Tenganan—Bali Aga Village★★
Tenganan Pegringsingan is one of the last Bali Aga villages—settlements of the "original Balinese" who have preserved their pre-Hindu culture for centuries, while the rest of the island came under the influence of the Javanese Majapahit Empire. The village is only 5 km from Padangbai but is a time travel back centuries.
Tenganan is strictly self-sufficient and endogamous: The approximately 600 inhabitants are only allowed to marry among themselves, land cannot be sold, and decisions are made by the village council according to ancient rules (awig-awig). Anyone who marries an outsider loses the right to live in the village.
The village is famous for two unique crafts:
Geringsing: The only double ikat weaving in the world (besides a few in Japan and India). Both thread systems—warp and weft—are dyed separately before weaving and coordinated so that the pattern emerges when woven. A single fabric can take several years to produce. Geringsing cloths are considered magical and are worn as protection during ceremonies.
Lontar palm leaf painting: On dried palm leaves, the finest patterns and mythological scenes are etched with bamboo needles and blackened with nut dye—a technique found only in Tenganan.
Every year in June or July, the Mekare-Kare festival takes place: A ritual fight where young men cut each other's backs with pandanus leaves (which cut like razors)—a blood ritual in honor of the war god Indra. Fascinating and not for the faint-hearted.
💡 Tipp
Admission is a donation (donation box at the entrance, 20,000-50,000 IDR is appropriate). Visit the workshops at the back of the village—the women who weave Geringsing are happy to explain their work. A small Geringsing cloth costs from 300,000 IDR, a large one can cost several million.