What happens
Galungan marks the victory of dharma over adharma and the return of ancestral spirits to the family home. It is the most important day in the Balinese calendar and arrives every 210 days — so twice in most calendar years. From early morning families pray at their house temple, then travel on to ancestral temples.
Impact on your trip
Many warungs, workshops, salons and family-run shops close for one or two days. Hotels, larger restaurants and major attractions keep operating, though with fewer staff. Roads towards home villages are congested morning and evening, especially heading east and north out of Denpasar.
How to prepare
Ask your front desk which warungs are open, or plan to eat in tourist areas. If you rent a scooter, do not count on repair shops being open. Withdraw cash the day before — some ATMs are not refilled during long holidays.
What you can see
Penjor lining village streets is Bali at its most beautiful and only happens during this period. Barong Ngelawang — a barong danced from house to house by children — often appears in the days after Galungan.