Planning to have your holiday vacation in Bali?
Sure, there are many things to do and see in Bali – tropical sunsets, cultural masterpieces, and wonderful tourist-y cliches. Your list may now be full of must-see and must-go places, but here are some of the weirder, quirkier and definitely more fun things you should do on the island:
The No Talking party.
Happening in Ubud every Sunday, there is a party held for expats, locals, tourists and everyone in between starting at 11 AM. Dance, grind, howl, scream, laugh, but never, ever speak. That’s the one and only rule of the party: no talking whatsoever.
It’s the perfect getaway after a hung-over the previous night. Experience party rage in broad daylight, and express yourself without using any language as a medium.
The No Talking party maybe one of the most subtle yet powerful cultural experiences you will have – as there are things more profound than careless whispers and spoken diatribe. Go crazy, scream your heart out, let go and dance to the increasing beats of music. Feed off on the energies around you and experience a Christmas party like no other.
Laughing Yoga
Experience a yoga class like no other: laugh your hearts out and boost your immune system besides. Laughing is the best medicine, and researchers have corroborated this fact through a study centred on feel-good hormones. The results had shown these hormones to trigger an immune system boost, clearer thinking, and a better life perspective in general.
Laughing yoga sessions are held in Ambar Ashram, in a grass field overlooking the azure ocean and clear skies – with at least 100 yoga attendees laughing their hearts out to no extent. Call it crazy, or plain delusional, but don’t disregard it until you’ve tried it. After all, even fake smiles can trigger real feel-good hormones.
Mud wrestling under the full moon
While the December months in Bali means that you’ll get short but intense rains almost every afternoon, worry not. In the evening, the skies clear away to show the magnificence of tropical night life. Earlier in the evening, you may hang out in some of the restaurants or bars overlooking the sea, feeling the chilly yet comforting sea breeze on your skin.
Come 11:30, though, go to the Green School where there is an obscure but not unheard of Balinese ritual that puts everyone – the school’s students, the teachers and visitors – in a mud pit. It’s basically a mud wrestling mania, and anything goes.
The Green School in Bali is maybe the greenest school on Earth, with organic gardens, a bird rehabilitation program, a natural swimming pool, and a huge crystal juju that residents believe radiates positive energies throughout the entire compound.
The Mepantigan full moon perfomance – the mud wrestling extravaganza – is held in the school grounds and a clothes-optional event. You can either observe the ritual or you can go enjoy yourself getting dirty and mud-slapped, and just being all over the place.
The experience is like rage yoga, where playing is combined with having healing energies surround your body. The Bali Tourism Board hails this event as a must-go and must-see – and you’ll definitely regret not attending when you can.
