As Halloween draws near, Jakartans’ thirst for everything horror seems to be growing bigger. 

While most people are choosing to read scary novels, play horror video games or attend costume parties to get in the Halloween spirit, some residents of the capital have been experiencing the thrills firsthand by going on tours to “haunted” places.

The Jakarta Mystical Tour, the first of its kind, was organized by tour operator Biang Overlander last Friday, bringing participants to spots in Jakarta associated with urban legends.

Riyan, an office worker from Salemba, Central Jakarta, said he did not mind joining the tour right after office hours, as he was curious about the supernatural realm.

“I came here alone straight from the office. I’m quite tired honestly, but I had to endure it because I am very curious to see all the haunted places listed on the tour itinerary, especially the Saidah Tower, which has become quite popular recently,” Riyan told The Jakarta Post on Friday night before the tour started, referring to an abandoned 28-story building located in Cawang, East Jakarta.

A big horror fan, Riyan said he hoped to see ghosts during the tour if possible. “It would be amazing if I could see ghosts or other supernatural entities during the tour.”

By paying Rp 350,000 (US$24) per person, tour participants can visit 10 of the most famous “haunted” places in Jakarta, including Saidah Tower in East Jakarta, Jeruk Purut Cemetery and Casablanca underpass in South Jakarta as well as Ancol Bridge in North Jakarta.

The tour on Friday lasted from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., taking around 50 tour members by bus from a café in Kuningan, South Jakarta, to 10 destinations. On the bus, the guide explained the histories and urban legends of the sites.

Upon arrival at the first destination, Langsat Park in South Jakarta, tour members took pictures and listened to the tour guide explain the area’s past. 

Some of the places visited, like the Casablanca underpass, Ancol Bridge and the Potato House in Prapanca, could only be observed from inside the bus, while other destinations, like Langsat Park, Prasasti Museum, the Red Shop and the Jakarta History Museum, could only be observed from outside of the venue.

Ferly Firdausi from Biang Overlander said the tour created a buzz among horror lovers in Jakarta.

“It’s our first time organizing a horror-themed tour, and since such a tour is considered unusual in Jakarta, we are overbooked. At first we wanted to organize the tour as a one-time only [event]. But since there are a lot of people signing up for the tour, we decided to add two more tours on Nov. 1 and 15,” he said, adding that so far almost 150 people had registered.

Another tour participant, Oki, a 40-year-old man living in East Jakarta, said he had applied for the tour because he had long been a fan of all things horror.

“I have been fascinated with horror-related things since I was still in junior high school, because my father has a sixth sense and used to tell me scary stories,” Oki told the Post, adding that he was curious to see Saidah Tower.

Oki said he joined the tour alone because his wife did not really like horror stories. “So I came here by myself. Even when I watch horror movies in cinemas, I usually do it alone because she does not like it,” he said while laughing.

Oki said he loved visiting old buildings, especially the ones that had a reputation of being haunted, and he even went to Europe to see them.

“When I was a kid I watched a TV series called The Terror of London Bridge. Since then, I had really wanted to see the London Bridge. So when I got the chance to go to Europe, I visited the bridge. I went to other famous haunted buildings as well like a Nazi concentration camp in Germany,” he said.

As a tour organizer herself, Ira Latief, a woman living in Cakung, North Jakarta, said she decided to join the tour because its uniqueness piqued her curiosity.

“As a tour guide myself, I am actually familiar with several places listed on the tour itinerary. But since I’ve never tried any mystical tour or night tour, I am curious about trying it out,” she said, adding that she was also an avid horror fan.

However, Riyan, Oki and Ira expressed disappointment after the tour because they were unable to enter all the places listed on the itinerary.

“I thought we would go inside all the haunted buildings, but most of the time we only looked at them from the outside. It’s not scary,” Riyan said.

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