BALI DAY OF SILENCE:
WHAT TO EXPECT AND HOW TO SURVIVE NYEPI
When I booked my trip to Bali in March I had no idea about Bali’s Silent Day – known properly as Nyepi. I started to hear murmurs of the upcoming lockdown, or Nyepi or silent day… Ultimately I learned that for 24 hours in the middle of my trip to Bali I would not be able to do anything or go see anyone.
The day of silence is the start of the start of the Balinese New Year, where the whole island shuts down for a full 24 hours. Even once I learned what all the murmurs were about, I still had no idea what to expect – what do I have to do as a tourist, how extreme is it, where should I go, and what should I do during Nyepi.
So here are the answers I was looking for: what to expect during Nyepi and how to survive the Bali day of silence.
What is Nyepi – bali day of silence
When is nyepi
The Bali Day of Silence typically falls between mid March and April, but the exact date of Nyepi is determined by the Balinese Hindu calendar. The date shifts every year to coincide with the new moon – so if you are planning a trip to Bali sometime March be sure to look ahead for the specific dates that year. The Bali Day of Silence in 2026 will be on March 19. It lasts for 24 hours, from 6AM until 6AM the next day.
the days leading up to nyepi
Although the lockdown for the day of silence is only for 24 hours, the days leading up to Nyepi involve much more. There are ceremonies to observe, and preparations to make before the day of renewal. These begin with preparing offerings to bring to the Melasti ceremonies at the water’s edge all across the island of Bali, and the raucous Ogoh Ogoh parade where evil spirits roam the streets after dark. The final horrific touches are made to the Ogoh Ogoh in the final few days before the big parade.
Melasti Ceremonies
In the days before Nyepi, it is easy to find yourself in the midst of a Melasti ceremony or procession if you are near the coast.
All the local communities will gather at the sea (or river) in traditional Balinese attire with offerings of fruit, flowers, rice, and other symbolic objects, and perform rituals to cleanse themselves and sacred objects. They will join the priest in prayer and chant. These ceremonies take place at the water to wash away any negative energy or impurities ahead of the new year.
After the ceremony the a procession with traditional Gamelan music ensembles lead back to their community temple to complete the ceremony.
This is a beautiful and colourful ceremony to observe should you find yourself around one. The Bali Day of Silence and corresponding ceremonies are incredibly important to Bali so make sure not to interrupt any part of the event.
The processions can also affect getting around the island. If you are driving around Bali the two or three days leading up to Nyepi make leave plenty of time in case you get caught behind a community procession – especially if you are headed to the airport or a port to leave Bali.
Ogoh-Ogoh Parade
Ogoh-Ogoh is honestly unlike anything I’ve ever seen – I certainly don’t find celebration of holidays in Canada to be as creative or evocative as the ogoh-ogoh parade!
Towering handmade statues of demons and evil spirits crawl the streets after dark. The men and boys of the communities carry these giant statues for the parade. They will shake, lift, and spin the ogoh-ogoh to traditional gamelan music and thunderous chanting. These performances drive away evil spirits
The massive effigies are carefully crafted by the community to represent the evil spirits. Each village takes great pride in their annual ogoh-ogoh creation, and yet at the end of each parade the ogoh-ogohs are burned to fully rid Bali of the evil spirits and cleanse the island.
Tourists can hit the streets to experience the march of the demons. Typically the parade follows the main road through town ending up a central intersection for the final performance. The best places in Bali to experience the Ogoh-Ogoh parade include Ubud, Seminyak, Nusa Dua, and other popular areas. I got to experience it from Ubud, which is the spiritual heart of Bali, and so the performances from each community were especially theatrical and had deep storytelling and lore connected to each of the evil spirits.
Only in bali
The ceremonies and celebration of Nyepi take place all over Bali – whether you are in a highly tourist-ed area like Canggu or Ubud, or a quiet local village. There is nowhere on the island of Bali that you can ‘get away’ from Nyepi, however, it is unique to Bali.
If you’re going to be in Bali over Nyepi but aren’t interested in participating in this incredibly unique cultural experience, you can visit the neighbouring islands where they don’t celebrate Nyepi.
Some individuals on Lombok or Java may observe the day personally, but the communities are not the strict way like in Bali, because these islands are part of the majority Muslim Indonesia. Only Bali is unique to practicing Balinese Hinduism.
Over Nyepi, the nearby Gili Islands are a popular spot for people to get away, as well as Lombok. If you are going to leave Bali over Nyepi, be sure to book your transportation and accommodation ahead of time because there can be an influx of people leaving the island at that time.
CHECK FOR HOTEL AVAILABILITY ON GILI T OR GILI AIR
BOOK YOUR BOAT TRANSFER
nyepi as a tourist in Bali
OK, so you’ve decided that it will be an interesting experience to spend the Nyepi new year in Bali – this is what can you expect as a tourist. There are rules to follow during Bali Day of Silence:
As a visitor I tried to respect the rules throughout the day as much as possible and not cause any disruption to the special day for the owners of the homestay. But as someone who does not practice Balinese Hinduism I personally did not feel the need to fully lock in 100%.
