Hidden Bali Experiences
small-group tours that touch the heart of Bali
Our Hidden Bali Experiences can be arranged at any time to grant you access to authentic culture that honors tradition and avoids commoditization. Building on more than 20 years of experience of leading culturally sensitive tours in Bali and based on deep relationships with local people and communities, these are intimate 3-day or
4-day tours arranged to fit your travel itineraries and led by expert guides for small groups of 2 to 6 guests. Each experience is themed around a specific aspect of Bali’s heritage, including the Textile Arts, the Festival Cycle, the Performing Arts, and the Natural World. For more information on these Experiences, please visit our website at
The Textile Arts Experience
The Indonesian archipelago was once the crossroads of the world. For
over 3500 years, people have come here seeking fragrant spices, and textiles were the central barter objects in this story of trade, conquest
and ancient tradition. An exploration of Bali’s textile art traditions grants us access to this story. Spice trade influences juxtapose with indigenous motifs throughout the archipelago: echoes of Indian trade cloths abound; imagery relates to defining aspects of the local environment; history and
genealogy entwine. Uses range from traditional dress, to offerings, to the paraphernalia of marriages and funerals.
Our gateway to this world is through the island of Bali, where we steep
ourselves in the island’s rich traditions while based at the Umajati Retreat
near Ubud. Here we will receive insightful introductions to the local
culture, and visit several weavers with which Threads of Life is working
to help women create high-quality textiles that balance their desires for sustainable incomes and cultural integrity.
Threads of Life’s relationships with weavers over more than a decade
gives this tour access to aspects of the weaving arts few have the
opportunity to see. We will meet weavers in their homes amongst the lush rice fields of Sidemen, and in the ancient and storied community of Tenganan Pegeringsingan. Experiencing the weavers’ lives through these visits, and seeing their textiles, will be the highlights of a tour that offers unique insights into the forces at play in Bali’s contemporary culture.
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The entrance to Umajati Retreat at sunset
Itinerary Summaries
4-day Itinerary (3 nights)
Day 1 PM: Check in, Lecture on Textiles and Indonesian PM: Check in, Lecture on Textiles and Indonesian
3-day Itinerary (2 nights)
- Culture, rice field walk to local heronry
- Culture, rice field walk to local heronry
- Day 2 AM: Visit Tenganan and see double-ikat weaving
- AM: Visit Tenganan and see double-ikat weaving
- PM: Visit Sidemen and meet songket makers
- PM: Visit Sidemen and meet songket makers
Day 3 AM: Setia Darma House of Mask and Puppets
AM: Threads of Life gallery floor talk
- PM: Check out
- PM: Visit Threads of Life conservation room
Day 4 AM: Threads of Life gallery floor talk
PM: Check out
About Threads of Life: Threads of Life is a fairtrade business that works directly with over 1000 weavers on 22 islands across Indonesia to
empower women, to commission natural-dyed textiles that express local traditions and identity, and to sell the textiles thus produced through its
educational gallery in Ubud, Bali. It respects cultural practices, conserves
the environment, and improves the lives of low-income textile artisans by increasing their access to markets and resources.
About the Tour Leaders: Jean Howe and William Ingram are co-
founders and co-directors of both Umajati Retreat and Threads of Life. They have been in Asia for over twenty years and lived in Bali since 1993. Between 1990 and 1998 they organized cultural tours to Bali and eastern Indonesia. Their work with Threads of Life since 1998 has combined
interests in traditional culture, the textile arts and sustainable livelihood.
Jean has lectured on Indonesian textiles at the National Museum of Women in the Arts and the Textile Museum in Washington DC, and the De Young Museum in San Francisco. William is author of “A Little Bit One O’clock: Living with a Balinese Family.”
About Umajati Retreat: Surrounded by tranquil rice fields, Umajati is a
lush garden property hosting two elegantly converted hundred-year-old Javanese teak wooden homes for up to 3 or 5 guests that provide 21st
century living in 19th century houses. Each has a kitchen and several
private garden spaces around a shared 15-meter swimming pool. Umajati is hosted by Balinese housekeepers and cooks who specialize in healthy and vegetarian food. Just 10 minutes north of Ubud, in the cultural heart of
Bali, Umajati grants easy access to the village’s many restaurants, spas,
and cultural opportunities. http://www.umajati.com
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-Day Itinerary
Day 1
- 2.00 pm
- Check-in to Umajati Retreat. Airport transfers or equivalent included.
