Candi Dasa is the collective name of east Bali’s most popular beach resort, covering a total of three miles of golden sands and comprising a series of small coastal villages: Candi Dasa, Senkidu, Mendira, Buitan and Manggis. It is here, not far from the beach in the direction of the hills, that lies Tenganan Aga, a traditional artisan’s village that has changed little in centuries.

It has such a unique architecture and is so well-known for the locals weavings skills, as well as boasting a breathtaking array of artisan goods, that it is part of most day tours to the east of Bali.

Welcome sign at the entrance

THE VILLAGE

We arrived in Tenganan on a summer morning, and were immediately taken by its strategical location, in a valley surrounded by a range of hills and forests. We were asked to make a donation before entering the village (calculate 15,000-30,000 IDR – or € 1-2 per person), funds that we were assured are injected back to the community, and joined the rest of visitors on the walking tour, supervised by a knowledgeable local guide. Guides and web-sites state that Tenganan is “one of the most secluded, isolated and conservative villages on the island of Bali”. Well, I can agree with the term conservative perhaps, but visitors were aplenty and the handicraft/souvenir stores and stalls abounded.

The first thing we noticed were the high solid walls that surround the entire Tenganan (initially intended to keep outsiders away), only broken by means of four gates facing the four cardinal points. We entered the village through the gate on the southern end, sided by two small temples.

We were told that the village is set up in a system of levels: the further you venture forth, the higher you climb. Who lives on what level depends on age: at the bottom are the youngest families and the artisans houses and stalls, while the eldest in the village live in the top level.

view of the main Tenganan concourse

As we walked along the small stone-paved streets, trying to temporarily avoid looking at the several little stalls selling masks, flags, hats, wood carving, weaving etc, we concentrated on the interesting set up of the village: down the little lanes lie several very similar houses, built on either side of the north to the south concourse, with their doors opening on to it.

Further along, in the middle of the concourse, is a 20 meters long strongly-built wooden balé (gazebo), a kind of council house where administrative decisions are made, and next to it is the drum tower, which is beaten 21 times each morning at the start of the day. Not far up the center are a series of balé banjar, communal pavilions for public use which serve for formal and informal meetings and ceremonial gatherings. The village main temple, the Pura Puseh or ‘temple of origin’ is situated at the northern end. Here and there are huge frangipani and banyan trees, all surrounded by low walls of uncut stones.

Hungry for cultural information, we broke off from the rest of visitors and sat for a break, dipping onto the pages of a guidebook…

One of the houses at Tenganan

HISTORY

The fascinating history of Tenganan dates back to around 200 BC and it is linked to the Bali Aga, the original Balinese people. Little is really known about Tenganan, but there are a few versions that are worth reading about. Some claim that the word Tenganan derives from the word ‘tengah’ which means ‘to move to an inner area’; this would prove that seafarers at some point decided to move inland to a rural area, hence establishing the village. Another version reveals that the area around Tenganan was donated to Ki Patih Tunjung Biru, the King of Bedahulu (on the hills in Gianyar Regency) right hand, when he found the King’s lost horse (albeit dead). And finally, a legend according to which the area had been ruled by unjust and cruel King Maya Denawa, who forbade Balinese to perform religious rituals. King Maya Denawa was eventually beaten and destroyed through fierce fighting by warlords lifted by god Indra (the god of war), and the people of Tenganan were selected to administer the territory and to use every means to keep it pure and clean in accordance with a divine plan to make it a microcosm of the world. Tenganan villagers in fact believed God Indra is the god of all gods.

This village was closed to the outside world until the 1970s and was known by anthropologists to be one of the most secluded societies of the archipelago, so much that even Balinese from other villages could not enter it. However, rapid changes occurred after that, with the development of local communications by the central government, the breaking of the endogamic rules and the opening Tenganan up to outsiders in the late 1980s.

Entertaining music at Tenganan

TENGANAN WAY OF LIFE

Tenganan unique way of life is really different from the rest of Bali: protected by a strict code of isolationism, it has its own own rules and regulations retained over the centuries. The locals’ customs and way of life reign the village and are passed from one generation to the next. The villagers are completely self sufficient and share all income as communal which is then shared according to needs. These are people proud of their living conditions, their crafts and customs; the community is important, and the village leaders are elected in a democratic fashion, and the individuals are as equally important as the community. Outsiders are still not allowed to dwell within the village, according to strict rules that state that only those born here can become full members of the community.

Individual ownership of property is not recognized. Tenganan retains the original mapping of agrarian village in the traditional structural Bali and owns enormous tracts of fertile and well-cultivated lands, with some of the villagers working in the agricultural fields, producing enough to fill every need of the village. The villagers’ ancestors knew the importance of a forest for their sustainable life and has well-maintained their forest and all its contents for centuries.

