Heri Sisworo
Sometimes tourism isn’t only about beautiful places. Wonderful beaches, majestic structures, or refreshing waterfalls are a great place to visit, but there is something different out there. Sometimes, an unusual place gives a more lasting impression to the tourists.
Baca juga : Jajanan Tradisional Bali, Ada yang Sudah Eksis Semenjak Abad ke-16
Bali has several unusually eerie places that might pique your interest. These are not your usual destination, some most likely will never enter into any itinerary. But if you want to see a different face of Bali, these places are worth your time. Here are some eerie and unusual places you can find in Bali.
Trunyan Necropolis
Bali is known for its lavish Ngaben, a cremation ceremony. However, that’s not the case in Trunyan Village. The people here don’t cremate or bury the dead. Instead, they lay the body on an ancient ground near an old fragrant tree.
The bodies are protected with a wooden cage to protect them from scavenging animals. Because of the sacred Taru Menyan tree, there is no fool odor coming from decomposing bodies. Visiting this necropolis is not for the faintest of hearts as there are many human remains around.
Deaf Village of Bengkala
There is a curious phenomenon in Bengkala Village, Kubutambahan, Buleleng Regency. This North Bali village is dubbed as the ‘village of the deaf’ because more than two percent of its population are congenitally deaf.
It’s not a one-off occurence as the high number of deafness incidents in this village has been going on for more than seven generations. The people with impaired hearing here are known as kolok, and they have developed a sign language called ‘kata kolok’.
The Derelict Taman Festival Bali
Located in Sanur area near Padanggalak Beach, there is a ghost town located on a hill. This is actually vast ruins of Taman Festival Bali. The park was established in 1997 but closed shortly after because of financial and marketing problems, and now it is in the hand of the government.
You can still see the gates, ticket booth, and many more structures that have been recaptured by Mother Nature. Foliage creeps on the buildings creating an unreal sight.
Lost Planes
Have you ever felt like your sight are metaphorically stabbed because there is an object so out of place? Well in Bali you might experience that. Twice. First, when you are going deep into the forest of Bukit Peninsula, you might find a plane facing a limestone cliff.
Another plane so out of place is located at the Bypass Ngurah Rai to Nusa Dua. At the side of the road, you might see a Boeing 737 parked in a yard. Rumors say that both planes was originally about to be used as some sort of restaurant.
Gala-gala House
Gala-gala underground House is actually a man-made cave located on the southern part of Nusa Lembongan. This house features a labyrinth connecting subterranean chambers.
The house was built by Made Byasa whose occupation was a dancer, farmer, and Mangku Dalang (shadow puppet performer). His inspiration to build this house came from an episode of Mahabharata Epic when the Pandawa brothers were exiled for twelve years.
Bali does cater to many of its visitor’s needs. From a lovely outing with family to macabre tour to the open funeral site, Bali has them all. It is for you to decide whether you want to try the Next
