How a quiet holiday to Bali made me reconsider how I travel

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a day ago

Shhh. I hate noise. Well, to clarify, I hate antisocial noise. When people crank up their music so the whole street has to listen to drum and bass, or when fellow passengers on trains watch videos without wearing earphones. Add this to the general din of traffic, roadworks, construction and the relentless bings and dings of tech. Sometimes, I could scream.
So when I heard about a festival in Bali called Nyepi, which means 'Day of Silence', my ears pricked up. It's a significant, sacred ceremony marking the new year according to the Balinese lunar calendar, which this year fell at the end of March, and for Hindus, who make up about 87 per cent of the population, it's a time for self-reflection and contemplation.
For 24 hours, the entire island becomes pin-drop quiet; no travel is allowed, so there's no traffic and the airport is shut, leaving the skies clear. You won't hear loud conversation or music, and at night, you won't see lights. In fact, for the whole of Nyepi, no one is allowed to leave their homes, which means every street and beach is deserted, with many Balinese also fasting.
Local community guards called the Pecalang, who keep order during religious and traditional events, are on patrol to maintain peace. Everyone, including tourists, must remain inside, although visitors can still eat in their hotels and engage in hushed chat.
In the days before and after Nyepi, several ceremonies are performed that are anything but quiet. One of the most boisterous, the Ogoh-Ogoh parade, occurs the evening before. Designed to ward off evil spirits, and to the sound of banging gongs and beating drums, giant statues of mythical demons called ogoh-ogoh are carried through the streets, many of which are later burnt in cemeteries.
I was keen to experience Nyepi but rather than simply flop at a posh hotel and be quiet for a day, I wanted to get under the skin of this special festival and, being particularly noise-sensitive, I wanted to participate and understand how this annual focus on silence serves the Balinese. The tour operator Untold Story Travel rose to the challenge.
My first base was Artotel, a hotel in Sanur, an old seaside town in the southeast of the island not far from Denpasar, Bali's capital, which is the place to see one of the most impressive Ogoh-Ogoh parades and appreciate the contrast between commotion and calm. My host, Sugeng Suprianto, gifted me a special black and grey sarong that ensured I would fit right in when I walked in the Denpasar Ogoh-Ogoh parade that night. I hadn't expected to be that involved.
I was duly escorted to the starting point and introduced to one of Bali's most famous artists for sculpting stupendous ogoh-ogoh, Marmar Herayukti. As he was putting the finishing touches to his winged, fanged, fantastical figure, which must have been about 7m high, a massive crowd swelled around him, everyone craning to catch a glimpse. We're talking rock star status.
'Nyepi is a profound period of environmental and spiritual reflection,' Herayukti told me. He explained that the Day of Silence gives everyone time to pause, rest and think about the environment, a subject that's important to him — which is why he only uses eco-friendly materials such as bamboo and papier-mâché.
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Come parade time the statues, which sit on vast bamboo platforms, were hoisted onto the shoulders of supporters. I followed under the watchful eyes of my guides because you need to keep your wits about you, particularly as floats are suddenly spun around to confuse evil spirits but could easily have confused me. After six hours of watching, waiting and parading, elated but exhausted, I headed back to my hotel, wondering what Nyepi would bring.
Well, silence. Except for a couple of whispery meals in the dining room, from where I could see the Pecalang in their distinctive black and white chequered sarongs, walking or cycling by. I decided to follow Nyepi as best as I could. No music. No binge-watching. I stayed in my room and read a bit. Pondered a lot. And felt homesick, an unusual emotion for me during a short trip. I missed my husband. My friends. My dog.
What I realised is that even though I hate grating, unwanted noise, when I'm travelling, having my own background sound is soothing. It serves as a distraction, stopping me dwelling on stuff. I went to bed early and couldn't sleep. Perhaps it was too quiet. Or perhaps I needed to learn to be quiet with my own thoughts.
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I awoke early the next morning to rain. Crazy rain. And the sound was energising after the Day of Silence. It set me up nicely for my next experience in Bangli Regency, in the northeast of Bali — a purification ceremony at Pura Taman Pecampuhan Sala, an exquisite temple in verdant countryside where two rivers meet. Stepping into its clear pools, I was guided around numerous cleansing shrines, which included fountains and sparkling waterfalls. The ritual was certainly head-clearing. As I sat taking it all in, I thought about home again and a realisation dawned. I have everything I need. My life doesn't have to be all about pursuit. It can also be about pause. Does that sound fake or woo-woo? I hope not because that's the penny that dropped in that peaceful place.
