It is the beginning of one of the most exciting weeks of the year in Bali. On Thursday, the island will fall silent to observe Nyepi, the holy day of silence, and on Saturday, the whole of Indonesia will be celebrating Eid al-Fitr.
For tourists in Bali this week, this is an opportunity to experience the best of Indonesian and specifically Balinese culture firsthand.
As a result of Nyepi Day, life on Bali will run a little differently this week. Not only will there be no movement or travel on the 19th March, when even the airport is closed, but in the coming days, road and port closures will take effect.
On Monday and Tuesday this week, communities across Bali will be taking part in Melasti ceremonies. Many communities have already completed their Melasti ceremonies, but there are still a few more big ones to go.
A Melasti ceremony is participated in by whole villages, who walk from the temples in their village all the way through to the coast. These precessions, sometimes kilometres long, are carried out to help cleanse the island and clear bad karma ahead of Nyepi Day.
To help keep everyone safe, local pecalang, who are the village security officers, and police, work together to implement road closures, traffic pauses, and diversions to help give the Melasti processions priority and safety access on their route.
On Wednesday afternoon, another series of major road closures will come into effect all across Bali from 4 pm, as communities prepare for the Ogoh-Ogoh Parades. While parades don’t typically kick off until 7 pm, road closures come into effect early in the afternoon. Tourists should also be aware that most businesses close around midday the day before Nyepi, and so it is essential to be in position for Nyepi by early afternoon on the 18th March.
With a week of festivities ahead of us here in Bali, transportation leaders have been talking to reporters about how they will be taking care of travelers. It has been calculated that 1.7 million people will be departing from Bali to travel domestically to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with their families. Bali’s also preparing to welcome a huge influx of domestic holidaymakers for the festival.
Airport manager Nugroho Jati told reporters, “We have prepared a number of supporting services to enhance passenger service during Ramadan and Nyepi.” Over the weekend, domestic passengers landing at Bali Airport from Jakarta were given a fun surprise. As hold luggage was sent to passengers on the collection carousel, every bag was set out, topped with a gift basket which contained a greetings card and a teddy bear.
This week at Bali Airport, passengers on arrival and departure will be met with a series of special cultural events, celebrating both Nyepi and Eid al-Fitr. Jati explained, “We ensure all supporting facilities are adequately provided, and that service quality is optimal, so passengers can experience a comfortable and harmonious journey.”
There will be an Ogoh-ogoh parade, as well as kecak performances and an Eid al-Fitr parade. The distribution of free takjil (breakfast snacks) during Ramadan will also take place until Eid al-Fitr too.
Jati told reporters that Bali Airport continues to urge all passengers to arrive at the airport early and take advantage of the facilities available to expedite their travel and enjoy all the additional events while ensuring that they have plenty of time to carry out their pre-departure duties.
“We hope all passengers can enjoy a safe and comfortable travel experience while performing their religious duties during this holy month.”
Bali Airport will be closed from 6 am on 19th March until 6 am on 20th March, and flights will resume around 9 am. Many of Bali’s ports and harbours will be closed from 5 pm on 18th March, and will not reopen until the morning of 20th March.
Tourists wishing to travel by fast boat to the Gili Islands or Lombok to ‘escape’ Nyepi should do so at the latest by midday on the 18th March.
Tourists should be aware that since Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan are part of Bali Province, the full Nyepi rules are also observed on the islands.
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