In Reply to: Please anyone know the dates for "Nippi" posted by swainallistar on Monday, 14. December 2009 at 06:11 Bali Time:
Hari "Nyepi" Tahun Baru Saka 1932. Is what you can call the Balinese New Year. It is a day where Bali is to "play dead".
The whole island literally shuts down, the airport is closed (we'll no planes are allowed to land). To follow it like the Balinese would even mean no use of an ipod, however you will be allowed to use one, you will be asked to stay inside the hotel ground.
No fire shall be lit, no TV, no noise, windows of homes must blackened out and residences are not allowed to leave their homes, tourists are not allowed to leave their hotel grounds.
There will be set menus available at most hotels that don't have restaurants.
For the Balinese it is a day for meditation and introspection, the reason is to fool evil spirits in to thinking that Bali has been abandoned so they will go elsewhere. Balinese take this day very seriously and local Banjar will fine hotels if tourists are making to much noise.
I think of it as a day to save CO's, last year Bali saved 30 tons of C0's in one day by taking those terrible trucks of the roads (no vehicles are allowed on the roads).