There are certain rookie mistakes travelers make: forgetting to pack sunscreen, trying to pet the “friendly” street monkey, or confusing Australian spring break with “peaceful yoga retreat week.” But me? I managed to book our vacation the same week of Nyepi day, moreover, I booked our return flight from Bali the morning after Nyepi Day —the island’s famous Day of Silence.
And of course, I wasn’t alone. Oh no, this wasn’t just my travel blunder. This was a full family production starring:
Me: the self-proclaimed travel genius who “triple-checks everything.”
My wife: the woman who absolutely pretends to triple-check everything, except she assumed I hadn’t booked our exit during an island-wide lock-down.
Our kid: a delusional boy who believes Wi-Fi is a basic human right, on par with food and oxygen.
What is Nyepi, anyway?
For the uninitiated, Nyepi is Bali’s Hindu New Year, but unlike New Year’s Eve in Times Square, this celebration doesn’t end with fireworks and confetti—it ends with complete silence. For 24 hours, the entire island shuts down: no cars, no shops, no lights, no phones, no internet and no airport. Yes, you read that right: the entire airport closes. No take-offs and no landing.
The day before Nyepi is a riot of color and chaos. Villages parade giant, demonic paper-mâché statues called Ogoh-Ogoh, banging drums and setting off firecrackers to scare away evil spirits (and possibly to terrify unsuspecting first-timers like us).
It’s beautiful, it’s sacred, and it’s absolutely not the day you want to realize your kid can’t survive 24 hours without internet, without Netflix and YouTube.
Time for little flashback:
My Big Travel Blunder
So there we were: tickets in hand, me feeling smug, until my wife raised one eyebrow (the terrifying eyebrow) and said:
“Did you know our flight is at 9 a.m. the morning after Nyepi?"
Cue panic.
Me: “It’ll be fine!”
Her: “The airport closes. The entire island closes.”
Our kid: “Wait… no Wi-Fi?! Are we going to die?!”
Operation: Survive in Style
When faced with a family mutiny, I did what any sensible father would do: I booked us into the bougiest, most over-the-top luxury resort I could find at Nusa Dua. We checked-in to our hotel a day before Nyepi when the Ogoh-Ogoh parades were going on all over Bali. We found out that even our hotel has arranged that for the guests, we managed to get clicked as well.
If the world was shutting down, we were going down wrapped in Egyptian cotton sheets with infinity-pool views.
The resort staff explained the Nyepi rules to few of the clueless tourists like us:
- No leaving the hotel premises.
- Dim lights after dark.
- No loud noises.
- No streaming Netflix at full volume (yes, they really looked at our kid when they said that).
- Last dining order/booking is till 6 pm in the evening, so book in advance in any of the hotel's restaurant.
So what did we do? We turned Nyepi into our own family day where everyone of us chose our favorite activity. My wife spent her noon at Spa after enjoying lavish breakfast. Me, being the most lazy one ordered beers and acted like a dead body by the pool and in the pool with occasional movements to take a sip or ask for refills. My son enjoyed some shows at the hotel's in-house theater which had special screenings to keep kids engaged. We also managed to do photo-shoot in all possible poses. The day went by relaxing and by the evening when we all were back to our room (not because we wanted to, but hotel started to dim the lights.
Scene back in room:
My wife sipping cocktails by the Jacuzzi, whispering, “This is actually the quietest day of my life. I might book us here every year.”
My kid dramatically sprawled on the sofa, sighing, “This is worse than camping. At least when we camp, I have phone signals.”
Me, pretending to meditate on the balcony while secretly timing how long it would take for the minibar to be restocked.
By sunset, the island fell into total stillness. Stars lit up the sky (you don’t realize how bright they are until there’s no light pollution at all), and for once, even my son admitted it was “kind of cool… but still, no Wi-Fi.”
The Morning After: The Airport Dash
Now, the real test: catching that 9 a.m. flight. I barely slept. My brain ran a constant loop of “What if the roads are still closed? What if the driver doesn’t show? What if we missed our flight?"
Enter the hero of the hour: The Hotel Concierge.
This man radiated calm. While I was sweating like I was about to sit an exam, he simply smiled and said, “Sir, everything reopens at 6 a.m. You’ll be at the airport by 7.”
And just like that, at dawn the island seemed to breathe again. Hotel packed our breakfast like mini-lunch boxes, Scooters revved, shopkeepers yawned open their doors, and our driver whisked us off to the airport. We arrived with time to spare, me clutching our passports like they were holy relics, my wife smirking “See? It’s fine.”, and our kid immediately connecting to airport Wi-Fi like a starving person at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
The Lesson?
Would I recommend booking your flight the morning after Nyepi? Absolutely not.
Would I recommend experiencing Nyepi with your family? Absolutely yes.
Because sometimes, even when travel plans go sideways, Bali finds a way to make you slow down, laugh at yourself, and enjoy a slice of luxury you didn’t even know you needed.
Plus, now I have a new travel mantra: When in doubt, book the suite.
And in case you're wondering when is Nyepi Day celebrated? It totally depends on astronomy, but it usually falls in the month of March. Plan accordingly. ☺
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