Monkey grabbed fruit off our outdoor breakfast table — eat inside or keep dining out with a guard plate?

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Hill guesthouse terrace, not the Sigiriya summit path and not a crow-stealing-toast cafe. A monkey dropped from the roof line, took a banana off the plate, and stared at the juice. Staff laughed. Partner wants to keep eating outside because the view is why we booked. I am done sharing breakfast with wildlife. Do people move inside after one grab, or is a covered plate and no eye contact enough?

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6 Answers from travellers

Accepted Answer

Once a monkey has successfully taken food from your table, outdoor breakfast becomes a negotiation you will lose. Move inside or to a screened area for the rest of the stay. Covered cloches help for a minute; eye contact and leftover fruit invite a return. This is different from forest-path monkeys on a climb — this is a learned terrace raid. I will not invent a monkey fee or a tip to staff for shooing. Ask for an indoor table; good hosts already know the pattern.

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Saman Terrace Host1770 rep

One banana theft. Indoor table thereafter. Still liked the guesthouse.

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Asking for indoor seating tomorrow. Juice stays covered until we sit.

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Schedule mattered more than eye contact. Same minute every morning. We moved inside.

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Noah No Contact171 rep

Cloche is a delay, not a solution, after a successful grab.

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Priya Cloche169 rep

Roof drop means practice. You are not going to out-cute that. Eat inside.

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Felix Roof Drop173 rep

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