In the hills just 4 km inland from Candidasa at Tenganan is the most famous Bali Aga (original Balinese) village. The Bali Aga people have retained an ancient pre-Majapahit Balinese culture and this is apparent in the many obvious differences from the rest of Bali which you will find in Tenganan. The villagers maintain a strict adherence to ancestor worship, cosmology and other animist beliefs as well as a rigid social organization. Villagers must live inside the village, marry from within and the village is closed to outsiders after dark. The dialect of Balinese spoken here is heard nowhere else and differs substantially from even the other Bali Aga community in Trunyan. Architecturally, the village is very different from the standard Balinese design. In short, a visit here is a totally unique cultural experience.
Those with an eye for top quality craftsmanship will also enjoy Tenganan. The unique double weave ikat fabric called Geringsing is made here and Tenganan produces what is probably the best basketwork anywhere in Indonesia.
The village is signposted from the main coast road in Candidasa and all drivers will know the way here. Alternatively grab a lift from Candidasa on a motorbike or stroll the easy 4 km track. A small admission charge to the village will be charged.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about East Bali
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in East Bali - updated May 2024
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East Bali Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
