Bali’s known to be a spiritually charged place with various folklore and ghost stories. From the infamous Black Magic Island – more commonly known as Nusa Penida – to Ghost Palace Hotel, there are plenty of places loved by ghost hunters. But if you’re someone just looking for some Halloween fun, head to Frankenstein’s Laboratory.
It’s a Halloween-themed bar in Seminyak that’s open 7 nights a week – with free cabaret shows for both kids and adults.
Frankenstein’s Laboratory has 2 sessions each day. Those with kids below 12 can head to the early Family Show at The Laboratory, which includes a Zombie Meet & Greet, 2 cabaret shows, live acoustic band sets, and zombie face-painting. Parents don’t have to worry about their young kiddos missing their bedtime, either – doors open at 4.30pm and closes at 8.15pm.
We made a reservation for the 2nd show, the Adult Show, only open to those above 13. No expectations; when we arrived at Frankenstein’s Laboratory, we were brought to a different entrance which led us into the Time Warp Lab. Not before having a jump scare from one of the scare actors who was dressed like a dead nun, though.
The Time Warp Lab is where you can get some pre-drinks while waiting for the doors to open to the cabaret at The Laboratory. Snap some pics while the “ghosts” rove around from table to table. If you feel a little too human, you can also have regular face painting (Rp80,000, ~S$6.88) and deluxe Hollywood SFX silicone make-up (Rp140,000, ~S$12.05).
We got the regular face painting.
To add to the spooky fun, drinks are served in test tubes, syringes, conical flasks and IV bags. We got the Franken Libre (Rp119,000, ~S$10.24), their version of the Cuba Libre cocktail served in a beaker. And of course, how could we leave Frankenstein’s Laboratory without ordering one of their famous IV Bag cocktails?
Basically, you can choose your drink of choice to be served in an IV Bag for 2 people. We ordered the Brain Juice (Rp189,000, ~S$16.26), a concoction of vodka, pomegranate and passionfruit syrup, and fresh lime.
Don’t worry about having a meal before heading here. You can watch the cabaret AND have dinner. The Monster Bites menu has Aussie-style juicy homemade burgers like Dr Frankenstein (Rp118,000, ~S$10.15), which has 180g beef patty, cheddar cheese, caramelised onion, veggies, and a fried egg on a sesame seed bun.
Alternatively, order Indonesian dishes like chicken nasi goreng (Rp79,000, ~S$6.80) or Sumatran beef rendang (Rp99,000, ~S$8.52).
And of course, the main highlight of Frankenstein’s Laboratory is the cabaret show, which included lots of fire spinning and dancing to classics like Michael Jackson’s Thriller and tunes from Beetlejuice.
If one of your friends is celebrating his or her birthday, this is the time to sabo them so they get to go on stage.
We’re not lying when we say that our night out at Frankenstein’s Laboratory was probably one of the highlights of our trip. While we expected it to be quite gimmicky, it turned out to be a cool experience, from when we entered the Time Warp Lab, all the way to the performances.
The bonus is that the shows are free, and you only have to pay for food and drinks. Who says you can only celebrate Halloween on 31st October?
Address: Jalan Camplung Tanduk No.6, Seminyak, Kecematan Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Opening hours: 5pm-12am, Daily
Contact: +62 361 731622
For more things to do in Bali:
Photography by Hui Wen Chan & Doreen Fan.
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