat with you to get your stuff back. You have been warned!