TOUR DETAILS

Only 14 guests per tour – 2 experienced tour leaders

Experience the fascinating centuries-old textile techniques that have made this Indonesian island famous. Tjap and tjanting batik, ikat weaving, indigo and other natural dyes… You’ll meet the artisans and get right in on the design process with hands-on workshops. Imagine 14 days in a textile and tropical paradise! You’re going to love it!

Please note: These are “women only” tours. The tour involves some walking. Guests must be able to walk unassisted, have the stamina to walk three or four blocks at a time and climb a flight of stairs if needed.

The last 2 tours will be March 27 – April 10th AND April 13 – 27th, 2024

TOUR PRICING: The price for this tour is $5000 US (land only) per person based on shared accommodation. Single supplements (non-shared rooms) are available for an additional $1200 US per person – $6200 US. A deposit of $2000 US is required to secure a place on the tour. The balance is required 90 days before departure.

Guests on this tour…

Visit a batik factory

You’ll spend a day in a batik factory where you’ll learn how batik fabric is designed. We will possibly enjoy a visit from an artisan who will make a metal tjap (stamp) from an artist’s sketch.

This young tjap maker learned the craft from his father.

You’ll hand dye a length of fabric followed by a hands-on lesson in tjapping (stamping) it. You’re the designer – you choose your tjap design!

Woman tjaps her length of fabric to seal in the blue color

Happy with the end result!

The wax remains on the fabric until the background is dyed black; then wax is boiled off to reveal the blue image

Silk batik painting

Two talented artists demonstrate their special silk painting techniques – even a complete novice will produce a beautiful silk panel that can be framed or used in a garment or quilt.

Painting on silk

The finished product

Visit a traditional weaving village

A knowledgeable Balinese guide with extensive textile experience will guide us in a trip to a weaving village and show us many samples of traditional ceremonial textiles used by the Balinese in their daily lives.

A fascinating presentation on the history of Indonesian textiles given by an authority on the subject.

Men arrange and dye threads for ikat weavers.

While visiting the traditional weaving village in East Bali, you’ll see the amazing process of ikat weaving from start to finish. Watch as the men separate threads into hanks and dye them – a lengthy process using plastic raffia as a dye resist. The women weave these threads into beautiful traditional fabrics that are used in all aspects of Indonesian life. We visit a weaving cooperative where women can drop in and work on their length of ikat whenever they are able – they are paid by the piece and it supplements the family income. We will be able to buy these cotton ikats from Bali’s oldest traditional market after we leave the village.

Women supplement the family income with weaving

Beautiful cotton ikat fabric is sold in markets

Indigo workshop

During this hands-on indigo workshop you’ll manipulate a length of cotton voile and dye it using an indigo vat from the plant source – a technique that has been used traditionally for centuries.

Excess indigo is rinsed from the fabric

One of several shibori designs guests can make

Here is another design

Playing with indigo is a lot of fun!

Shopping

A highlight will be our visit to five fabric shops selling cotton and rayon batiks and hand-dyes at $3 US per meter! We’ve also discovered a fabulous silk shop.

Shopping for cotton batik…

…and rayon batik

We’ve discovered a wonderful silk shop too

You’ll have another chance to shop for top-quality cotton ikat weaving in a showroom featuring contemporary and traditional fabrics sold by the meter. Have their talented tailors custom fit a garment from the fabrics you choose (with discounts for our group).

Custom-made garments can be commissioned

Two huge stores – one for sewing notions and one for craft supplies!

More shopping at a huge bead, craft supply and sewing notions store with bargains galore. We’ll also visit a large button store featuring horn, wood and shell buttons.

Buttons, Buttons, BUTTONS!

Enjoy shopping for high quality Balinese silver jewelry at two showrooms (with deep discounts for our group). Barb will also share some of her favorite shops with you including: hand-painted bed sheets & tablecloths, wholesale sarong markets, and more.

Bali is famous for silver jewelry. We visit two showrooms.

Food!

If you enjoy delicious food you’ll have fun preparing it the Balinese way. We begin with a guided tour of a traditional food market followed by a fascinating hands-on cooking class in a Balinese family compound setting.

Buying spices at the local market – like vanilla beans!!

Bali Box Lunch – Delicious!

Indonesian food is delicious…after all Indonesia was known as “the spice islands.”

Chicken satay

Balinese culture

You’ll enjoy some Balinese culture at a dance and music performance in the Ubud Palace. A highlight of the tour will be the guided morning walk through functioning rice paddies.

If we’re lucky, we may see a cremation procession. Balinese believe in reincarnation so cremations are rather happy occasions.

Penjors decorate Bali’s streets during Balinese New Year

We visit a sea salt farmer and buy precious salt from him

Guided rice paddy walk

Balinese dancer

Woman makes daily offering at family temple

Men prepare for temple ceremony

Balinese Barong character puppet

Cremation for royal family member

Optional activities

Enjoy a demo by world-reknowned artist/sculptor Jon Stuart Anderson, an American living in Bali. His “spirit animals” can be found in galleries and art shops around the world. His art medium is polymer clay (Fimo). Jon kindly provides a demo of his process and offers his artwork for sale. This video shows Jon at work.
Leather tailors abound in Bali so you can have your own garment custom-made if you wish.

Jon Stuart Anderson and his assistant demonstrate polymer clay art.

Included in the tour price:

14 nights’ accommodation in beautiful resorts in Ubud (the art center of Bali – inland) and Sanur (Bali’s best-kept secret – on the Indian Ocean).
All tour activities both scheduled and optional.
All tour-related transportation in air-conditioned buses or vans with charming, helpful, English-speaking drivers who love to share their homeland with others.
22 meals (not all meals are included so we can each do our own thing when tour activities end).
All tour-related gratuities.

Free time has been built into this tour so it is possible to experience other areas of this wonderful island or enjoy Bali’s world-famous spa treatments, relax by the pool or beach, or go shopping. This is a very full and informative tour. A maximum of 14 tour guests and 2 leaders provide a personal “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.

Cost

This land-only tour is offered for $5000 US per person based on shared accommodation. A single supplement is available for an additional $1200 US per person – $6200 US. A deposit of $2000 US is required to secure a place on the tour. The balance owing is required 90 days before the tour begins.

Booking

Please indicate your sincere interest in joining a tour by contacting Barb Alexander at info@balifibertours.com. Merit Travel Group accepts payment for the tours and the contact person there is Laura Main. She can be reached by phone at 1-866-341-1777, Ext. 7338 or by email: LMain@MeritTravel.com. A non-refundable and non-transferrable deposit is required to secure a place on a tour.

These tours will be booked on a first-come, first-served basis. Please indicate your sincere interest by contacting us. Barb and her co-leader, Deb, look forward to showing you a unique side to Bali custom-designed for all textile lovers. If you have any questions about the tour itself, please contact Barb at info@balifibertours.com.