Taman Festival Bali, the Bali you haven’t seen

As it was our 7th visit to Bali we wanted to see something beyond the beautiful beaches and sacred temples on this exotic island. Yoga at a wellness retreat in a secluded area wasn’t what we were looking for either. We know Bali has some unique sights and wanted to find something obscure, unusual and maybe even a little weird. We wanted to see the Bali you haven’t seen and heard about.

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That’s when we came across Taman Festival Bali in Sanur. Built in 1997, this ambitious project set on 8 hectares in Sanur was planned to be a theme park with Bali’s largest swimming pool, 3D Turbo Theatre, nightly laser show, a man-made volcano, hotel, amphitheatre, roller coaster and other amusement park rides and animals, including crocodiles.

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We’re going into a theme park, but this is no family day out and definitely no Disneyland.

When it was first proposed to build a theme park in this area locals were apprehensive due to spirits.

Many of the rides were never completed and in 1998 it all came to a halt when struck by lightning causing irreparable damage. Taman finally closed its doors in 2000 due to lack of funds and decline in the number of tourists visiting the park and has been abandoned ever since. Or has it?

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When Taman Festival was abandoned, Mother Nature moved back in. Today, twenty years after it was built, Taman Festival is still a place many Balinese won’t go to. Due to its abandonment, state of disrepair and rumoured that someone died on one of the rides when it first opened, many locals strongly believe it was taken over by evil spirits.

Is there any wonder they still don’t want to go there? Isn’t this a great concept for a horror movie?

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Not only do we have a concept for a horror movie, we have the scene. This place is rundown and swallowed up by a jungle. We’d heard all the stories, bats taking over the buildings, cannibal crocodiles inhabiting the park, evil spirits, etc. Fortunately for us, we didn’t encounter any of these. We are going to attribute them all to urban myth. After all urban legends and modern folklore are usually based on fictional stories with macabre outcomes.

But it wasn’t desolate and void of life, the first thing we noticed in these buildings was the presence of art.

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We go into a large amphitheatre, no roof, just open blue skies and a photo shoot is taking place. Once inside, looking back towards the entrance we see a huge painted owl watching over us all.

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Many of the walls were popping with colour, evolving with new life through the imagination of some incredible artists. These derelict buildings were now an artists’ playground and urban tapestry. These walls were a blank canvas for quirky talented artists to express themselves.

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We follow abandoned paths through the complex, coming to derelict, dilapidated buildings… and more artworks.  All the buildings today are disused, very gritty and have an eerie vibe. Care must be taken when exploring here. Not only because the locals believe long-abandoned sites lure evil spirits to take up residence, but also due to the failing structures.

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There are collapsed roofs, broken windows and trees growing into the buildings. Because of the decaying walls the buildings creak and the sagging roofs are under threat of collapse.

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In the midst of the lush vegetation we come across some crumbling, decapitated statues. They have an unconventional beauty and are quite intriguing. Sitting under a huge banyan tree is a swing made from intertwined vines. Mother Nature is taking over, thick tropical vegetation, overgrown trees and paths covered with a thick layer of leaves.

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Each building is a mysterious hidden attraction and we feel compelled to explore. They are now an artists’ paradise. It’s like we are on a scavenger hunt for art. But not all of it is good art. There are some outstanding pieces of artwork amongst a fair share of vandalism. There is a lot of debris from broken glass and leaves. Everything is becoming reclaimed by nature, vines wrapped around pillars and creeping through cracks in the walls.

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It was fascinating to see the how the concrete walls have been transformed by the hands of some creative minds whilst being slowly engulfed by Mother Nature. What was once intended to be a thrilling, well equipped recreational facility is now a derelict, decaying art gallery.

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One thing that has a strong presence in this deserted place is the plague of mosquitos. They just add to the creepy allure of this quirky attraction. Then I remember the rumour some who have entered Taman Festival have never returned, eaten by the starving crocodiles left behind to fend for themselves.

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I struggled to delve too far into some of the buildings, which I am pleased about, as I later learnt many are home to hordes of large bats.

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Fortunately we didn’t discover anything gruesome or grizzly in these deserted buildings. What we did find was walls filled with colour and life.

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Sadly, the show is over. Creating this attraction turned into a waste of both time and funds. 20 years on the decaying walls are being bought to life with colour through spray cans, paint brushes and artistic hands.

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This really is the Bali you haven’t seen. Off the beaten track, beyond the beer and beaches, this theme park will give you an adrenaline rush of a different kind and you’ll know when you’ve reached the depth of your bravery.

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Strangely this place doesn’t get a mention in any tour operator’s list of must see places in Sanur. Haunted places with creepy legends are always mesmerising and I’m surprised this abandoned theme park in Bali has not become a tourist spot with some enterprising guide charging for Taman Festival Bali tours.

