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In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

New Year's...Bali Style

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

When someone mentions they are going to Bali, grand visions appear…. beautiful terraced rice fields, gentle streams, soft spoken people….well, if it’s there, we didn’t find it. But, if you're looking for "made to order" antiques, over priced trinkets, and aggressive hustlers, they are readily available.

Woodcarving Factory, Bali

Woodcarving Factory

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The local tour agent met us at the airport in Bali and informed us that we would not be able to take the tour of Ubud, the mountainous cultural center of Bali, that we had planned for the next day. The 25th of March, he explained, is the Balinese New Year. Perfect, we thought...so we'll enjoy the New Year's festivities, as we have done in many other countries.
 

 

 

 

Our guide, though, continued to explain that, not only could we not travel to Ubud, but we were, in fact, not to leave our hotel. To do so would risk imprisonment and a $100 fine. Indeed, the Balinese Hindus (85% of the local population) meditate all New Year's Day. For these 24 hours, they do not speak, eat, or drink. Checking into our hotel room, we were greeted by these written instructions:

"Nyepi Day is a very unique holiday in Bali which will be held on this March 25. Balinese New Year, called Icaka New Year, is the day of total silence throughout the Bali island. No activity is done, no traffic at all on the road, no shops or restaurants may open, no fires may be lit, and no amusement held for the long day. Even lovemaking is prohibited. Aircraft may not fly over Bali on this day."

Resort on Bali with beautiful swimming pool

Resort on Bali with beautiful swimming pool

The notice continued to tell us to keep light and noise to a minimum, that the hotel restaurant and bar would be closed all day, and that maid and room service would not be available.

This is why we paid to stay in a Four Star Resort??????

Not entirely by choice, we welcomed the Balinese New Year in the Hindu tradition.

 

 

 

 

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About the Authors
 
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on topics of finance, medical tourism and world travel. With the wealth of information they share on their award winning website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com, they have been helping people achieve their own retirement dreams since 1991. They wrote the popular books, The Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement and Your Retirement Dream IS Possible available on their website bookstore or on Amazon.com.

 

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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