Amati Lelunganan – No travel or leaving one’s home
During check in at my homestay, the owner made sure I understood that I was not allowed to go out during Nyepi. It is the one rule that absolutely everyone has to respect. You don’t have to ask me twice to have a day to just stay home and relax.
Amati Karya – No work or physical activity
It was a welcome excuse to have a full day in the middle of my travels to rest and relax and do absolutely nothing without any guilt. I enjoyed sitting out in the garden out front my room and listening to the sounds of the birds chirping over the quiet streets. No beeping or engines revving all day.
Amati Geni – No fire or light, including electricity
I did my best to not use light or electricity either. In the day I used the daylight and after the sun had set I tried to only use my phone flashlight to light my way around. I did use a kettle in the evening to prepare some instant noodles for supper but otherwise I tried to stick to it. The night before, I made sure that all my devices and extra power banks were charged to the max so I didn’t have to plug in any of my devices on that day.
Amati Lelanguan – No entertainment or self-indulgence
This is where I claim my foreigner exemption… Despite the no entertainment rule, I spent most of the day on my computer. I watched some Australian Survivor, I did a bit of writing, and I got my plans sorted for my next few weeks of travels.
HOW TO SURVIVE SILENT DAY
Stay somewhere Nice
Book a comfortable hotel where you will be happy spending a full 24 hours in and around your room. Generally you can leave your room and be around the property, but you can’t go out into the streets. If your accommodation has a pool you can lounge away the day there, or if your room has a nice patio you can relax on it.
There are some resorts in Bali that prepare Nyepi packages that have two nights accommodation, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, included, as well as relaxing activities around the resort. These packages are usually made for 2 people though, and can come with a pretty price tag. Worth considering if you want to spend the day in total comfort and luxury.
BOOK AHEAD FOR BEST FOR HOTEL AVAILABILITY
Stock up on essentials
It is generally not recommended to drink the tap water in Bali (IYKYK) so you definitely want to stock up on enough bottled water to last you. I initially bought what I thought I would be enough but on the way home after a long night cheering on the ogoh-ogoh parade I was feeling thirsty so bought one more big 1.5L bottle. Thank god I did – by the time the morning after Nyepi came around I had had only around 100mL left.
As well as water, you will want something to ready to eat because there will be no way to get food otherwise – no Grab deliveries that day. If you have a kitchen you can get some ingredients, or the day before you can pick up a ready made meal that will keep. I picked up some hummus and pita from a nearby restaurant the day before, which was perfect for a light afternoon meal. For dinner, I made sure to have a kettle for some classic instant noodles. Easy to prepare without much effort or kitchen-ware needed.
If you’re a bit of an addict like me, one other essential to make sure you have on hand is coffee. I bought one ready to drink can of coffee from the convenience store to drink for my morning brew but let me tell you now – 1 is not enough. Already I felt like I was sacrificing a lot for my morning coffee having a shitty little can, but when it didn’t even feel like I had any caffeine, it was rough going… The day is a day where you’ll be lazing around without a ton of mental stimulation, but without even a morning shot of caffeine it can feel like a loooong day.
… And some non-essentials
In Atlantic Canada when a storm is coming people will go out to get Storm Chips (which is bags of chips to have on hand to snack on while the weather rolls through) – well I have adopted that concept but respectfully the chips in Bali are not it… So I bought myself some Nyepi Cookies. The Bali cookie chain Dang! Cookies make some of the best cookies in the world (yes, as a cookie fiend I can give that kind of accreditation) and so I stocked up on a small box to have on hand to snack on throughout the day. That was a huge win
Charge all your devices
During the Bali Day of Silence, you’re not really supposed to used electricity. I was even told that there was the possibility the power grid would be shut off for the day. As a internet brain rot iPad baby myself, it was critical to make sure everything I had was charged up to the max. On top of that, I wasn’t sure if there would be wifi available that day, so I made sure to have a couple of TV shows and podcast downloaded for offline consumption JUST IN CASE. In the end the wifi was strong and I still had power all day. I wanted to be prepared because I really did not feel like completely raw dogging the day.
the day after nyepi
“It’s morning, everyone! Today’s the day! The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and we’re about to get out of…[gasps] The tank is clean!”
When you wake up the next morning the island wide lock down is lifted and you can get back to your regularly scheduled tourist programming . Go hit the beaches, grab some brunch, or explore Bali’s temples. It is a fresh day of renewal for the island and everyone in Bali.
I woke up refreshed and renewed after a relaxing day and a deep sleep and I was excited to go out and explore the sights of Ubud. But most importantly, ready to finally get some caffeine pumping through my veins once again!
There you have it, you’ve made it through the Bali Day of Silence, and celebrated your first Nyepi!
Happy trip planning!
From one traveller to another, I hope this guide was helpful for you as you make your plans and set out on your next adventure!
If you read through this guide and still have questions about the experience or have other questions… fear not because I can still help! I have a personalized trip planning and advice service available to all Everywhere Travel Club readers. I’d love to chat for an hour with you and help answer any questions you’re working through, share fun ideas, and help bring your big trip into reality! For more info about the one one-on-one call for advice check out the details of my Personalized Travel Planning Sesh.
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