How to survive Bali’s Nyepi Day, when silence is golden, nobody does anything, and the airport and ATMs are closed for 24 hours
- March 11, 2024 is Nyepi Day, the Balinese New Year, a time of silence and inactivity, to confuse demons and drive them from the island
- If you are going to be on the island during the festival, we have some insider advice for when everything is shut down, including public transport and ATMs
Imagine a celebration where, for 24 hours, no one does anything – and if they do, they’re likely to be fined.
Residents (and tourists) are forbidden from leaving their homes (and hotels). No one sings, dances or listens to music. People refrain from daily activities and chores, public transport is suspended and all vehicles, except emergency services, are banned from the streets.
The Balinese Hindu festival of Nyepi marks the start of a new year and is so strictly observed that even Ngurah Rai International Airport ceases operations, making it the only airport in the world that closes all day for religious reasons.
In most parts of the planet, new year celebrations involve revellers partying noisily but on Nyepi Day, all you’re likely to hear are stray dogs barking and the buzz of insects. And instead of seeing in the new year with fireworks, it’s obligatory to turn your lights off.
It’s not that the Indonesian island’s residents don’t enjoy raucous revelry. Pengerupukan, a ritual based on Balinese mythology, takes place on Nyepi Eve and involves flamboyant processions, traditional dances and the “ogoh-ogoh” parade.
Giant papier-mâché figures representing evil spirits are carried aloft by a dozen or more men in a symbolic and noisy purging ceremony (watch as the bearers spin the fearsome effigies three times at road intersections to disorient them).
The deafening din is designed to banish negative forces before a day of self-reflection, introspection and purification. Be warned, if you’re arriving in Bali at this time, many streets on the parade route will be closed, making it difficult to reach your hotel.
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For tourists, the key to a smooth Day of Silence is forward planning. Be sure to have enough food and water on hand – if possible buy items two days in advance as queues are long on Nyepi Eve. Have a good book and a yoga mat ready, load films onto your laptop and withdraw cash from the ATM a couple days beforehand as bank machines will be turned off to prevent hacking. Not that there will be anything to buy as shops, bars and restaurants all close, too.
The Day of Silence begins at 6am on March 11 (this year) and lasts a full 24 hours. The belief behind this somewhat extreme behaviour is simple enough – plunging Bali into darkness is intended to deceive demons and evil spirits into believing the island is uninhabited so that they move on elsewhere.
For many, it’s a great time to get off the gadgets – to recharge oneself, rather than one’s phone. Tourists pay good money for a digital detox, to reconnect with their inner selves, whereas the Nyepi detox is free, even if compulsory.
Think of it as a mini Covid lockdown with thick curtains.
The extent to which the Balinese observe Nyepi depends on how religious they are. While the devout meditate and fast in silence, others (discreetly) eat, drink, listen to music and watch movies. As a visitor, the most respectful thing you can do is keep the lights off and your voice at a whisper. Embrace the peace, quiet and self-solitude – your search for spiritual renewal should be easier without the relentless roar of motorbikes.
You might think that as a non-Hindu tourist, the rules don’t apply to you but pecalang, or community security guards, have the power to detain rule breakers, regardless of where they come from. Transgressors may even have to take part in a ceremony to cleanse themselves from evil spirits, for which a fee will undoubtedly be levied.
If you’re in Bali on a short holiday, “wasting” 24 hours sitting in a darkened room might not appeal, particularly if you’re travelling with children. Fortunately, there are a few ways tourists can gain a little leeway when it comes to the rules. If you really don’t fancy being stranded in darkened digs with patchy or non-existent Wi-fi, you could book in at a plush resort where things are more relaxed.
You’ll still need to stay on the premises but will be able to move around more freely, swim in the pool, enjoy indoor activities and order from a limited menu of pre-prepared food (staff don’t cook or clean rooms on Nyepi Day). Don’t expect a full programme of noisy entertainment though. Religious leaders don’t approve.
Alternatively, book a stay in a village where the rules are more relaxed. Some communities, such as those in Muslim parts of Bali, are more lenient. But it’s important to establish in advance what is tolerated and what is not.
If you’re tempted by this option, be sure to reach your temporary bolt-hole in good time – if you don’t arrive by 6am, the pecalang may order you to remain wherever you are for 24 hours. Not an ideal scenario if you wake up in a hedge after overdoing it during the ogoh-ogoh parade.
Still not convinced Nyepi is a good time to be in Bali?
A third option is to hop on a ferry to a nearby island. For Nyepi 2021, more than 1,000 expats decamped to Gili Trawangan, Lombok, thus avoiding the restrictions in Bali. There the beaches and shops stay open, lights stay on, the internet functions and television stations remain on air. Of course, you would need to set off the day before as – you guessed it – no ferries run on the Day of Silence.
If you are on the Island of the Gods, one of life’s joys is waking up before dawn on the day after Nyepi, peering heavenwards and gazing at a clear sky brimming with stars, accompanied by a Balinese soundtrack of birdsong and the soothing slur of waves lapping onto a nearby beach.
Take it all in – you won’t be able to experience such calm again for another 383 days (Nyepi Day 2025 falls on March 29).