The perfect sequel to the Day of Silence was staying at Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape, one of the most extraordinary hotels I've visited. In central Bali, high in the jungle — not far from Ubud — the 16 private villas are out of this world, although very much in the natural world as they have no windows or doors (although the garden has a gate). While the bedroom area is tastefully luxe, the view is vast and uninterrupted. Of course, you can still hear everything. Which you think might not be much. But the less noise I made, the more I began to hear — and appreciate. Birds. Cicadas. Rain. Breezes.
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Before dinner, which is created with 70 per cent plant-based ingredients, much of them grown in the hotel's farm, I had cocktails in the Botanist Bar where you look down onto a panorama of treetops and one of the world's most photogenic swimming pools (cocktails from £8). A radiant rectangle of turquoise reaches into the rainforest, surrounded by scarlet umbrellas and loungers, an oasis of relaxation.
With Buahan as my base, I went to the ancient temple of Gunung Kawi, Bali's Valley of Kings, saw dramatic rice terraces and tried ebiking (with a support van and a luxury picnic). I also had a session of sound healing in the spa, during which the therapist used singing bowls, their resonant vibrations helping me to float away on the sound waves (£110 for 90 minutes).
This trip also honed my view of the kind of holiday you can enjoy in Bali. I'd always thought of it as a party island and yes, it has plenty of busy beaches and tourist hotspots such as Seminyak and Canggu on the southwest coast. But I enjoyed heading north to explore inland, following winding roads and passing little towns and villages. I realised what a deeply religious place Bali is, with every home having its own temple. There's also a great sense of local community. And the Buahan hotel has become somewhere I imagine when I want to feel calm. But look, whisper it. We don't want to encourage the crowds, bringing their chaos and disturbing the peace.Jan Masters was a guest of Untold Story Travel, which has seven nights' B&B from £6,000pp, including activities, transfers and a visit to the Ogoh-Ogoh parade (untoldstorytravel.com). Fly to Denpasar
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By Siobhan Grogan
On Legian beach on Bali's west coast, Legian Beach Hotel is surrounded by tropical gardens, koi-filled ponds and palm trees with golden sand just steps away. There's a family pool with a waterslide and an adults-only pool with swim-up bar, plus a gazebo for alfresco cooking classes and a spa offering traditional Balinese healing practices and t'ai chi sessions. All-white rooms contrast with dark teak furniture and have balconies or terraces overlooking the garden. Take your pick from five restaurants for dinner including a teppanyaki, an Italian and the beachfront Lais, which serves traditional Indonesian dishes. Details Seven nights' B&B from £1,435pp, including flights and coach transfers (tui.co.uk)
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Temple visits, daily yoga sessions and a healing ceremony are all included on this small-group tour with G Adventures. You'll spend three nights in an Ubud resort exploring Bali's spiritual side with a sacred bathing ritual at Hindu temple Tirta Empul, guided meditations and an organic cooking class, before travelling on to Pemuteran for two nights with activities including a Balinese healing yoga session and an afternoon snorkelling on Menjangan Island. The tour concludes with three nights in a hotel in Nusa Dua, near Sanur, for a hike to Munduk waterfall, trekking on the Jatiluwih Rice Terrace and options to try a Balinese dance class or take a course in massage. Details Eight nights' B&B from £997pp, including arrival transfers, yoga, daily activities and some extra meals (gadventures.com). Fly to Denpasar
Strictly for the adventurous, this small-group tour starts with two nights in a hotel in Ubud before ticking off two-night stays each at hotels and guesthouses in the Mount Agung foothills, Amed, Senaru and the Gili Islands, plus a night's camping just below the crater's rim at Mount Rinjani on Lombok. There's an action-packed itinerary along the way including white water rafting, a day cycling through bamboo forests and local villages, treks to Tirta Gangga water palace and Lempuyang Temple and a snorkelling trip in a motorised wooden boat around the three tiny Gili Islands, just off the coast of Lombok. Details Eleven nights' B&B including one night camping from £1,136pp, including activities and some extra meals (intrepidtravel.com). Fly to Denpasar