In Reply to: Nyepi posted by Candi on Tuesday, 1. October 2013 at 20:30 Bali Time:
Love being in Bali for Nyepi. It's amazing that an island that is full of tourists and depends on the money generated by tourism can shut down the entire Island, including the airport. It just shows how important maintaining their cultural and religious beliefs are to the Balinese. I hope they never change this tradition.
I've been 4 times and each time it has been a different experience. The bigger hotels tend to be very busy on Nyepi day as no one can leave the hotel so all the pools, restaurants, spa etc., are packed.
The smaller hotels might not have all the meals and activities arranged for their guests but the benefit is you are usually close to a village or football field and can watch all the parades the night before. We've been to Sukawati a couple of times for Nypei and it was fascinating to see all the Ogoh Ogoh's. They've become much more elaborate over the years and are truly a piece of art.
I would definitely get extra food and drinks to have in your room as a back up. Take the day to relax and reflect on lucky you are to be in Bali!
If you are able to, get a driver the day before and visit some of the smaller villages. It's fun to see the kids getting everything ready and all the Ogoh Ogoh's are lined up along the road sides. The drivers will want to be finished by early afternoon so they can also get ready. but if you can go out in the morning it is well worth it. Two years ago we drove from Ubud to Tanah Lot (we were changing hotels) the day before Nyepi and we really felt the energy come alive the further we drove. Around 5PM we watched the parade in the local village and then went to their football field where they displayed all the Ogoh Ogoh's. Sometime around 9PM we walked back to the hotel, delighted to be part of the celebrations.