- 3.00 - 4.30 pm
- Lecture on Textiles and their Place in Indonesian Culture at Umajati Retreat. This fascinating
talk examines the history and traditional uses of textiles in Indonesia. Spice trade influences juxtapose with indigenous motifs throughout the archipelago: echoes of Indian trade cloths abound; imagery relates to defining aspects of the local environment; history and genealogy
entwine. Uses range from traditional dress, to offerings, to the paraphernalia of marriages and
funerals. The lecture includes an in-depth discussion of the ikat process and natural dyes. Guide Rice Field walk to the Petulu Heronry. Walking northwards through the picturesque rice fields from Umajati, we enter Petulu from the north at the Pura Desa temple. This brings us
immediately to the heronry where hundreds of white egrets of three species come to roost every
sunset. Walking down through the village we can see and photograph the birds arriving after a day of foraging in the paddies. Continuing, we return to Umajati via the rice fields before dark. Dance performance and dinner at Umajati. Young dancers from the village dance school will
perform on the pool deck before a private dinner in your house.
4.30 - 6.00 pm 7.00 pm
(Left to right) Ida Ayu Puniari from Sidemen, Bali;
Threads of LIfe staff Komang Sujata wearing songket at his wedding
Day 2
- 8.00 am
- Breakfast included
9.00 - 12.30 pm Visit Tenganan, a village in east Bali famous for its geringsing double-ikat textiles made using a technique employed in only three other places in the world. We will meet weavers
in their homes, unravel the complexities of making double-ikat, and see the best pieces the
weavers have to offer. During a guided walk of the village’s backstreets we will learn about the community’s history and unique culture, and see a side of this famous community that few
visitors witness.
12.30 - 2.00 pm Lunch at the Seasalt Restaurant of the Alila Manggis hotel. Set in a traditional Balinese pavilion on a lotus pond, Seasalt serves both a contemporary menu and a range of Indonesian and Balinese favorites. Elegant and relaxed, the restaurant looks out on to the ocean and the resort’s beautifully landscaped coconut grove. Main dish is included in the tour; drinks and
desert not included.
- 2.00 - 4.30 pm
- Visit the charming village of Sidemen is in the heart of the panoramic valley of the Unda river
and home to three of Bali’s most important textile traditions. At the Pelangi workshop we will see the production of endek weft ikat. At the homes of weavers in the village we will meet women
who use backstrap looms to produce the sumptuous songket supplementary weft patterned
textiles used across the island as wedding dress for both bride and groom. We will also visit Ida Ayu Ngurah Puniari, author of “Kain Bebali Sacred Cloth: Meaning and Usage in Balinese Hindu Rituals” (Indonesian Heritage Society 2011), to see and learn about the deceptively simple but
ritually important and increasingly rare striped bebali textiles she weaves.
- Drive back to Ubud
- 4.30 - 6.00 pm
- 7.00 pm
- Free for dinner. Either order dinner at Umajati, or take our free shuttle in to one of Ubud’s fine
dining restaurants.
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The geringsing double-ikat textiles of Tenganan, Bali
Day 3
- 8.00 am
- Breakfast included
10.30 - 2.00 pm After a leisurely morning at the hotel, we will make a guided visit to the extraordinary Setia
Darma House of Mask and Puppets in nearby Mas. The collection consists of 5900 items, of which 1200 are masks from Indonesia, Africa, and Japan, whilst the rest are puppets from Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. All are stored and displayed in four traditional Javanese antique houses such as those at the Umajati Retreat. The museum
visit will be followed by a Balinese picnic lunch among the gardens of the museum grounds.
- 2.00 - 4.30 pm
- We now enjoy a rare opportunity to visit Threads of Life’s conservation room and receive a
guided exploration through the archive collection of textiles. We will see the impacts of the modern world on the textile arts and learn about the challenges faced by Threads of Life in the field as it works to sustain traditions.
- 7.00 pm
- Candlelit dinner under the stars by the Umajati pool.
Day 4
- 9.00 - 11.00 am
- Visit Threads of Life retail gallery for a floor talk. The gallery showcases the work of the weavers
and basket makers Threads of Life works with. Each piece is curated with the names of all
producers and cultural information about where the item is from and how it is used.
- Check-out of Umajati. Onward airport transfers or equivalent are included in the tour.
- 12.00 pm
Tour Prices & Room Arrangements: 4 day Itinerary (3 nights)
Size of
Group
Cost per head
Sleeping
Arrangements
2 people
USD 660 A group of 2 is accommodated in the Bugoharjo house. It has 1 air-conditioned bedroom with a per person queen-size bed, and a large single Chinese canopy bed in the fan-cooled Great Room that has
direct access to a private bathroom.
3 people 4 people
USD 530 A group of 3 is accommodated in the Wates Bangbau house. It has 2 air-conditioned bedrooms:
per person one with a queen-size bed, the other with a king-size bed or twin beds.
USD 450 A group of 4 is accommodated in the Wates Bangbau house. It has 2 air-conditioned bedrooms: per person one with a queen-size bed, the other with a king-size bed or twin beds. In the fan-cooled Great
Room there is also a full-single day bed that has direct access to a bathroom.
