Fantasy World: The Abandoned Theme Park

The majority of Fantasy World was built and has now become a hugely popular tourist destination. With only a small entrance fee into the park, the grounds have become a hotspot for photographers to work their magic.

The park is in the north of the country in the municipality of Lemery, around a four-hour drive from the capital Manila. For anyone travelling to the park, there are some beautiful locations nearby to check out.

Taal Lake lies just to the east and holds the second most active volcano in the Philippines. Around a 40-minute drive south, situated on the stunning Balayan Bay, is the Minor Basilica of St Martin de Tours, the largest church in the Philippines and in Asia.

The park was built in 2001 to rival the Philipino Disneyland, but a lack of financing meant the park could never open. In 2017, the park’s owner ECE Realty & Development installed rides and converted Fantasy World into a photo park to make use of the grounds. The park is still maintained, although the fading paint on the German-style castles gives the place an eerie feel.

And thrill-seekers, don’t get too excited as the rides are non-functional. There is, however, continued speculation about whether or not the park will be completed and fully operational in the foreseeable future.

To get into the park it will cost 1,000 Philippine pesos for a group of 10 people, but for access to certain rooms and to sit on the throne it will cost extra. For the whole package, you can even buy the exclusive clubhouse lifetime membership pass. No need to buy queue jumps to the rides.