Local and international tourists have been advised to refrain from visiting the Indonesian resort island of Bali this Friday during which native islanders would observe the Hindu's Silence Day or Nyepi.

Both domestic and foreign tourists are reminded not to travel to Bali on Friday (March 7) when the Balinese people observe their "Nyepi" holy day or the Hindu new year of Saka 1930, a local official said.

The Bali provincial government said Wednesday all modes of transportation would halt operation during the Hindu New Year.

"Those wishing to have a vacation in Bali on Friday should move it up or delay it one day as all modes of transportation there will not operate on that day," Bali Provincial Administration spokesman I Nyoman Puasa Aryana said on Wednesday.

All air and sea transportation from Bali to other places will halt operations for 24 hours from 06:00 a.m. Friday (23:00 GMT Thursday), government spokesman I Nyoman Puasa Aryana was quoted by the national Antara news agency as saying.

All four sea ports and the Ngurah Rai International Airport will totally shut, he said.

Bali island, a Hindu enclave in the predominantly Muslim country, is Indonesia's largest resort visited by around 1.7 million foreign tourists last year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2008)