New Year is often celebrated with a big bang, leaving us with hazy memories for days to come. But Balinese Hindu New Year is celebrated in a totally different fashion. No champagne is popped and no music blasting, in fact there is no noise at all. Nyepi or Silent Day is how Balinese Hindu calls their New Year which falls on Wednesday, 25 March this year. This auspicious day follows the ancient Balinese calendar system which uses the lunar and solar cycles.
The holiday is celebrated in a truly unique way; by not going out, shutting off all lights, minimizing noise and electricity use, to use the day to reflect and detox oneself. While this sounds a little extreme, worry not, the actual Nyepi day is a beautiful, relaxing day topped off with a night full of glittering sky – thanks to no light and noise pollution from the airplanes. Yep, even the airport is closed on Nyepi Day. No flights arrives and departs from Ngurah Rai airport on the Nyepi day, but the operations resumes to normal the day before and after.
In our busy daily life, sometimes we crave for solitary moment and Nyepi is the perfect excuse to shut all distractions and focus on oneself. As a matter of fact, there’s going to be very little distraction on the Nyepi day itself as major internet and TV provider will be offline and no radio broadcast. After a day of disconnecting, your mind be fully rested and you’d be grateful for the much needed offline me-time.
The philosophy behind this tradition comes from Hindus’ “Catur Brata Penyepian” or four ascetic practices. They are “Amati Geni” (no fire, which is both literal and symbolic of mental and physical obstacles), “Amati Karya” (no activities, a precondition to meditation), “Amati Lelungaan” (no going out of the house/compound) and “Amati Lelanguan” (no entertainment). By practicing the four “don’ts”, the Balinese believe that it will help us start fresh on the new, coming year.
Bali is the only place in the world where Nyepi is celebrated. This is because our Hindu tradition differs from other countries such as India and Nepal, as it’s interwoven with the local culture and beliefs. Most Balinese spend their Nyepi at home with their families, but a growing number of them especially young generation likes to take this opportunity to experience a staycation at hotels. For those looking for a Nyepi experience in the comfortable surroundings of tropical landscape, Hyatt Regency Bali offers a special Nyepi package valid from 24 to 26 March 2020 at IDR 4,4 million net for two nights or approx. USD 320. The package includes daily breakfast and 1x dinner at Omang Omang, our poolside restaurant.
This is a truly special moment to experience Bali. Let yourself reconnect to what matters the most – be it reading a book on your balcony, playing with little ones on our vast garden, or talking to best friends over cocktails by the pool. Kindly note that in order to adhere to local custom, on Nyepi Day the operating hours of some facilities such as restaurants, the spa and pools will be affected and guests are advised to dim the lights in their balcony in the evening. Electricity, water, and wifi will run normally. Complimentary activities will be available to all guests and movies will run throughout the day. Our beach will be closed and guests are not allowed to leave the hotel premises from 25 March midnight until 26 March 6:00 AM.
Ready to experience your most relaxing Bali trip? Contact DPSBL-Reservations@hyatt.com for more information on our Nyepi celebration.
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