After three months of incredible experiences in Vietnam, our visas had come to an end. On a year-long journey of what seemed to be never-ending highlights, our time spent in Vietnam was special and would certainly stand out. But in travel, as in life, all good things must come to an end. The show must go on and it’s off to the next adventure.
Boarding an 11-hour flight from Hanoi to Indonesia, excitement built because we knew the Island of the Gods awaited us. Bali. A haven for digital nomads, surfers, and content creators. A place we once could only dream of was now almost in reach. An island packed with world-renowned beaches and natural beauty, it’s finally our turn to see what the hype is all about. Little did we know we’d be arriving in Bali on Nyepi.
“Fack mate, you gotta go to Canggu. Just go there. Forget about all the rest. You’ll thank me later!”
Exclaimed Dutch Rob who identified as Australian as we sat in the Siem Reap hostel bar. We were all ears as we downed 50 cent Cambodian drafts and listened to his advice. We were sold on his excitement, and his words would stick with us a few months later. If you travel longterm, you learn to trust your fellow backpacker. At this point, we were 6 months in and comfortable winging it with minimal planning. We chose not to plan ahead but rather let our experience unfold in front of us as we ran off our new friend’s word.
We scored cheap flights using airline miles and booked tickets to Denpasar. Bali, Indonesia here we come. Avoiding the tourist trap of Kuta, we wanted to surf and experience Balinese culture. The only thing we knew was we were headed to Canggu. What we didn’t know was we were arriving in Bali on Nyepi.
Getting off the plane in a new country, you’re usually tired and hungry and we were no exception. On a mission to get on our way, we were greeted by overly enthusiastic taxi cab drivers. Time to put those southeast Asian negotiation skills to the test! However, we quickly learned we were far from a bargain. Things weren’t going in our favor. We decided to just take an Uber and receive the fairest rate. After a few back and forth messages with an Uber driver, we assumed we had our ride figured out. Then he never showed and we discovered Uber is illegal on the island.
Okay, back to square one. During our taxi haggling, many of the drivers informed us of a very special holiday occurring tomorrow and that everything will be closed. Hence the chaos at the airport. Flashback to our first time in Bangkok a few years prior to where we were ripped off several times by tuk-tuk drivers due to a special “Thai Holiday.” Only to find out later, no such day ever existed. We vowed not to let that happen again.
Never thinking twice about the Balinese Holiday, we split a cab with an English couple and were on our way. We made it. We dropped our bags, downed some nasi goreng, had a few Bintangs, and passed out in our hostel beds after a long travel day.
BROS TIP: Nasi goreng literally means “fried rice” and is a staple throughout Indonesia. The rice has a unique dark brown, caramelized color because of the sweet soy sauce and shrimp paste used, setting it apart from other countries’ versions of the dish. It’s served with a fried egg, krupuk (traditional fish tasting crackers) vegetables, or meat if you’d like. It’s delicious, to say the least, and we probably could eat it every day.
We woke up to a locked hostel gate and an eerie quietness amongst all the guests. No motorbikes, no daily hustle, and bustle of the streets, no common room socializing. “Shhhh it’s the silent day and you can’t leave,” we overheard another guest say. Oh damn, there absolutely was a real holiday today and we were ill-prepared. I guess we should have done our research.
What is Nyepi?
While westerners ring in the New Year with revelry, on the contrary, the Balinese welcome theirs in complete and total silence. On Nyepi, there are no fireworks, party horns, nor bottles of champagne popped. Just the peace and serenity of total quietness.
The Balinese “Day of Silence” is commemorated every Isakawarsa (Saka new year) according to the Balinese calendar. It is a Hindu celebration specific to the region, as Balinese Hinduism is the main religion of the province. No working, no entertainment, no pleasure, no traveling.
On Nyepi, life on the island comes to a complete halt. Nobody leaves their home or uses electricity. Everyone participates, and non-Hindu residents or tourists are not exempt from the restrictions.
Nyepi is a time of purification that happens before the Balinese New Year. The “Silent Day” occurs annually for 24 hours during March. It’s a day of mandatory quietness reserved for self-contemplation and reflection before the new year begins. Anything that interferes with the holiday’s purpose is restricted.
This tradition encourages all of the evil spirits and negativity in Bali to be gone! There also is a series of cultural events that occur leading up to the sacred day. The interesting and unique statues below can be found everywhere surrounding the festival. Post-Nyepi, known as Ngembak Geni is when families and friends reunite to ask forgiveness from one another and perform religious rituals collectively.
Don’t hate, participate!
Nyepi allowed us to slow down and reflect on all the memorable times we had encountered on our travels so far. We learned the world does not have to be this big scary place it can be made out to be. We truly believe a majority of the people in the world want to help more than harm one another.
Throughout our journey, we had experienced so many acts of kindness and positive vibrations from new friends all over the world. These thoughts were right on time. We had a beer for breakfast, it was past lunchtime and we had no food to cook. Restaurants and shops were closed and nobody was allowed to leave the hostel. While the rest of the guests planned ahead yesterday, we realized we may be unintentionally fasting for the day.
Never underestimate the friendliness and hospitality of locals and your fellow traveler. Once a fellow hostel mate and the two local dudes working at the hostel realized our situation, they fired up the grill and rice cooker to begin preparing food for us. There we sat, sharing a meal together and we had only known each other for a few minutes.
We learned the true meaning behind Nyepi through our new Indonesian surfer bros over an incredible meal and a cold one. They explained the importance of the day and how the tradition is valued among the Balinese people. This is what it’s all about.
For the Bros, we couldn’t ask for a better way to arrive in Bali. Experiencing a special holiday on your first real day in a new country is a memorable experience and can set the tone for the time you will spend there.
Travel can be a bridge to connect you to a new culture. It can teach you about other places by allowing oneself to be present while fully immersing yourself in a location. It opens your eyes to new holidays, rituals, and traditions that you otherwise would have never known existed.
Expanding your horizons, you’ll even have the chance to join in on the celebrations. The more time you spend on the road, the more you will learn, leading us to realize, these are the reasons why we travel.
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Sooo pretty similar to my experience. Except add on getting dropped off on a dark road the night before, miles away from the airport because the “town was blocked“. Haha ok you’ve convinced me. I’ll write about it sometime 🙂
This sounds like my way to ring in the new year. I’m getting old you see. A really enjoyable read, I’ve enjoyed my first visit to your blog.
A Great Story. And so true about never underestimating the capacity for kindness from others.