Visit Bali's ghost palace: The abandoned ghost hotel

The abandoned Bali ghost hotel is definitely a different Bali experience! This deserted resort in Bedugul had been on my must-do list for a while. Exploring a deserted luxury resort in Bali that is slowly being claimed by creeping vegetation – the emptiness, the creepiness, the beauty and the intrigue of a ghost hotel in Bali was something I just had to do.

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It’s not often you get a chance to take a look into an abandoned hotel, so this time in Bali it was top of the list. The hotel is not open to the public but our driver had told us that you could make a deal with the security guard here so we were up for giving it a shot.

We set off early in the morning from Sanur for Bedugul, leaving the shopfronts, cafes and tourists behind and traveling past paddies, villages and beautiful temples, past deep green jungle and rivers as the temperature dropped and blue sky was replaced with white cloud and swirling mist.

After around 90 minutes we were there, pulling up in front of a gate made with bamboo stakes and tied together with rope. It’s actually right on the main road – I was surprised cause I thought it would be out in the middle of nowhere, but it’s really easy to find.

In we went, wandering up the drive to the hotel. Our driver declined to come in as said he had been before, but only to the lobby where he was terrified with the sense of spirits that he would never go in again…wahh spooky! The monkey forest in Ubud is scarier to me than a ghost hotel so we continued on. A security guard/cleaner who was sweeping leaves from the drive gave us a smile and asked for a 10,000 entrance fee (around $1). Easy. We were in.

About the abandoned hotel

The ghost hotel is an abandoned luxury resort also known as the Bedugul Taman Rekreasi Hotel & Resort. It’s in Bedugal, the northern lakes region of Bali and was built in the 1990s.

The word is that it was being built by Tommy Suharto and a consortium of investors. If that name rings a bell it’s because Tommy is the son of the then President of Indonesia – you can read all about him here and it’s pretty mind-blowing in terms of corruption. In the late ’90s Tommy went into hiding after being convicted of an $11 million land scam and then organised the assassination of the judge that had convicted him. He was convicted of that murder in 2002 and served a few years in a luxury retreat, often being seen at his favourite golf course and around Jakarta during his internment.

Amidst all this the hotel was abandoned and still stands as it was, a testament to corruption and the dark power of privilege and nepotism.

Ghosts at the hotel

It’s said that the hotel is haunted by the ghosts of workers who died there during its construction. While I’m not a big believer of hauntings to be perfectly honest there were a few rooms there where I felt a thud in my heart and my hair stood on end and I got out of those rooms quick smart. It was very odd. There is certainly a presence there and the atmosphere is a little spooky – but of course it’s a deserted resort, it’s going to be – and that’s also part of the appeal.

The hotel grounds

The grounds at the front of the hotel certainly aren’t as overgrown as they could be so it is being maintained in some way, however at the back the resort is entirely overgrown with thick jungle all the way up to the balconies that overlook the paddies and views out to the mountains. There are pathways that we just couldn’t try. It’s quite beautiful how the greenery is creeping in and crawling its way into rooms and bathrooms.

There are huge common balconies that seem to adjoin the suite balconies – I’m not sure how private it would have been with people walking right past your room – but the views really are stunning and waking up to the misty mountains and paddies would have been incredible.

The stairway outside leads to a beautiful candi bentar, or split gateway with serpents on either side of the staircase.

It really is beautiful and would have looked incredible in its glory…it looks amazing now covered in wild grass and creeping jungle.

Inside the ghost hotel

Walking around inside the Bali ghost hotel is awesome! It’s kind of spooky, and it’s so huge, quiet and fascinating. I wish we had stayed longer and explored every room. But we loved what we found while we snooped around.

There are lots of rooms here – some surprisingly are really small while others are huge with living areas and large private balconies. Some rooms have the electronic key swipes installed, and all have tiled bathrooms with bath (I couldn’t see any holes in the tiles for shower attachments?) and toilet , some have walk in robes. Most have spectacular views.

The lower floors are all caked in mud from the rain, and there is a lot of mould but it’s all in surprisingly good condition. There’s no evidence of squatters so security obviously does a good job keeping people out.

There’s lots of light here though although i used my Iphone torch to check out the bathrooms.

Here’s some pics of some of the guest areas – I don’t know what they would have been – maybe just a lounge/tour desk area

The staircases were pretty amazing too:

It’s so sad that it didn’t get to reach it’s grandness, and I’m sure locals were expecting to have many tourists to help with their businesses. A restaurant next to the resort looks like it too is abandoned. I’m sure the owner thought lots of guests were coming his way.

Other interesting things to do in Bali:

This was one of my favourite things to do in Bali, and I would love to go back and see if it has changed.

Check out all these fun and interesting activities in Bali like:

Mount Batur: Private Sunrise Jeep Tour and Natural Hot Spring

Ayung River and Whitewater rafting

Swim with manta rays in Nusa Penida

How to get there

It’s pretty easy to find the Bali ghost hotel – either take your scooter or hire a driver. You can find directions in google maps – just use ‘Bedugul Taman Rekreasi Hotel Restaurant’. This is the address: P.I. Bedugul Taman Rekreasi Hotel Restoran, Batunya, Baturiti, Kabupaten Tabanan, Bali 82191, Indonesia

It’s on the main road on the right hand side as you drive up the mountain about 10 minutes before the Lake Temple. If you take a car your driver will likely know how to find it.

Where to stay

If you’re keen to stay in a fancy resort that is not deserted while you explore the ghost hotel check out the Padma Resort & Spa Ubud and other resorts we love include The Padma Resort & Spa Legian, the Hard Rock Hotel Kuta, and the Westin Nusa Dua.