Day of Silent Luxury

As Bali prepares to literally ‘play dead' on March 19 in honour of Nyepi, The Villas Bali Hotel & Spa is preparing for ‘A Day of Silent Luxury'. There is no better opportunity to savour the tranquility of Bali as she sleeps, than with special discounts available for Indonesian citizens and KIM's/KITAS holders on villas, spa treatments and meals.

A Day of Silent Luxury: This three-day, two-night package includes breakfast cooked and served daily in your room, free refreshments and fruit basket, free shuttle around the Kuta area (except on Nyepi Day), and a three-course traditional Balinese lunch on Nyepi Day consisting of seafood soup, chicken coconut curry with rice cakes and black rice pudding with ice-cream. With The Villas' award-winning Prana Spa and Prana Restaurant, you can also take advantage of the Turkish Delight spa package and the Nyepi Set Dinner package – a mouth-watering Rijstafel banquet – for the perfect finish to your day of reflective repose.

Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy the natural serenity of the Island of the Gods!

About Nyepi

Nyepi, the Balinese Hindu New Year, is the most sacred day on the Balinese calendar. It is a day of complete silence and stillness when the island imposes 24-hours of rest as it attempts to fool demons into thinking it has been deserted so they will migrate elsewhere.

Everyone will lock themselves inside their residence. The airport and harbour will close, all vehicular traffic will cease and shops will pull down their shutters. Only hospitals and tourist hotels will be allowed to continue operating.

According to tradition, the Balinese should not eat or drink for the entire day, no source of light but the sun is allowed, no electricity may be used, and no recreation activity may be enjoyed. It is a day of introspection and meditation.

For foreigners, the rules are more relaxed, as long as they respect the ‘Day of Silence' by not leaving their residence or hotel and by keeping noise to a minimum. Sarong-clad ‘pecalang', Bali 's volunteer religious police, will politely but firmly escort any foreigners caught on the streets back to their hotel or home.

While Nyepi will bring Bali to a standstill for one day, on the days either side of it the streets will buzz with festivity as the Balinese take part in an island-wide street-party, including the colourful parade on Nyepi Eve of ‘ogoh-ogoh' (huge figures of demons made from papier mache).

It is a unique time to be on the island to see the vibrant culture that underpins the Balinese way of life and makes this island so special.