Bali’s day of silence returns on March 29 (& ways round it)

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Bali’s day of silence returns on March 29 (& ways round it)

If you happen to be in Bali on March 29 this year, you’re in for a surprise, for the date marks Nyepi, the Balinese New Year. But unlike the Christian New Year, which we celebrate with parties or go away on holidays, Nyepi is a day for soulful self-reflection known as the ‘Day of Silence’.

From 6am on March 29 until 6am the following day, special restrictions come into place and everyone must follow the rules, the most important of which is the stay-at-home rule. Except for pecalang, traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the rule is being followed, and emergency vehicles like ambulances, the normally bustling streets of Bali become eerily empty, without a single car or pedestrian in sight. The airport closes; no planes can fly in or out of the island, all businesses and government offices close, too. Music cannot be played and come nightfall, darkness descends over Bali because all lights must be switched off. Unofficially, people can turn the lights on inside your room or villa, though curtains must be drawn.

There’s a very good reason for this silence and darkness. According to Balinese Hindu beliefs, demons fly over the island during Nyepi looking for fresh victims to consume. But by turning off the lights and enforcing silence, the Balinese people believe they trick these demons into thinking the island is unpopulated and they leave without causing any harm.

As Nyepi is a public holiday, many expats living on the island take advantage of it by going away on short trips. The Gilis, an archipelago of three small islands off the coast of Lombok, a *******-majority region that does not celebrate Nyepi, is the closest and most popular Nyepi getaway destination. From Padangbai, a port in east Bali, speedboats take 90 minutes to reach the Gilis. And with so many visitors on the island, there’s a great party atmosphere. Bars and restaurants trade until dawn.

Another popular option for expats during Nyepi is staycations at resorts with large grounds, where the rules are slightly *******. Many resorts in Bali also offer Nyepi packages. The Hyatt Regency Bali in Sanur offers two-day Nyepi packages for $432 including breakfast and one buffet dinner for two. The palatial Apurva Kempinski resort in Nusa Dua offers a Serenity Package including breakfast for two, lunch at Pala restaurant and dinner at Candi Ballroom, plus complimentary Nyepi wellness activities. Children below the age of six can stay and eat for free. In Canggu, the COMO puts on expert-led wellness activities during Nyepi including Qi Gong by Peter Caughey and Sound Journey sessions by Josephine Costain.

After learning about Nyepi, you may think it’s not the best time to visit Bali. But there’s an upside, apart from the chance for quiet contemplation, to Nyepi. On March 28, the day before Nyepi, the island hosts the annual Ogoh-Ogoh parade, arguably the most spectacular of all Hindu ceremonies.

Starting in the afternoon, in every village and street, locals come out to show off giant intricately decorated statues representing demons and evil spirits made of papier-mache, bamboo, cloth and tinsel. Carried by groups of men on bamboo scaffolding, the statues are paraded around villages and towns to the constant beat of drums and gongs, with locals dressed in traditional Balinese clothing. The energy and enthusiasm is contagious and reaches a crescendo after nightfall when the statues are set alight to purify the island before Nyepi, and fireworks light up the sky. The largest parade is held in the capital Denpasar. It is attended by tens of thousands of people and features statues up to 8m high.

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