Written by Matin Firas Harahap
Edited by Candice Neo
Superstition is a part of the daily chitchat of Indonesians, even in the metropolis of Jakarta. Every Thursday night, local television stations fill their airwaves with tales of horror. From movies to supernatural game shows, ghost stories simply fascinate the people of Indonesia.
Also read: 5 real haunted places in Bali you may not want to visit
7 strangely abandoned places in Bali that will give you chills
Not surprisingly, the supernatural industry has become a source of income for many. Shamanist services and supernatural tours raking in millions have appealed to the hearts of all segments of society.
This Halloween, our team of experts have brought together the most chilling stories that will have you sleeping with the lights on…
(Note: This article contains graphic images.)
1) A Thousand Doors, a Thousand Horror Stories: Lawang Sewu, Semarang
Widely said to be Indonesia’s most haunted place, the Lawang Sewu is notorious for being featured in the final episode of a local paranormal TV series, where an apparition was caught on video. A few days later, rumours spread online that one of the participants had died mysteriously.
Photo via estergita
Sitting right in the heart of Semarang, the Lawang Sewu marked the Dutch’s success in Indonesia. Rich in colonial era atmosphere, the building itself is a majestic piece of architecture and a modern marvel at that time. Underground tunnels that were made to cool the building also served as passageways connecting it to the Governor’s residence and harbours.
Photo via jesenwiranata, virtuatravelr, ryo wibowo
During the Japanese Occupation, the Lawang Sewu was used as their headquarters in Semarang. The underground tunnels of Building B served as prisons where inmates were brutally tortured, and their decapitated heads were piled in a corner of the basement.
Photo via wisatanesia
Climb up a few set of stairs and you may get goosebumps. The ghost of a girl who committed suicide to escape torture is said to be roaming the tower, often with feet floating off the ground!
Photo via pulsk-wikimedia
Lawang Sewu
Location: Komplek Tugu Muda, Jalan Pemuda, Semarang, Jawa Tengah 13220. Coordinates here.
Opening Hours: 06:00-18:00
Entrance Fee: 10,000 IDR (0.74 USD) + 20,000 IDR (2.22 USD) for basement tour
2) An Other-worldly Commute: Bintaro Railway and Manggarai Station
Widely condemned as the nation’s most devastating railway accident, two trains collided head-on on Monday morning, 19th October 1987, in Bintaro, South Jakarta due to an internal miscommunication.
More than 100 lives were lost, some were thrown out on impact, while others bled to death as they were crushed in between pieces of metal. It was a gruesome scene, and it took almost two days to completely evacuate the bodies.
Photo via dudy sudibyo, wikimedia
Since then, the number of accidents on the exact stretch of railway has oddly increased, especially on Mondays. Increasingly widespread were stories of drivers who did not notice warning signs of an oncoming train in time. There was also a spike in the number of pedestrians who walked onto the railway tracks, right in front of a speeding train, and they were believed to be possessed by the Deaf Spirit or Hantu Budek.
The most recent major accident took place in late 2013, when an oil tanker was struck by a train, causing a huge explosion killing seven people. Regarded as Tragedi Bintaro II, the accident reminded the public of the railway’s dark past.
Photo via dian-triyuli-handoko-tempo
The story doesn’t end there – for decades, the wrecks from railway accidents around Jakarta are brought to a ‘train graveyard’ at Manggarai Station where they are put to rest. Unfortunately, although the trains have stopped operating, the same can’t be said for souls attached to them. Besides the apparitions reported on this site alone, trains have also been seen to be travelling way past operational hours with no one on board.
Photo via badilscom
One of the most bizarre stories is that of a college student who saw what looked like victims inside the train he was on late one night. Surprisingly his legs became sore when he reached his destination. He talked about what happened with the security guards duty, only to find out that there was no train all along and he had run the whole way.
Tragedi Bintaro
Location: Jl. Bintaro Permai IV
Accident 1 Coordinates: -6.261386, 106.761100
Accident 2 Coordinates: -6.256767, 106.762985
Stasiun Manggarai
Location: Manggarai, Tebet, South Jakarta City 12850. Coordinates here.
3) Don’t Forget to Honk when passing by, Jakarta
There is one thing Jl. Casablanca is known for – inhumane levels of traffic, all day, every day. As the main access road connecting the suburbs to the city, the number of drivers and their dodgy road ethics will surely haunt you in your sleep.
Photo via Matin (TripCanvas)
The traffic is so bad that passing by Jl. Casablanca every day, we often forget the road’s sinister secret. Although the eight-kilometre stretch consists mainly of straight roads, it is a surprising fact that an accident occurs here every other week, and even the newly built flyover has already claimed a number of lives.
Tracing back to its origins, when Jl. Casablanca was built in the 80s, an underpass had cut right through the Menteng Pulo cemetery. The mishandling of corpses while relocating them is said to have upset the spirits, including a particular Lady in Red.
Photo via jurukunci
A few years later, an elderly man was found hanging by the neck at the end of the underpass.
Photo via andi-irawan-youtube
And so they say, always remember to honk three times as you enter the tunnel or you might be given an unpleasant welcome!
Photo via chandrawitts, nurimanwidianto
4) Go on a Supernatural Shopping Spree at Mall Klender, Jakarta
The sudden collapse of Indonesia’s economy in the late 90s had stirred up violence within the people, resulting in looting, mass murders and rape.
On May 15, 1998, an army of looters seized the Yogyakarta Department Store.
As shopkeepers and visitors scrambled for safety, a fire was deliberately started and soon engulfed the four-storey building. More than 300 people were trapped. Afraid of being harmed if they escaped the building, they remained inside to meet their fiery death.
The scars of what is now referred to as Mei Kelabu (‘Grey May’ in English) remains in the hearts of the affected, no matter how hard they try to forget. One of the darker moments in Indonesia’s history, the incident shook the nation as well as the international community.
Although the departmental store was rebuilt as the Klender Mall in the year 2000, it is still difficult for the locals to let go of the traumatic memories that linger here. Eight ghosts are said to haunt the area, including phantom bus passengers who usually hitch a ride at night, only to disappear a few hundred metres later.
Photo via segiempat
A phone booth that was part of the original building is also never removed as it is believed it would upset the spirits attached to it.
Mall Klender
Location: Jl. I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Duren Sawit Kota Jakarta Timur 13470. Coordinates here.
5) The Epicentre of the ‘Bogor Triangle’: Mount Salak
Out of the many places in Indonesia that claim to be haunted, Mount Salak has swallowed the greatest number of victims to date, including seven unexplained air crashes in the past decade that involved planes which suddenly lost contact with control towers.
Photo via sonofmountmalang
Although not as tall as most mountains in Java, conquering Mount Salak is considered to be a daunting task, even to experienced hikers. Besides its deadly trails, lakes and poisonous gas claim the lives of unlucky hikers every year. Many of those who survive tell horrific tales walking around in circles for hours when they lost their way in its dense forests.
Photo via fineartamerica, neil wade
The most recent air crash on Mount Salak took place on May 9th, 2012, when a Russian Superjet on a test run supposedly flew right into the face of a cliff after losing radio contact, killing everyone on board.
Photo via wirasatria, inilah.com
But more peculiarly, the search and rescue team all reported of having the exact same dream about a mysterious woman who led them into a house full of beautiful women. The same team also reported to have heard a woman crying for help, but she was never found. The cries oddly came from a different area than that of the crash.
Mount Salak
Location: Mt Salak, Pasawahan, Cicurug, Sukabumi 43359. Coordinates here.