Bali travellers ‘ashamed’ to be Australian after bogans ignored Nyepi Day rules
An Australian holidaying in Bali has criticized other Australian tourists for being ‘disrespectful’ to local customs by ignoring the island’s day of silence.
A frustrated woman staying at the Peninsula Beach Resort in Nusa Dua, on the island’s southern coast, shared a post on Monday calling out “rude” tourists.
She claimed many other Australians at her resort on Monday broke the rules of Nyepi Day, a Balinese ‘day of silence’ celebrated on Bali’s Saka New Year.
During the holidays, the entire island is silent for 24 hours without music, sound or light.
Despite being warned about the culturally important day, some Australians ignored the simple rules.
A frustrated Australian woman slammed other Australian tourists for not respecting the rules of Nyepi Day, a Balinese ‘day of silence’
The woman said she was ‘ashamed’ to admit that most of the perpetrators were Australians (photo, her post)
‘Today is Nyepi day in Bali. There should be silence everywhere,” the Australian woman wrote online.
‘Our resort has done a great job of feeding everyone and has politely requested silence and that we can be in our rooms from 6pm. It’s not a big question.
‘However, there are some bloody scumbags running around in and around the pool who are just completely ignorant. I’m so ashamed to say they’re Australians.’
She later added that the group was told to go back to their rooms, but other guests could “still hear them continuing.”
Dozens of disappointed commentators shared their own experiences with ‘ignorant’ tourists on Nyepi Day.
‘You have to stay where we are. The noise today was very disrespectful, and as for the families that make kids scream and dad yell back, these kids will never learn respect if the parents can’t show it to them,” one person wrote.
‘It was a circus here today in our hotel. Loud, shouting and drunken yobbos all day long. When we went out for dinner about half an hour ago, there were people on their balconies loudly playing music,” said another.
‘We also have some drunk people here who still don’t respect the local culture – noisy in the pool. Most are doing the right thing, including us. I love a nice, calm day,” said a third.
During the holidays, the entire island is silent for 24 hours with no music, noise or lights, while tourists are given candles (pictured) to use in their rooms instead of their lights
A fourth person wrote: ‘It’s unacceptable, I’m in a villa and both sides of me are ignorant and disrespectful.
‘One group was actually playing music, while the other group had all the lights on and kids screaming.
‘What’s wrong with people? It’s so disrespectful I can’t understand it.’
Other Australian tourists shared photos of themselves watching or participating in the day’s celebrations, including the Ogoh-Ogoh parade with floats of mythological creatures.
Tourists staying at their resort for the day described being given candles by staff to use in place of the lights and enjoying the serene silence.
However, many commenters said other guests ignored the property’s attempts to make the day enjoyable.
‘Our hotel was so accommodating and offered several dining options and even poolside activities. Yet a group of them were loud all day,” one person wrote.
‘Tonight we have some people refusing to draw their blinds and you can hear a lot of loud voices. So disappointing.’
Several Aussies reportedly ignored the holiday’s rules, using their hotel lights (pictured) and being loud in communal areas
Another said: ‘I do my head here too! It is not difficult to be polite and respectful.
“I feel like half of our hotel has decided that if they’re stuck inside, they’re going to get drunk and complain obnoxiously loudly about $4.50 Bintangs!”
A third said: ‘EEveryone in any hotel has been given instructions on what to do today.
‘All day I had people in other villas playing music, drinking and carrying on. Really disrespectful.
“If you can’t follow the simple rules, stay home until their special days are over.”
Even more Aussies in Legian, also in the south of the island, said they had similar problems with tourists.
‘We had the same thing in our motel in Legian; shouting and laughing so loudly. A lot of people sang Happy Birthday at the top of their lungs. If you can’t abide by their rules, don’t come here on Nyepi,” said one.
Another Australian woman recounted her Nyepi Day experience, saying her resort did not strictly enforce the holiday’s rules.
Many Australians stuck to the rules and celebrated the island’s holiday, but others were called out for being ‘ignorant’ of local customs (Photo: Tourists waiting to watch the Ogoh-Ogoh parade)
‘It’s so different than I expected. In our hotel, the children (and some adults) were allowed to be loud without reprimand,” she said.
“(We) did our best to be quiet. We were allowed to talk during the massage at 9am, it was normal in the pool and our hotel still has some lights on. A few had gatherings and drinks on their patios.”
Other commenters advised tourists fed up to report disrespectful people to the local cultural police.
‘They will be resolved immediately!’ said one.