craft
Gringsing Weaving in Tenganan
Tenganan, Karangasem 3 hours 10+
Sit with a weaver in one of the only three places on earth where double ikat is still made by hand.
Tenganan Pegringsingan is a Bali Aga village with its own calendar, law and textile tradition. A single gringsing cloth can take years. You will not finish one — you will understand why it costs what it costs.
The story behind the experience
Three places in the world
Double ikat — where warp and weft are both resist-dyed before weaving — survives only in India, Japan and Tenganan. Getting the pattern to meet requires planning the cloth before a single thread is woven.
How this scores
Cultural respect
Visitor-friendly
Dress code: Sarong and sash required in the village
What to bring
- · Sarong (can be borrowed)
- · Cash to buy directly from weavers
What not to do
- · Bargain hard on gringsing
- · Enter house compounds without invitation
Your host
Meet Made
Traditional carver and village guide · Tenganan, Karangasem
Made grew up under Tenganan's awig-awig, the customary law that still governs the village. He carves lontar and works with the weaving households to make sure visitors buy directly from the maker rather than a reseller.