Our honeymoon was finally coming to end. After a week of exploring Hindu temples, beach hopping, and exploring the island, we wanted to spend our last day just relaxing indoors. Fortunately for us, our timing couldn’t have been more impeccable. I didn’t know until I already booked the tickets about the Balinese new year and the mandatory Silent Day that comes after it. Luckily, it landed on our very last day in Bali.
For our last few days, we have booked a private pool villa in Ubud. We picked Kajane Mua along the main street of Ubud, just a few minutes away from the Monkey Forest. I was glad how wonderfully it worked out. Being in Ubud for the Balinese new year has been such a great experience, and capping it off with a quiet day within the privacy of our villa was exactly what we needed after a pretty long adventurous week. We even got upgraded to an even bigger villa, and I wish I took more photos of the place. I didn’t know I’d be writing about it one year from then. Otherwise, I would have taken blogger-standard photo in every angle. Hah.
Silent Day, locally known as Nyepi, is a traditional Balinese way of starting off the new year. After a full day of celebration for the new year(read here), Balinese people dedicate this day to make reflections and offer their prayers. All the family gather in the house without talking to each other. No televisions or any form of entertainment are allowed. Everyone is to remain quiet for the entire 24 hours. No one is allowed to go outside the streets and it doesn’t matter if you’re a foreigner or not, you are expected to oblige with the tradition. A friend of mine spent Silent Day in Kuta, and since she was staying at a hotel room facing the main street, they were told to turn off their televisions because you can see the lights in the streets. They’re that strict about this day.
Supposedly, Nyepi is a day for reflection. I do like the idea of spending the first day of the new year being around your family, yet being alone in your mind so you can organize your thoughts and reflect on your previous choices and reevaluate how you want the following year to be. It amazes me how strong willed Balinese people are. As I’ve already said in my previous posts, Balinese people value their culture very much. I have not seen anybody more loyal to their culture than the Balinese are. I witnessed with my very own eyes the dedication they have and how everyone obeys the traditions. It’s very impressive to me, and I think this is one of the top reasons why I fell in love with Bali.
For my husband and I, Silent Day was lovely. We’re honeymooners, after all, and we didn’t mind being cozied up in our traditional Balinese villa. We picked a pretty good hotel that offered certain activities throughout the day such as yoga in the morning and a cooking lesson in the afternoon. It was a pretty good day for us. Mostly, we lounged around, laid out in the sun, and took a dip in the pool. We ate amazing food, and we indulged in each other’s company. I couldn’t think of a better way to cap off our honeymoon.
Eat, play, love. It was exactly how we wanted to end our honeymoon 🙂
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It sounds like you had a lovely trip & honeymoon. Congratulations on your wedding.
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I did. Thank you!
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Wow, when you vacation, you really vacation. What an awesome time. Love the photos.
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Sounds like a fantastic holiday. Your photos are amazing, you have a good eye for a fantastic shot x
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Congratulations! Bali looks so beautiful. What a great place to spend your honey moon!
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Thank you. It was awesome!
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These are beautiful photos! I could use a ‘Silent Day’ in my life. I never seem to have time to reflect on what matters.
Alessandra | The PumpUp Blog
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Thanks Alessandra. We should make our own version of Silent day in the states, right?
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For sure!
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It’s really cool that practically everyone participates in Nyepi. I’m glad you guys had such a great time!
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It is! They really do value the importance of their traditions.
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That looks serene.. and that bathtub— wow! Congratulations on your wedding, and yes Eat Play Love is all the honeymoon should be 🙂
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Thank you! And yes I loved every minute of it.
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I SO want to visit Bali! I will get there one day!!
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It’s so worth it, love that island!
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It sound like you had great fun on your vacations and congratulations on wedding!!
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Thank you!
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Congratulations! You guys have picked a perfect spot for your honeymoon!
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Congrats 🙂 I have always wanted to experience Nyepi. Great timing for a honeymoon.
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Thank you. I enjoyed it a lot!
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Bali would be an amazing honeymoon destination! Enjoying a day of silence to meditate and relax sounds fantastic.
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It was actually a pretty good pick. Definitely the honeymoon capital of Asia!
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Interesting to read about the local tradition on the Silent Day (Nyepi). Glad you enjoyed your honeymoon!
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Thank you. It was a great time!
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A day of silence – that a wonderful concept! And lucky for you that you happened to be there. What a wonderful wedding present.
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I liked it a lot. I didn’t look at it that way but you’re right, it’s the perfect wedding present!
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Congrats to your wedding, this sounds like a great way to end it!
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Thank you so much!
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Uhm … the honeymoon I mean 😉
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Haha gotcha 🙂
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What a great way to end the honeymoon! seems like a good villa and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
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I loved the villa. It was a great pick!
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Congrats on your marriage! This looks like a lovely way to start your new life by reflecting in silence. I’m planning a Bali trip soon but too bad we missed this. Maybe next year!
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Thank you so much. It really was an amazing way to start our marriage. Have fun in Bali! The new year is around the end of March!
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Fantastic, I have never been in Bali during Nyepi but it looks like you enjoyed it the right way, nice addition to the honeymoon!
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Thanks! I loved it.
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Bali is one of my favourite destinations 🙂 But this hotel is really amazing, wish to visit place like this one day. Maybe on my next visit to Bali:)
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I feel like anywhere you stay in Bali would be amazing!
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