So, where do these people come from?

Working on crafts

THE BALI AGA PEOPLE

The people of Tenganan are called Bali Aga – the ‘original Balinese’ who descend from the unique ethnic group that at one time occupied Bali, people of the kingdom of Pegeng. They lived in small communities isolated and independent in the mountains where they found refuge from imperialistic invaders, and worshipped the powerful forces of nature and of their ancestors. Hidden in the hills, these people filed and blackened their teeth, buried their dead in the jungle to be carried away by the spirits and, by means of sacrifice, brought their ancestral spirits down to Earth to protect them.

Hidden in the hills of East Bali, it is right in Tenganan where the the most conservative of the Bali Aga preserve the old traditions with the greatest zeal. Tenganan people are tall and slender, have white skin and refined manners, and most of the men still wear their hair long. The strict protocol and rules only allowing marriages amongst the kin groups ensure the genetics of the Tenganese stay pure.

These are amazingly welcoming people; still, during your visit you may feel the uncomfortable feeling of being intruding.

A craftman selling his producs at Tenganan

ART AND CRAFTS

I finally decided to stand up and walk through the village, getting glimpses of what life in Tenganan is all about: small houses with terracotta tiled roofs, people attending to temples, women carrying fruit and vegetable on baskets balancing on their heads, weavers cottages where womenfolk engage in weaving and batik printing. It is a great heritage village with cobbled paths, roosters roaming around, and artisans producing a wide variety of handiwork and their family selling it. We stopped to watch a demonstration of work in progress: bamboo drawings, baskets making, and the one thing Tenganan is really famous for: the intricate weaving of the double-ikat Geringsing cloth. Tenganan is one of only 3 places in the world to produce/weave Geringsing (the other two places are Gujarat in India and Okinawa in Japan), the rarest technique of ikat weaving in the world today. In this unique process, both the horizontal and vertical threads are dyed in a special fashion so that when woven, designs appear in the cloth. The traditional pieces have only three colours and can take a month or longer to produce (we were told of a ikat taking eight years to complete, though this seems a bit exaggerated).

Ikat weaving

I had heard and read about people advising not to buy in Tenganan, as apparently they inflate prices. I felt no obligation to buy from anyone, and eventually I purchased a double-weaved sarong for what I considered an honest price for all the work that is put into it.

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Our time at Tenganan was well-spent. You can make the visit last 10 minutes or 10 hours, it pretty much depends on what you are after. The colours, the people, the heritage are all there. I can only advise to arrange for a guide, in order to enjoy the historic importance of the sites and learn about the culture and practices of the village. Getting there early, say at around 9am, would save you from the crowds and allow for better pictures.

Ducks on the main concourse

Tenganan is best visited during an event happening in yearly in June and called Perang Pandan, or Pandan War, or Mekaré-kare. The celebrations and offering ceremonies in honor of Lord Indra include a blood-shedding fight of pandanus leaves in which all the men of the village prove their manhood.

Tenganan is only a few kilometers uphill from the beach resort of Candi Dasa. If you happen to be in the area, do not miss it!

Wikipedia has one page dedicated to Tenganan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenganan

For great deals on HOTELS IN CANDIDASA click HERE !

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Bor Sang’s Umbrellas being decorated at the festival

Bor Sang, located on highway 1006 heading east from Chiang Mai towards Sankampaeng, a short 6 km drive from town, used to be the typical sleepy rural village where to have a glimpse of two storey wooden houses and rice fields. Throughout the times, villagers in tiny hidden lanes have perfected the craft to create the country’s most famous umbrellas with paper made from the Saa (mulberry) tree. While at first it was just a hobby that supplemented Bor Sang villagers’ earnings from annual rice crops, with time the production of these umbrellas prospered, and this prompted the villagers, in 1941, to establish a handicraft cooperative. This same cooperative today organizes the annual Bor Sang Umbrella and Sankampaeng Handicraft Festival.

Bor Sang Umbrella and Sankampaeng Handicraft Festival is held in January every year. This three-days annual event fully celebrates the village’s reputation as the production place for Thailand’s most famous umbrellas, sold all over the country. Nowadays, tourists from all over the world visit the village to study the process and skills that go into making a handicraft entirely from natural products, and to buy exquisitely hand-painted dainty parasols made from mulberry paper and silk decorated with beautiful floral motifs painted in dazzling colours.

