Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that Bali is the go-to destination for holidaymakers and honeymooners.

Just thinking about Bali conjures up images of beautiful sandy beaches, crystal clear water and bikini babes lying in the tropical sun.

Also read: 7 strangely abandoned places in Bali that will give you chills 

But did you know that this gorgeous island actually has a dark side? Shadows lurk in every corner, and those turquoise waves are tainted with stories even the Balinese are too scared to tell.

These are tales that may make your hair stand and your blood curdle in your veins.

Do you dare visit these places?

1. Ghost Palace Hotel
Up in the mountains of Bali on the way to the iconic Bedugul Lake, something is stirring in the fog. It’s a ghost story some two decade in the making, and it’s soaked in skin-crawling horrors…

Ghost Palace Hotel

Some say the Ghost Palace Hotel (also known as PI Bedugul Taman Rekreasi Hotel & Resort), a construction perched on a hillside, was built by Tommy Suharto. Others say it was a crooked developer who tried to curse his rivals out of the way.

If you’re brave enough to explore this place, you’ll likely see the wandering spirits of victims, either laborers crushed in their rush to complete the construction, or competitors cursed to horrible deaths.

Ghost palace hotel 2

This hotel may never have been opened to the public, but who knows if it already has a full house every night?

2. The Abandoned Wreck of Padang Padang
Do you believe in divine retribution?

If you don’t, the true story of an abandoned ship may give you second thoughts…

On a tropical Saturday morning in July of 2008, hours before the start of the famous Rip Curl Padang Cup (Indonesia’s longest-running surfing competition) was due to start, a ghostly shape was spotted on the reef near Padang Padang beach.

smh haunted ship

It was an enormous shipping vessel, the Ho Tsai Fa No. 18, which had run aground on the reef during the night.

stokedinc.com.ph haunted ship

But what’s most chilling is that her captain and crew were nowhere to be found.

After investigations probed into the ship’s history, it became clear that something bigger was at play.

The ship had been caught illegally fishing in the past, earning profits through underhand means – there were stories of murder, mutiny and lawbreaking.

surfermag hauntedship