We celebrated Nyepi Bali | Balinese New Years Celebrations

If you are searching for an authentic experience, Nyepi Bali might connect you to the bottom of the heart of the island of gods. You might have never heard of Balinese New Year celebrations; well, it doesn’t happen on the first of January but a few months later, usually in March.

Nyepi in Bali is also known as the “Day of Silence “, when for 24 hours, from 6 am to 6 am of the day after, the island’s lights are switched off, nobody is allowed outside, everyone must be home, and no sounds are heard.

We bet you have never heard of anything like that. Well, us too, before spending two fantastic months in Bali. This guide to Bali Nyepi celebrations will give you actionable tips, places to spend the day and a few rules you must observe, even as a foreigner.

Nyepi in Bali: All you need to know

We know that visiting Bali during the Nyepi celebrations might be daunting and disrupt your trip. Well, it is not that bad after all. Actually, planning your trip in advance, you might have the holiday of your life. We saw the stars brighter than ever because of the complete darkness surrounding us. We could have peace for 24 hours in Bali like no other time. Below, you will find tips for spending the Nyepi day in Bali as best as possible.

What is Nyepi?

Before delving into the full guide, let’s roll into what Nyepi is, why it is one of the most attended celebrations and why you should follow locals during this period of the year.

Essentially, Nyepi is a Hindu Celebration. This period marks the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. It resembles the Chinese New Year celebrations in some ways, but it’s unique to Bali, a drop of Hindu and Buddhist worshippers in an essential Muslim country. Nyepi Celebrations are unique to Bali, so it does not apply to the rest of Indonesia.

The celebration lasted weeks, with locals gathering every weekend at temples around the island. Also, if you are around Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta or other beach locations with a nearby temple, you might be rewarded at sunset with fantastic celebrations. We had the pleasure of connecting to Nyepi in three ways: locals gathering in little villages around Ubud, sunset at Batu Bolong (Canggu) and our host preparing offerings.

When is Nyepi Bali?

Nyepi in Bali is a public holiday observed only on the islands of gods but recognized by Indonesia. If you are travelling outside of Bali, they might know about what it means, but not celebrate it. Nyepi is in March, around the second week of the month. The celebrations kick off officially from the 6 AM of 11 March to 6 AM of the 12th March for the Nyepi 2024.

What happens the day before Nyepi?

For Balinese people, the day to celebrate the new year is Nyepi Day, the Day of Silence. However, the atmosphere the days before is what we liked as well.

Roaming around the island on our scooter, we were able to see little villagers intent on building giant statues that sometimes reached 5 metres high. Not joking about that! The Ogoh-Ogoh are monster masks built mostly with recycled pieces and materials.

There is an Ogoh-Ogoh for every district, village and area of Bali. Some of them are funny, some others really horrible, and they symbolise the demons.

What is an Ogoh-Ogoh

Balinese built Ogoh-Ogoh to scare away evil spirits from the island. These horrible creatures are the brutal version of monsters, accompanied by loud music. The Ogoh-Ogoh are the prelude to a silent day transforming Bali into a desert island.

The monsters are taken to the streets the night before the silent day in Bali. Long processions with the Ogoh-Ogoh in front, middle and sides see worshippers dancing, singing and performing through the streets of the local district. I was so into it that I wanted to experience as many processions as possible, hopping on the motorbike and going through places to spot them.

What happens during Nyepi?

Even though the celebrations that come before Nyepi are an essential part of the whole, the actual Nyepi day is a Day of Silence. The island is shut down, and nobody can get through the streets for 24 hours, a whole day.

Not only the streets but also sounds and lights need to be off. Everyone, foreigners included, must remain in their accommodation from 6 AM for 24 hours.

Working during Nyepi

While everything is shouted during the Day of Silence, you can stay in your comfy home doing what you love the most or even work. We didn’t know what to expect, and many people were alerting us that there might have been an internet shut-off, like in some areas in previous years. Well, we stayed within the Canggu, Seminyak and Berawa areas, and the internet was always on.

We understand that if you are working as a digital nomad in Europe or the US timezone, it’s difficult to explain to your boss that there will be no internet. Well, many took a day off as they couldn’t predict what was happening. Instead, we took the day to relax, keep our laptop close and enjoy the silence.

There are no celebrations in Lombok

Despite what you think, Lombok is a different Regency than Bali, so Nyepi does not apply. This is one of the main reasons people flock to Gili islands before the celebrations kick off. So, if you want to avoid being restrained in your accommodation for a whole day, you can travel a few days early to Lombok and Gili or take a flight to Singapore, KL, to avoid the shout-off.

Must everyone celebrate Nyepi, even foreigners?

This was the first time I had seen Balinese enforcing rules, which might seem rude, but I believe that when visiting a place, you must adhere to their culture before benefitting from the vibes.

Well, if you are staying longer in Bali, you might appreciate a day of pure Silence, relaxing in a villa. However, for holidaymakers, it was frustrating to stay locked up. Even though most of the hotels were well organised to give everyone enough things to do to not get bored.

Everyone must abide by Nyepi celebrations. No lights, No Sounds, Nobody in the streets. These are the rules; after all, it lasts only 24 hours, which isn’t the end of the world. Actually, it is common to catch people in the streets who are often unaware of local rules. While some show common sense and return to their apartments, others argue with the patrolling team.

So what should I do on Nyepi Day?

When we stayed in Bali in March 2023, we rented a villa with other friends. We enjoyed a full day relaxing by the pool. If you are staying longer in Bali, it’s easy to join other fellow travellers and split the cost of a luxury villa.

On Nyepi Day, you can chill by the pool, enforce a quiet routine, and improve your skillset by watching tutorials, listening to music, and playing games or cards. We did all of that, and the memories from that 24 hours in Bali are fantastic. Actually, in the following section about Nyepi Bali, we give some actionable tips on how to spend the perfect celebrations in Bali.

At the moment, you must know that the best part of the Silent Day comes at night. Yes. Because the lights are completely off, there will be no air pollution. It was fantastic to witness the dark sky so clear for the first time in our lives. We were lucky enough to clearly see constellations and even planets, watching for more than one hour the stars twinkling like ever before.

Tips on how to spend the perfect Nyepi day in Bali

Personal experience notes about Nyepi Bali

I was the one that didn’t know what to expect at Nyepi. When we landed at Denpasar, our driver started to talk about this crazy celebration, but well, the first few weeks went by, and we didn’t check anything about that.

When everyone in the digital nomads community started to make plans, the voices spread, and we tried to catch up and organise our own things. However, most of all, I was intent on finding as much information as possible to tell you this story.

It was my chance to write about what I am most passionate about and what substance travel is. Nyepi was, for me, meeting a different culture, which you might see in some ways archaic but definitely diverse and fascinating.

I sat in the courtyard of my apartment, a few metres away from the chaotic Seminyak high street, and asked Lydia, my host, a few questions. She was an authentic Balinese, moved from the north for love and never travelled outside the boundaries. The pure soul of Lydia opened the door to the unique celebrations of Nyepi. I helped her carefully place flowers through the hundreds of banana leaf baskets. Every flower petal was a different colour.

Each colour has a story, tells a story, and enforces a tale. Strength, pressure, and fierce stand in every light gesture that is an offering to the spirits for good luck, health, mindfulness, or to say thank you. We have left Bali, but we are sure that Bali vibes and feelings will never leave us forever.

FAQ | Nyepi Bali