Balinese New Year - Day of Silence 2024 falls on March 11, when all activities will stop, causing potential trouble for tourists.
Nyepi Day, or the Day of Silence according to the Hindu calendar, marks the beginning of the new year in Bali. This is the day when all activities on the tourist island will stop, with the aim of tricking and driving away evil spirits. This year's Day of Silence begins at 6am on March 11, lasting 24 hours, and everyone must strictly follow it.
If you plan or happen to be in Bali on this day, you need to prepare in advance to avoid falling into "half-laughing, half-crying" situations when public transportation, ATMs, shops, restaurants, and hotels are all closed. No one sings, no one dances, or listens to music. Ngurah Rai International Airport also stops operating, making it the only airport in the world to close for a day for religious reasons.
New Year’s Eve is usually noisy around the world, but Nyepi Day is the complete opposite. Aside from a procession of giant papier-mâché figures representing evil spirits, all you can hear are barking dogs and buzzing insects. Barring emergencies, those who don’t follow the rules within 24 hours will be fined.
What should tourists do?
In Bali, while the devout will meditate and fast, others can still eat, drink, listen to music and watch movies in private. So can tourists.
The key to a smooth Nyeoi Day is planning ahead. Make sure you have enough food and water. If you buy on the spot, do it at least two days in advance, as there can be long lines the night before Nyepi. Have a good book and yoga mat ready, load up your laptop with movies, and withdraw cash in advance.
Tourists can book rooms at high-end resorts with many services to comfortably experience all day without getting bored. Still have to stay on the premises, but if staying at large resorts, you can move more freely, swim, exercise, have fun and eat according to the menu prepared in advance (staff does not cook or clean the room on this day). There will be no noisy entertainment programs.
Travelers can book a stay in a village with more relaxed rules. Some communities, like those in the Muslim areas of Bali, are more tolerant. But it’s important to determine in advance what is acceptable and what is not.
You can also take a ferry to a nearby island. In 2021, more than 1,000 foreigners traveled to Gili Trawangan, Lombok, avoiding the restrictions in Bali. There, the beaches and shops are open, the lights are on, the internet is working, and TV stations are broadcasting. Of course, you have to leave the day before, as there are no ferries running on Nyepi Day.
You may think that as a non-Hindu tourist the rules do not apply to you but community officials have the right to detain rule breakers, regardless of where they come from. Violators may even be required to attend a ceremony to cleanse themselves of evil spirits and will likely have to pay a fee.
For many, this is a great day to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life. Tourists have long paid a lot of money to get away to a quiet place to refresh their souls. So Nyepi Day is considered a free vacation. "Just think of it as a day during the Covid-19 pandemic," said one Bali resident.
In 2025, Nyepi Day will fall on March 29.
According to vnexpress.net
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