The Balinese set aside a day a year for silence – Nyepi a.k.a. Hindu New Year. It's a day of self-reflection, fasting, meditation, the most important holiday of the year.

Preparation starts weeks out. They gather the makings for extra offerings, the towns spend their nights crafting towering papier mache beasts for the Nyepi eve parade, traffic slows on Nyepi eve and then stops just before the parades, nyepi excitement builds in the air.

The parade sees larger than life beastly statues marched through every town by teetering local boys and men with lots of noise and fanfare.

Nyepi day is taken seriously. Security men patrol the streets checking the rules are observed - no lights, no work, no travel, no eating, no entertainment, no talking - the airport closes, the lights go off, the sound dies down.