Mystery of the abandoned 737 plane in Bali

The plane sits in an unusual spot. Photo / Skyrial Bali YouTube

Surrounded by shipping containers and a shabby hut in a field in Bali lies a surprising and baffling sight — an abandoned Boeing 737 plane. Nobody is quite sure how it got there — or why.

Located in a limestone quarry on the southern coast of the Bukit Peninsula, the aircraft is about five minutes away from the stunning Pandawa Beach and just off the Raya Nusa Dua Selatan Highway.

So how did nobody notice the arrival of such a massive plane, right by a major road?

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==Abandoned plane in South Kuta== This hidden abandoned plane is situated near the idyllic Pandawa beach. Like the one in Kuta, there are people who claimed to be their owners, with plans to turn these gigantic flying contraptions into restaurants. These planes have yet to come to fruition, though for now, the abandoned plane serves as a unique attraction for adventure-loving seekers, who would love to attempt walking on a wing without risking their necks. Photo by MehTheSheep Bali Originally authored by Ng Jia Yi ================================ Coordinates: 8°49'55.2"S 115°11'15.0"E ================================ Full article: http://bali.mehthesheep.com/abandoned-places-bali/ #bali #travel #abandon #mehthesheep

A post shared by TripCanvas (@tripcanvas.travel) on Apr 27, 2015 at 7:18am PDT

That remains a mystery, as does the question of why here, and not a designated plane graveyard?

The plane has no livery or identifiable marks. Some speculate that it was to be converted into a restaurant but the owner ran out of money and left it to rust away. But that's as far as the rumours go.

Instead, it is becoming a popular tourist attraction, along with another "lost" 737 that sits about 8km north.

However, the plane is located on private property surrounded by a huge gate and what appears to be a security guard, so those wanting to get a look up close need to pay a fee for access. Even then, they are lucky to be allowed inside.

A Vice reporter who tried to scale the fence to sneak a look — unsuccessfully — wrote about how they saw it from a distance and could tell it was "creepy", making them glad they couldn't actually get inside.

Meanwhile, travel blogger Josh recorded the exciting moment he laid eyes on the plane in a YouTube video. He says he asked locals and scoured the internet but could find nothing about why the plane was there.

"I have no idea how they got this plane to just sit here, but it's here," Josh says, and then tries to get access but is denied.

"I have never drove (sic) this far not to get inside something."

Another traveller, Duncan Lyster, also recorded his failed attempt to get up close to the aircraft.

"We just paid like 25 cents each to come up this little hill to take a nice photo," Mr Lyster said. "I don't think we're going to be able to get down there cos there's a security guard and fences all around but should be cool to take a look."

And so the mystery remains.