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Would you have the courage to seek out the spirits and if so would you return to give your recount of your experience in this intriguing ghost town? I guess there’s only one way to find out…

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Are you a scaredy cat or would you love to visit this off the wall place that many never get to visit? Would the rumour of supposed crocodiles put you off? Does the mystical aura of this place make your skin crawl?

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17 Responses

  1. Sharon says:

    Just can’t believe what can be found in Bali. But you have to be a little adventurous.

    Cheers Sharon…
    Sharon recently posted…How safe are full face snorkel masks after deaths reported in Hawaii?My Profile

  2. I have Never seen this side of Bali! But it is a great post! Arts on the wall looks so interesting. I said woww in all pictures. Thanks for sharing

  3. Rand says:

    Wow interesting place, I’ve always been intrigued by both abandoned buildings and street art. I’d love to know more of the history behind this place.
    Rand recently posted…Best Backpacking Tents 2017: Lightweight Tents for Camping in the BackcountryMy Profile

  4. Never seen this side of Bali! But indeed a great post! Arts on the wall looks so interesting; kinda creepy but really love to roam around and see them all by myself.
    Evan Kristine recently posted…Top 14 Things to Do in Santorini (Visit Greece and Explore Its Beauty)My Profile

  5. budget jan says:

    Loved this post. The ruins have certainly provided somewhere for local street artists to create some wonderful art. Loved the guy dancing. What a great find!

  6. Oh my goodness this really is more than a little spooky but great idea for a post! This is certainly a side to Bali that most tourists don’t see. It would make an amazing location for a film, wouldn’t it? Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
    Clare (Suitcases and Sandcastles) recently posted…The 17 Must-See Sights of GozoMy Profile

  7. Fshoq! says:

    This is really the Bali I haven’t seen! I love visiting abandoned places and even visited Chernobyl, but this kind of adventure on Bali sounds awesome! Nice photos. Regards!
    Fshoq! recently posted…My Trans Siberian Railway Trip #2: YekaterinburgMy Profile

  8. Ruth says:

    You guys got to do something different for sure! The place is cool and creepy at the same times. Do you know the story about the guys who seemed to be dancing (in your photos)? Has the place been taken by people? I have seen several abandoned places used as “houses.” #FarawayFiles
    Ruth recently posted…Weekend Guide to Big Bear Lake, CaliforniaMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Ruth, those guys were doing a photo shoot. Strange location, but I’m sure the photos looked amazing. This place is definitely not taken over for housing, it really is abandoned. Apart from the photo shoot we only saw a few young kids kicking about a soccer ball.

  9. Katy says:

    Lyn that is certainly a side of Bali most tourists dont see. I loved this post and think it’s amazing how quickly the jungle reclaimed the land. It is a creepy place but some of the artwork is incredible. I especially like the tiger glaring out from the wall. It reminded me of the alt-theme park Banksy set up on the south coast of England a couple of years ago.. hmmm maybe he had seen this too! Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
    Katy recently posted…Faraway Files #51My Profile

  10. Thank for this wonderful post. I love street art and destinations of the beaten path and wouldn’t have expected such a place in Bali

  11. Wow – there is some really fascinating art work in there! I bet it was intriguing, poking around in the ruins. Not sure how far we’d get, but the art work would certainly draw us further in than if it weren’t there. Thanks for sharing on #WeekendWanderlust!
    Rob+Ann @TravelLatte(.net) recently posted…A Beginner’s Guide to BelizeMy Profile

  12. I love obscure and abandoned places! I would definitely visit! I think all the crumbling statues look pretty neat, and your pics are gorgeous! <3
    Jillian Michelle recently posted…Bali Top 10 – An Itinerary for First Time Visitors to the Island of the GodsMy Profile

  13. Michele {M says:

    I think this place looks fascinating, but I’m not sure that the rest of my family would join me here. Based on the description, I think I saw signs advertising this place when I visited Bali back in 1997. I like how artists have left their mark all over the place, but I would also be afraid something would collapse on me as I explored the grounds. Very interesting!
    Michele {M recently posted…Nine Can’t Miss Activities in KauaiMy Profile

  14. Rhonda Albom says:

    Ok, this place officially gives me the creeps. Some of the street art is very dark and foreboding. That decapitated sculpture would have me going in the opposite direction.
    Rhonda Albom recently posted…20 Unique Restaurants in Auckland New ZealandMy Profile

  1. […] and it was quite interesting to see all the creepy places people wrote about. We wrote about Taman Festival in Bali, a deserted theme park, a place where the locals say has been taken over by evil […]

  2. […] About 7km north of Sanur lies the abandoned theme park Taman Festival. Locals believe it’s home to lost spirits making it a spooky ghost town. So, if you want to explore somewhere obscure, then you might enjoy exploring Taman Festival, the Bali you haven’t seen.  […]

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