Any idea what the rarest commodity in the world is? No, it is not some mineral, or exotic animal, or even water…

It is silence.

These days it is almost impossible to find silence unless you make a huge effort. Just think about it. When last did you spend a few days with only your own thoughts? No TV or Netflix, no phone, not even a cat or dog to talk to. Just you…

I recently travelled for almost 24 hours to do exactly that. When I decided to go to a silent retreat in Bali for five days, family and friends were sceptical. "You are definitely going to be kicked out," said a family member; a sentiment shared by the rest of the doubting Thomases.

Okay, it is perhaps understandable given that I do (and always have) made a living out of talking, but it could be exactly because of my noisy occupation that a few days at The Bali Silent Retreat Centre appealed to me so much.

This simple retreat is based in the rural, north-west of Bali close to the mountains. The scenery is simply breath taking, with rustic wooden huts surrounded by rice fields. Although guided meditation and yoga are available, there is no obligation to do anything. There are very few rules: no phones (there is in any case no reception or Wi-Fi), no smoking, no food in the huts (since it attracts mice which in turn attract snakes) – and of course, no talking.