When visiting Bali, you should add Tenganan Village to your list. Tenganan is a special village because of its construction, its tranquillity and its inhabitants. Its inhabitants are called ‘Bali Aga’. They live according to ancient animistic religion and practise unusual crafts. Marriages outside the home community were prohibited for a long time. However, the population decline led to a relaxation of the choice of partners.
At the foot of Gunung Agung, Tenganan is surrounded by a fort. The location of Tenganan is around a two-hour drive from Kuta, making it easily accessible. However, there is no public transport, so if you do not drive alone, you can hire a tour with a driver or a private driver.
Although no one knows precisely how old the community is, archaeologists estimate that the fort dates back to the 11th century. When you enter the fort through one of its four entrance gates, it is as if you enter another world of Bali. The cottages and paths have grey stones, each with the same pattern. Outside the gates is the rainforest.
Let one of the locals guide you to the mountains. They know the most beautiful spots and can lead you past hidden temples. The locals speak quite a bit of English and have exciting stories about their village. There is no entrance fee for the village, but the entrance is based on donations. This makes it accessible to everyone. Tenganan is also known for grinsing, a weaving technique using threads on which a pattern has already been dyed beforehand. They make beautiful sarongs, the production of which can take months.
You can start your morning by visiting the rice fields of Tenganan. You can enjoy the beautiful views and walk through the rice terrace from Kassala to the village of Tenganan. It is stunning and impressive to see how the local people live in the east of Bali.
When visiting between June and Juli, you can watch one of the main attractions, the Mekare-kare / pandanus war traditions. Pandanus war is the ritual of a pair of village youth, mutually fighting using a thorn from a pandan leaf on the stage. As a result, the youth is left with scars on their body from the leaves. After the Pandanus war, the wounds are treated with antiseptic remedies. The injuries will heal in the following days. This tradition is begin carried out to train the villagers mentally and physically.
Nearby Tenganan village is Blue Lagoon beach and Virgin beach Karangasem. Virgin beach is also among the best-hidden beaches in east Bali. The beach is less crowded and a beautiful white sand beach. Most tourists only sometimes visit this beach because it is far away from other hotspots in Bali, which are mostly located in the south. Virgin beach is the best option to avoid the crowd and ultimately relax. The beach is also perfect for snorkelling. Blue Lagoon Beach is reachable on foot, about 700 meters from the harbours. The beach has beautiful wild waters, and the water is incredibly blue. Blue lagoon beach is not accessible to tan or swim but is perfect for snorkelling.
When you want to go out of your comfort zone and do something special, I suggest you do the Odyssey Submarine Bali underwater sightseeing tour. When you join this tour, you can enjoy the incredible view of the underwater world of Amuk Bay. I will assure you that this is the perfect trip for families, and children will enjoy this experience. The Odyssey submarine can host 36 passengers, and the cabin features seats on the left and right sides facing the windows. Because of the air conditioning, you will not get hot in the cabin and enjoy the view of the underwater world without any inconveniences. The duration of the tour will be 45 minutes. There are different packages that you can choose from depending on your company.
To conclude, Tenganan Village is worth visiting, mainly because of the rich culture of the village and the beautiful temples and to view the beautiful weaving technique. If you want to see how the local people live but still have beautiful beaches nearby, this is the place to go.
