If you think you’ve seen all that Bali has to offer—surf beaches, hip cafés, infinity pools overlooking rice terraces—think again.

On the eastern shores of Lake Batur lies a village that defies logic, science, and perhaps even death itself. Welcome to Desa Trunyan, a place where the dead are not buried, not cremated—but left in the open air. And strangely? There’s no smell.

Somewhere in the vibrant chaos of Tepito — one of Mexico City’s most notorious neighborhoods — there’s a quiet corner that draws people in like a spiritual magnet. Candles flicker, skulls glimmer in the dim light, and offerings of tequila, cigarettes, and candy pile up around a robed skeletal figure. This is La Santa Muerte, the “Saint of Death,” and she’s unlike anything you’ve seen in a Catholic church.