Originally Posted by
80proofGalleyCart
March is muggy and wet, but you'll have a shot at some dry days as rainy season is tapering off. Cicada Resort is in Tegallalang, at higher elevation than Ubud, so should be cooler.
Avoid inter-island travel the last weekend of March: in 2025, Idul Fitri (Ramadan runs through all of March) and Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, are happening around the same time. Will be a bank holiday nationwide.
For the latter (March 29-30), Bali completely shuts down: you can't fly in/out, aren't meant to leave your hotel/residence, etc. There's
a thread on Nyepi here -- hasn't been updated in awhile, but gives the gist of it.
It's actually quite an experience: it really is dead silent from the lack of human activity, and with so few lights clouding the night sky, stargazing can be off the charts.
This year, I flew in the night before Nyepi without being aware that it was going to be a holiday. Customs was packed but it went by fast. Only until I got to the hotel was when I was informed that they had special service hours due to the holiday. They explained what I could and couldn't do and was asked to keep the window shades covered at night. It was very eerie that night. Amazing view of the stars and it was silent. They closed the kitchen at 6pm I believe, so dinner was served early and we were given advance notice to prepare for the quiet day and night. I'm glad I got to experience the holiday just by chance.
The weather was muggy, but doable if you're at the pool. The rates were so cheap and combining with the double nights promo was easy to meet Titanium status.