THE HISTORY

Colourful events During the festival

For over 100 years, Bor Sang village has been associated with the production of umbrellas made from Saa paper derived from mulberry tree bark. According to local history, a monk travelled to neighboring Myanmar, where he came across Saa paper umbrellas that offered protection against both sun and rain. Legend has it that he returned skilled with the production technique and introduced the umbrellas to the elders of Bor Sang village. These, with the times, added their own artistic skills to create a distinctive colorful and very practical umbrella. The villagers, using silk and cotton weaved at neighboring Sankampaeng, eventually added a second line of umbrellas decorated with images of the north, flowers and birds and mountains, all intricately hand-painted.

Today, Bor Sang village exports both Saa paper and silk umbrellas; Bor Sang parasols are popular decorative and gift items sought after by visitors from all over the world. They are seen at trade shows in a variety of sizes, from giant parasols that offer a shady canopy from the sun, to minuscule variations that adorn popular cocktail drinks.

THE FESTIVAL

I arrived at the place on a Saturday late afternoon, the second day of the festival. I had visited Bor San many times in the past, but I assure you that nothing quite compares with the buzz that permeates the village during this colorful event. I started my walk at a time when not so many people were around, and enjoyed to the full the scene of houses along the road colourfully decorated in Lanna style and illuminated with hand-made lanterns. Literally thousands of craftily painted umbrellas of different sizes, from the smallest to amazingly big parasols, are hung from the rafters and beams of adorned houses and shops, transforming Ban Bor Sang into a picturesque village.

An artisan at work

There is a grand procession of local products and a variety of handicrafts for sale. Bor Sang Umbrella and Sankampaeng Handicraft Festival fair is livened up by car parades displaying decorated umbrellas, a food festival serving northern-style Khantoke meals prepared fresh for your delight, displays of traditional village life and beauty contest parades, including the famous Miss Bor Sang pageant.

Bands play short concerts, and there is local entertainment in the form of a variety of exhibitions, shows and cultural performances at different times of day and night, including a competition to design the year’s most attractive umbrella. The audience is a mix of both tourists and residents all dazzled by the sight of Bor Sang’s innovative handicraft skills.

The festival starts from the entrance and ends at the end of Ban Bor Sang village. If you are in Chiang Mai during this time, do not miss the opportunity to see an event that fully represents village hospitality and charm at its very best.

FOR MORE INFORMATION contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Chiang Mai Office, +66 (0)53 248604, (0)53 248607 – tatchmai@tat.or.th

Bor Sang Umbrella Festival on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iilckCoS7Y

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It is in Chiang Mai, the Thai place of culture par excellence, that a visitor discovers a genuine Lanna essence through ancient palaces, temples with a dated history and numerous sightseeing areas.

Chiang Mai old town is over 700 years old. It was founded in 1,296 in an area of the Lanna Empire called Noppaburisrinakornping by three great kings: King Mengrai, King Ramkamhaeng and King Ngam Mueng. Right at the beginning of the Lanna Empire, King Mengrai ordered the construction of a city at a site called Wieng Kung Kam. This was then temporarily moved to a new location at Wieng Chiang Man (currently Wat Chiang Man), until King Mengrai noticed that the plain between Doi Suthep and the Mae Ping River was the perfect location for a town. He immediately ordered the construction of a central square, palaces, homes, and a wall that completely surrounded the city for protection.

The original city layout still exists as a neat square surrounded by a moat with vestiges of the fortified wall and its five main gates offering prime access to the old town. Nowadays you can retrace the magic history of the Lanna people by visiting these gates, located at specific cardinal points: Chang Paek Gate to the north, Tha Pae Gate to the east, Chiang Mai Gate to the south, Suang Prung Gate to the southwest and Suan Dok Gate to the west. They have all been restored but still retain their ancient structures.

An itinerant visit to holy stupas (chedis) and holy Buddha images in Chiang Mai’s numerous temples is highly recommended. These are important ancient remnants of the Lanna people.

Wat Chedi Luang has the biggest chedi in Chiang Mai. This temple was built during the sixth Kingdom of the Mengrai Dynasty; King Pha Chao San Nuang Ma ordered the construction of this massive structure 88 meters high with a base diameter of 54 meters. It is here that the main pillar of the city is located.

Wat Chiang Man, the former residence of King Mengrai, is the oldest temple in town; situated in the north-eastern section of the old city, it has treasured Lanna artifacts and boasts two famous Buddha images: Pha Kaew Khao and Phra Sae Tang Kamani (the crystal Buddha), and also includes a stone inscription depicting the history of the wat and of the town.

Located on the west side within the city walls, Wat Phra Singh has an elegant architecture and is home to an important Buddha image named Pha Phut Tha Sihing. This is paraded along Chiang Mai’s lanes yearly on Songkran Day, when Buddhists pour water over the image as a blessing for the New Year to come.

