It’s the day we’ve been so curious about since arriving in Bali.

Nyepi, or Silent Day, is new year for Balinese Hindus, when the whole island comes to a standstill.

For 24 hours the island pauses all work, travel and noise, as a fresh slate to begin the new year.

There are 4 sacred prohibitions during Nyepi:

No fire or light
No work or daily activities
No travel outside the home
No entertainment

We are in Ubud for Nyepi, usually a bustling town in the mountains of Bali, and a popular destination for tourists.

Nyepi begins at 6am on the day following the new moon in March, and lasts until 6am the next morning.

The airport shuts for 24 hours, highways empty, and the whole island turns to darkness.

We’ve heard locals talk about Nyepi since we arrived in Bali.

The Balinese chef at our hotel in Canggu told us to “go outside at night and listen to the nature.” A local man at the markets told us to look at the stars. My Balinese hairdresser told me she was spending the day, “eating and sleeping.”

We are warned not to travel after midday the day before Nyepi as roads will be closed or very busy.

Ogoh-ogohs

The evening before Nyepi, large celebrations are held throughout the island, with parades of ogoh-ogohs, giant monsters made out of bamboo and wood, which symbolise evil or negativity. These are carried on the backs of Balinese people throughout town and shaken as though they are alive and dancing.

Ogoh-ogohs are made by each village community, for weeks and months prior to the parade. At the end of the procession, the ogoh-ogohs are taken back to their community and burned, to cleanse the world of their negativity.

There is fanfare, applause and performances - a contrast to the next 24 hours of stillness and silence.

Silent day

We wake early and have a swim in the hotel pool. It’s just me, my friend, the pool attendant and squirrels jumping from tree to tree. It’s so quiet, and as we’re surrounded by trees, all we can hear are birds, and the crow from the rooster who lives in the house next door.

Only hotels and hospitals are allowed to operate over Nyepi. At our hotel, the pool, day spa and restaurant are open. Our hotel has even arranged a full day of activities such as mandala making and yoga. Do the staff at the hotel resent having to work over Nyepi, especially as it means they aren’t abiding by the rules of this important day in their religion? I asked this question of a Balinese friend, and she said that it is good for them to be working on Nyepi. I wonder if they are sad that they missed out on this day of stillness with their families.

I spend the day in my room, reading, meditating and resting. We can still use air conditioning and lights, but we were asked to use light sparingly and draw the curtains at night.

During the day, the entrance to the hotel is blocked with a makeshift fence of black plastic and bamboo sticks, reminding tourists that wandering the streets is not allowed.

Despite being in a hotel full of tourists, the day was quiet and peaceful. Everyone seemed to respect the Nyepi rules.

The next morning I woke early and walked down to the main road, to see the town come to life. The deserted streets soon came alive again, with locals coming out of their homes to go to the markets and resume work.

Life went back to ‘normal’ for us too, and as the toots of scooters, clanking of cutlery and chatting of tourists returned, I felt grateful to have witnessed this special day.

Benefits to nature

The day isn’t just a chance for self-reflection, the environment also benefits.

During the 24 hours of Nyepi, there’s:

reduced air pollution without cars and bikes on the roads
significantly less electricity use
reduced light pollution, and
much less waste being generated.

It felt like the whole island could exhale, if only for 24 hours, before going back to normal life.

Nyepi: 24 hours of silence

In Bali, nature rules