Ports, terminals, airport to close on day of silence

Ngurah Rai International Airport and all harbors and ports in Bali will be closed on March 5 to observe Nyepi, the day of silence observed by Balinese Hindus, an official says.

During the celebration of the Hindu New Year according to the Saka lunar calendar, Balinese Hindus will observe four abstentions: amati geni (abstaining from lighting fires), amati karya (abstaining from work), amati lelungan (abstaining from travelling outside family compounds) and amati lelanguan (abstaining from enjoying entertainment).

“The harbors, ports and airport will be closed from 6 a.m. local time on March 5 until 6 a.m. local time on March 6,” Bali administration junior spokesperson Ketut Teneng said.

 The closure will affect Ngurah Rai airport, Gilimanuk ferry harbor, Padangbai ferry harbor, Benoa central harbor, Celukan Bawang cargo port, several traditional fishing ports along the island’s south and north coasts and all bus and public transportation terminals across Bali, he said.

In a separate letter Pastika also asked the management of television and radio stations to temporarily halt broadcasts to Bali during Nyepi.

“Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has officially notified all relevant agencies about the closures, including the Home Minister, the Transportation Minister and the Foreign Minister,” Teneng said.

“I don’t think that this request will take them by surprise since similar closures have been carried out every Nyepi for the last 13 years,” Bali Transportation Agency head I Made Santa said.

Ngurah Rai airport spokesperson Fala Romeka said all airlines had already received sufficient information on the closure and would abide by the policy.

“It has become a sort of an annual event for us. The airlines will automatically stop their operation on that day. It’s not a problem for us,” Romeka said.

The closure will not affect international flights in transit, emergency landings, emergency evacuations, overflights or technical landings.  

The airport has an average of 253 landings and takeoffs a day, according to reports.

A similar sentiment was also echoed by Gilimanuk harbor master Ospar Silaban. He said the harbor authority would gradually reduce the number of operating ferries starting the night before Nyepi.

“Following the gradual reduction, by midnight of March 4 we will have only two ferries plying the
Gilimanuk-Ketapang [East Java] route.

“By the morning of March 5 we will completely shut down the harbor,” he said.

Silaban said the harbor usually experienced a surge in passengers leaving the island before Nyepi, comprised mostly of Javanese migrant workers who opted for holidays at home.

“To anticipate the surge we will operate 24 out of the 28 ferries we have on the days before Nyepi,” he added.