Bali for Christmas and New Year: how it all happens, prices, tips

Traveling to Asia and celebrating the New Year in a tropical atmosphere makes this time even more anticipated and exciting. In order for your trip to Bali for Christmas to live up to your expectations and become truly memorable, you need to take into account some nuances, which we will discuss further.

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New Year

As a rule, Balinese families do not celebrate New Year on December 31st. The traditional New Year celebration in Bali takes place in March, and is the complete opposite of the noisy celebrations with music and fireworks that are so popular in many countries around the world. Balinese New Year or Nyepi is also known as the Day of Silence. On this day, work and traffic on the roads stop, and local residents stay in their homes, do not use electricity and try to remain quiet. These restrictions partially apply to tourists.

However, in the popular tourist areas of Bali on December 31, New Year's Eve, an atmosphere of general celebration reigns and large-scale festivities take place: beach clubs and restaurants vying with each other to offer tourists a variety of menus and entertainment programs, and the beaches turn into a continuous party with music and dancing, which ends with bright fireworks.

W Bali - Seminyak

Where to stay

During the Christmas holidays, prices for holidays and demand for accommodation increase significantly, so it is recommended to book a hotel in advance.

If you are going to spend New Year's Eve outside the hotel, for example, in a beach club, restaurant, or just on the beach, we recommend choosing accommodation within walking distance from the venue to avoid traffic jams and other logistical problems on New Year's Eve. This is especially true for such “party” areas as Kuta, Seminyak and Canggu. For a more relaxing New Year's Eve experience, choose Ubud.

As an example, here are a few hotels where you can stay during the holiday period:

• Hotel Tjampuhan Spa (Ubud) - a secluded inexpensive hotel decorated in classic Balinese style. Good service, a restaurant serving Balinese and international cuisine, a spa in the middle of nature - from $117 with breakfast.
• Alaya Resort (Ubud) - an elegant 5-star boutique hotel with a peaceful atmosphere. Spa services and yoga classes are available . A popular attraction such as the Monkey Forest is a 5-minute walk away - from $295 with breakfast.
• Four Points by Sheraton Bali (Seminyak) - boutique hotel located near the legendary Potato Beach Club Head . It features beautiful rooms, a 24-hour fitness center, a health spa and an award-winning rooftop lounge bar starting at $200.
• Lv8 Resort Hotel is a 5 star hotel located in the Canggu area on the magnificent Berawa Beach. Offering luxurious suites, excellent food and exclusive spa experiences. A good choice for the New Year holidays as it has its own Vue Beach Club Beach Club with a 50-meter infinity pool, and is also within walking distance of the popular Finns beach club, which on New Year's Eve is one of the epicenters of the most exciting holiday events - about $380 with breakfast.

Since the holiday period is a peak period, book in advance not only accommodation, but also restaurant tables or entrance tickets or wristbands to a holiday location.

Four Points by Sheraton

Where to celebrate New Year in Bali

Of the most popular locations for New Year's Eve, you should pay attention to:

• Potato Head beach club (Seminyak) - a lively and crowded beach club with a vibrant atmosphere, a wide selection of international dishes and cocktails, an infinity pool and grand parties.
• Finns (Canggu) - a location positioning itself as the best beach club in the world, offers visitors 4 swimming pools, 9 bars and 5 restaurants, daily performances by DJs and live performers, as well as vibrant festive events.

When going to these establishments on peak days, you need to be prepared for large crowds of vacationers and possible queues for entry and drinks.

If you want to spend New Year's Eve in a more relaxed atmosphere, consider one of the many restaurants as a location. Many large hotels offer special Christmas and New Year's dinners during this period, combined with musical accompaniment.

Or try KUDETA, a tourist favorite beach restaurant in Seminyak overlooking the ocean. Guests can expect a rich menu, from the usual pizza to gourmet dinner dishes, a wide range of drinks, a refreshing pool, music and, of course, exciting parties.

When it comes to food choices, Bali's dining menus offer a huge variety of local and international dishes, from spicy Indian curries and fresh Japanese sushi and sashimi to a wide selection of seafood and traditional Balinese dishes. Babi Guling - spit-roasted suckling pig seasoned with local spices. This dish is usually served with rice and vegetables and is one of the most popular on the island.

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Christmas

Since more than 80% of the Balinese are Hindus, as is the case with the New Year, they generally do not celebrate Christmas in December. Therefore, you should not expect the usual abundance of Christmas markets, Christmas trees, lights and mulled wine that European tourists are accustomed to.

However, the Christian part of the population decorates their yards with festive decorations called Penjor, which are bamboo poles decorated with palm leaves and other symbolic materials.

Another Christmas tradition in Bali is Ngejot - locals share food with their neighbors as a sign of thanksgiving and the harmonious coexistence of different faiths.

In addition, many Christians dress in traditional clothing and attend Christmas masses.

Some shops, restaurants and cafes create a festive atmosphere with Christmas music and holiday decorations.

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Weather

The Christmas and New Year holidays in Bali fall at the height of the rainy season, so there is a high chance that hours of sunshine will alternate with heavy tropical downpours. However, precipitation, even if heavy, does not spoil the general festive mood prevailing on the island. In addition, average air and water temperatures continue to remain quite comfortable for tourists from colder countries and are

• Air temperature during the day: 28-29°C
• Air temperature at night: about 23-24°C
• Water temperature: about 29°C

Give yourself pleasure and find yourself at the epicenter of exciting events! Spend the Christmas and New Year holidays in tropical style and your carefree days on the island will be filled with fun, delicious food and drinks, pleasant music and fireworks.

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