It is in the Chiang Mai Cultural Hall that visitors learn about a valuable historical heritage: the customs and traditional way of life of the Lanna people. Chiang Mai Cultural Hall is located near the Three Kings monument, to the east within the city walls, and it opens Tuesday to Sunday from 8.30am to 5.00pm.

Another popular weekend activity in the shopping and eating experience is Muang Kung Village. Located in the Hang Dong District, it is famous for its pottery making people. While there, visitors can purchase high quality elaborate pottery at reasonable prices. A notable symbol at the entrance of the village is a 15 meter high decanter. Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is indeed the best place for bargain hunting and souvenir searching; the variety of the products is unbeatable: hand-made clothes, silverware, crafts from hill tribes, wood carvings, and much more. And if you love handicraft products, don’t miss Tha Wai Village, the largest handicraft village in the world, with hundreds of craft businesses and workshops concentrated in this area. Wood carving, silver and coppersmith, textile and many other artistic trades can be witnessed first hand.

Chiang Mai Night Safari covers over 128 hectares of lush secondary forest, and is a major tourist attraction for children and animal lovers. The safari is divided into geographical areas, and visitors are taken in trams to explore wildlife in a tropical jungle. Through the use of subtle lighting techniques, guests are able to view several animals of many species in a vast naturalistic habitat. The dancing fountain show that ends the evening is a must.

The gates to discover Lanna heritage are always open to visitors. Chiang Mai has more than mountains and rivers; it retains a Thai cultural heritage which is being maintained despite the passing of times.

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Koh Kred is a small man-made island in the Chao Praya river, officially located in Nonthaburi Province, easily accessible by about one hour public boat ride from Bangkok. Its history dates back to almost 300 years ago when Tai Sa, the King of Ayutthaya, ordered the construction of a channel to cut through a sharp bend in the Chao Phraya River to shorten the trip up and down river from his capital, Ayuthaya. The canal was widened many times and the cut off sections resulted in the formation of the present day Koh Kred.

The first thing that comes into view when approaching this island on a boat is Chedi Mu Tao, a Mon style prominent feature leaning out towards the river due to the sinking of the land. Wat Paramai Yikawas is the main temple on the island, right next to the Koh Kred ferry landing. The temple was built in Mon style about 200 years ago and was later abandoned for a long period of time, before being resurrected during the reign of King Rama V. The highlight of this temple is the large statue of holy Pha Non Tha Munin, who is worshiped by the local Mon tribes.

Koh Kred continues to serve as a refuge for the Mon tribes, who dominated central Thailand between the 6th and 10th centuries. They have retained a distinct identity as skillful pottery-makers, producing earthenware pots in a variety of styles. You can visit some of these shops, and you will find the potters working with kilns that date back to 200 years. You can actually watch the earthenware pots materializing from the potters wheels, and marvel at the craftsmen’s mastery that have been passed on for generations. There are numerous shops where you can pick some great souvenirs. If in a mood for some detailed insight into pottery, you can visit one of the demonstrations that are regularly held at the Mon’s earthenware museum.

If you want a break from souvenir hunting, make a lunch stopover at the Khao Chae riverside restaurant, to taste the local specialty Nor Ka La, a vegetable deep-fried pastry – simply delicious.

Koh Kred is not a big island – it is ringed by a narrow concrete walkway, about 5 km long, which you can cover on foot in 2 hours. Along the way there are several tea and coffee stalls offering drinks in clay mugs. A visit to Koh Kred is not complete without a visit to Khao Boy coffee shop, long standing symbol of Koh Kred, where you can savor a traditional dessert, the Kanom Taoy Boran, washed down with a mug of good coffee.

Koh Kred other claim to fame is the delicious Thai desserts – people come from near and far to partake in these delicacies. A boat trip around the island is a pleasant way to approach the aptly named Klong Kanom Wan, the dessert canal, where you can watch live demonstrations on the production of these delectable treats.

Koh Kred is so close to Bangkok, yet will give you a feel of Thai rural life and a chance to experience the charm of the countryside.

GETTING THERE

Koh Kred should be visited on weekends when all the shops are open and the place is livelier. There are several ways to reach the island:

– By car: travel to Pak Kred, park the car at Sanam Nua and take the crossing ferry at the pier (10 baht).
– By taxi: same route, pay 200 baht for a round trip plus 60 baht expressway fees.
– By bus: routes 6 and 32 will take you to Pak Kred pier.
– By boat: perhaps the simplest way is to catch the Chao Phraya Express Boat which goes directly to the island on Saturdays and Sundays.

GETTING AROUND

– Take a healthy walk.
– Rent a bicycle for 40 baht a day.
– Rent a motorbike for 50 baht an hour.
– Hop on a tourist boat at Wat Paramai Yikawas for a trip to Klong Kanom Wan or around the island, 50 baht per person.

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