Weird Places

Abandoned buildings, aeroplane graveyards, creepy cemeteries, weird museums and unusual temples… Discover the weirdest places in Southeast Asia!

Owl Graffiti at Taman Festival, Abandoned Theme Park in Bali

Taman Festival: An Abandoned Theme Park in Bali

Abandoned for two decades, Taman Festival is a deserted theme park that’s becoming consumed by mother nature, making it an incredible place for backpackers, photographers and urbex explorers alike. Locals say its haunted and there are rumours of a man-eating crocodile who resides inside…

Window with floor map writtten on at Chiang Mai's derelict women's prison

Doing Time – Inside an Abandoned Prison, Chiang Mai, Thailand

In the heart of Chiang Mai’s Old Quarter, I stumbled upon an intriguing hole in a wall which led me to the derelict shell of an Abandoned Women’s Prison… Cell blocks with paint peeling off the walls, an old dining hall where a solitary bowl sits reminding us of the hundreds of prisoners that used to eat here and a dusty visitors room are all that’s left of this penitentiary of the past.

City of Ghosts: A Glimpse of Vietnam’s Affluent Afterlife at An Bang Cemetery

Way off the usual tourist trail lies the biggest Cemetery in Vietnam, An Bang Cemetery (Nghĩa Trang An Bắng in Vietnamese), known locally as “City of Ghosts.” When traveller India-Jayne Trainor was asked if she wanted to explore it by her EasyRider driver whilst on a tour of the Hai Van Pass, she was intrigued and a little nervous…

Naypyidaw, Myanmar, The Artificial City: 10-Lane Highways & No People

Myanmar’s Naypyidaw almost feels like Las Vegas if it had a population of 1,000 and took down most of the bright signs that paint the strip in the nighttime. Palm trees line 10-lane highways, the bright sun provides a beaming heat and big hotels can be found packed next to each other. But there’s hardly a soul to be found…

Grafitti-and-puddles-in-abandoned-building-off-main-road-near-Chiang-Mai-Thailand

The Joy of Urbex: Why Exploring Abandonded Places Beats Full Moon Parties

Urban exploration (“urbex” for short) had already been popular long before the term came into use. Children over the years have dared each other to go into the spooky abandoned house down the road, often spurred on by claims that it is haunted. Teenagers often use such places as the setting for their early experimentation with cigarettes and other forbidden substances. The interest for adults, however, has grown exponentially over recent years, heavily fuelled by the growing trend in social media, especially Instagram.

Sunset at Wat Phra Sorn Kaew

10 Places in Thailand That Backpackers Rarely Visit

A glo-paint smeared body, bucket in each hand and a night of dancing and debauchery? A perfect palm-fringed, white sandy beach, waves lapping into shore as you sip a fresh coconut juice? Or perhaps, it’s the chaos of Bangkok; the colourful markets, bustling streets and glitzy shopping malls? What does Thailand mean to you? Here we present to you a different side of Thailand, a quirky side and 10 unexpected and unusual places that are often overlooked by backpackers…

The Renovation of Bokor Hill Station, Cambodia: How to Ruin a Ruin!

When visiting Cambodia there is a well-trodden path of historical sites: lines of tourists tentatively explore the barren corridors of Tuol Sleng Torture Museum and amble timidly around the Killing Fields, groups jostle for the best view of Angkor Wat’s imposing silhouette as it is illuminated by sunrise and queue for photographs alongside the weathered stones of Ta Phrom. If you’re looking for a route less worn by the burgeoning tourism industry, for a site refreshingly free from tour operators and entrance fees, look no further than the eerie ghost town of Bokor Hill Station. Backpacker, Lottie Butler, explores…

The Black House, Chiang Rai, Thailand

The White Temple & The Black House: Chiang Rai, Thailand

Just five hours north from Chiang Mai, is the smaller, less touristy city of Chiang Rai. Many travellers arrive here on a northward journey from Chiang Mai to Laos and are already feeling ‘templed out’ by the 300+ temples that make up the ancient walled city of Thailand’s cultural capital. However, there is just one more experience that awaits the culture vultures amongst you! And we promise this one is worth a look! Dubbed the ‘heaven’ and ‘hell’ of architecture, the White Temple and the Black House will conjure a clashing of emotions. One dark, mysterious and almost sadistic, the other white, ethereal and other-worldly, these two opposing buildings couldn’t be more different…

Shopping Cart
Scroll to Top