Is Monkey Island in Nha Trang safe — do the monkeys bite tourists?

Bring peanuts to feed the monkeys — they line up eagerly at the sight of a bag. Small monkeys can be hand-fed, but be cautious with large ones, as some climb onto people and sit on them while eating. For bananas, it's better to feed away from the main habitat area, along the narrow road where many baby monkeys with their parents gather.

One family visited Monkey Island independently, without a guided tour — they walked around, fed the monkeys, and rode go-karts. The experience was positive, and they concluded there's no need to book an organized excursion; visiting on your own is fine.

A traveler who visited Monkey Island 16 years ago recalled being approached aggressively by a monkey — only a nearby guide managed to drive it away. Now back in Nha Trang, they refuse to return to the island based on that experience.

A family skipped Monkey Island due to its reputation for biting monkeys, opting instead for a capybara café — where their child was bitten by a capybara. Fortunately the bite was minor. The takeaway: both Monkey Island and exotic animal cafés carry real risks, especially for children.