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The worship of elderly maneaters Pu Sae and Ya Sae predates the existence of Thailand, having originated with the Lawa people who inhabited Chiang Mai 1,500 years ago.

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One of the Lawa’s legends is that of the gruesome twosome, who stalked Lord Buddha, intending to eat him, before coming under his spell and morphing into ghosts that forever roam these mountains.

Doi Suthep looms above Chiang Mai and is a tourist attraction thanks to its hiking trails, gardens and gilded temples.

2. Feroz Shah Kotla Fort (New Delhi, India)

You may not be able to see them, but apparently you are surrounded by demons as you wander through the sprawling remains of a once-grand complex in central Delhi.

The 14th-century Feroz Shah Kotla Fort is, local legend has it, inhabited by shape-shifting spirits known as jinn.

In Arabic lore, jinn are said to curse Muslims. These supernatural beings, which can take the form of humans or animals, or remain invisible, have supposedly haunted this fort since it was built for an Islamic sultan in the 1350s.

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While many people visit this complex to admire its crumbling architecture, others do so to pray to jinn, asking for their help or mercy by leaving letters and amulets.

3. Buddha Park (Vientiane, Laos)

In the quiet, southern outskirts of Vientiane, we are looking for clues in a field of giant devils and deities.

Legend has it that scattered in this park of sculptures are hints that explain the curious philosophy of its creator, the cult leader Bunleua Sulilat (1932-96), who formed his own religion by fusing Buddhism, Hinduism and shamanism, and used his charisma and mystique to garner a large following in the 1970s.

That was when he built this place, then called Spirit City. It is a green haven decorated with more than 200 sculptures from Lao, Indian, Chinese, Cambodian and Thai cultures, many of which look ferocious.

Some 26 years after Sulilat died, this place is now called Buddha Park and is an offbeat tourist attraction, thanks to its bizarre backstory and photogenic setting.

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4. Oiwa Inari Tamiya Jinja shrine (Tokyo, Japan)

This Shinto shrine in Shinjuku is believed to be home to one of Japan’s most famous ghosts, Oiwa, a vengeful wife who has haunted Tokyo for centuries.

She has inspired dozens of films, plays and television shows, and continues to cast a dark cloud over Japan’s capital.

Many people who visit this shrine, in a peaceful backstreet, direct their prayers to this spirit. Some of them do so by writing their wishes on ema, small wooden plaques that can be seen hanging in Shinto and Buddhist complexes around the country.

Oiwa is the central character in the ancient folk tale of Yotsuya Kaidan. When her husband murdered her so he could marry another woman, Oiwa returned as a ghost to not just haunt her former beau, but curse his entire family.

This shrine was supposedly built to placate Oiwa’s vengeful spirit.

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5. Pura Goa Lawah (Bali, Indonesia)

As we approach the Pura Goa Lawah temple, we are spooked by the shrieking of bats, thousands of which are hanging from the roof of the cave around which the complex is built.

Legend has it that the bats are snacks for the monstrous snake, known as Naga Basuki, that inhabits the cave.

The story goes that the snake stays deep within this cavern, which extends all the way to Bali’s mother temple, Besakih Temple, about 20km (12 miles) to the north.

Pura Goa Lawah is both a sacred site to Balinese people and a popular tourist attraction, thanks to the unusual photo opportunities it provides.

No one has yet managed to take a selfie with Naga Basuki, which perhaps just goes to prove how evil it is.

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Where it all began

Oweynagat cave was a portal between the world of the living and Tir na nog, a mythical place of deities and demons, according to Irish lore.

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Oweynagat, which visitors can enter on guided tours, is part of the submerged remains of Rathcroghan, the largest unexcavated royal capital in Europe. On November 1, each year, pagans would come to Oweynagat to celebrate the Samhain festival, which marked the Celtic New Year.

In the 1800s, Irish immigrants to the United States took with them Samhain, which gradually became what we now know as Halloween.

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