5 people 6 people
USD 450 A group of 5 is accommodated in both the Wates Bangbau house and the Bugoharjo house. per person Wates Bangbau will take 3 people in 2 air-conditioned bedrooms: one with a queen-size
bed, the other with a king-size bed or twin beds. Bugoharjo will take 2 people: it has 1 air-
conditioned bedroom with a queen-size bed, and a large single Chinese canopy bed in the fan-cooled Great Room that has direct access to a private bathroom.
USD 395 A group of 6 is accommodated in both the Wates Bangbau house and the Bugoharjo house. per person Wates Bangbau will take 4 people in one air-conditioned queen-size bedroom, one air conditioned king-size or twin bedroom, and a full-single day bed In the fan-cooled Great Room
that has direct access to a bathroom. Bugoharjo will take 2 people: it has 1 air-conditioned
bedroom with a queen-size bed, and a large single Chinese canopy bed in the fan-cooled Great Room that has direct access to a private bathroom.
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Ferris wheel ceremony and ritual procession, Tenganan, Bali
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-Day Itinerary
Day 1
- 2.00 pm
- Check-in to Umajati Retreat. Airport transfers or equivalent included.
- 3.00 - 4.30 pm
- Lecture on Textiles and their Place in Indonesian Culture at Umajati Retreat. This fascinating
talk examines the history and traditional uses of textiles in Indonesia. Spice trade influences juxtapose with indigenous motifs throughout the archipelago: echoes of Indian trade cloths abound; imagery relates to defining aspects of the local environment; history and genealogy
entwine. Uses range from traditional dress, to offerings, to the paraphernalia of marriages and
funerals. The lecture includes an in-depth discussion of the ikat process and natural dyes. Guide Rice Field walk to the Petulu Heronry. Walking northwards through the picturesque rice fields from Umajati, we enter Petulu from the north at the Pura Desa temple. This brings us
immediately to the heronry where hundreds of white egrets of three species come to roost every
sunset. Walking down through the village we can see and photograph the birds arriving after a day of foraging in the paddies. Continuing, we return to Umajati via the rice fields before dark. Dance performance and dinner at Umajati. Young dancers from the village dance school will
perform on the pool deck before a private dinner in your house.
4.30 - 6.00 pm 7.00 pm
Day 2
- 8.00 am
- Breakfast included
9.00 - 12.30 pm Visit Tenganan, a village in east Bali famous for its geringsing double-ikat textiles made using a technique employed in only three other places in the world. We will meet weavers
in their homes, unravel the complexities of making double-ikat, and see the best pieces the
weavers have to offer. During a guided walk of the village’s backstreets we will learn about the community’s history and unique culture, and see a side of this famous community that few
visitors witness.
12.30 - 2.00 pm Lunch at the Seasalt Restaurant of the Alila Manggis hotel. Set in a traditional Balinese pavilion on a lotus pond, Seasalt serves both a contemporary menu and a range of Indonesian and Balinese favorites. Elegant and relaxed, the restaurant looks out on to the ocean and the resort’s beautifully landscaped coconut grove. Main dish is included in the tour; drinks and
desert not included.
- 2.00 - 4.30 pm
- Visit the charming village of Sidemen is in the heart of the panoramic valley of the Unda river
and home to three of Bali’s most important textile traditions. At the Pelangi workshop we will see the production of endek weft ikat. At the homes of weavers in the village we will meet women
who use backstrap looms to produce the sumptuous songket supplementary weft patterned
textiles used across the island as wedding dress for both bride and groom. We will also visit Ida Ayu Ngurah Puniari, author of “Kain Bebali Sacred Cloth: Meaning and Usage in Balinese Hindu Rituals” (Indonesian Heritage Society 2011), to see and learn about the deceptively simple but
ritually important and increasingly rare striped bebali textiles she weaves.
- Drive back to Ubud
- 4.30 - 6.00 pm
- 7.00 pm
- Free for dinner. Either order dinner at Umajati, or take our free shuttle in to one of Ubud’s fine
dining restaurants.
Day 3
9.00 - 11.00 am 12.00 pm
Visit Threads of Life gallery for a floor talk. Check-out of Umajati. Onward airport transfers or equivalent are included in the tour.
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Tour Prices & Room Arrangements: 3 day Itinerary (2 nights)
Size of
Group
Cost per head
Sleeping
Arrangements
2 people
USD 455
A group of 2 is accommodated in the Bugoharjo house. It has 1 air-conditioned bedroom with a per person queen-size bed, and a large single Chinese canopy bed in the fan-cooled Great Room that has
direct access to a private bathroom.
3 people 4 people
USD 360
A group of 3 is accommodated in the Wates Bangbau house. It has 2 air-conditioned bedrooms:
per person one with a queen-size bed, the other with a king-size bed or twin beds.
USD 305
A group of 4 is accommodated in the Wates Bangbau house. It has 2 air-conditioned bedrooms: per person one with a queen-size bed, the other with a king-size bed or twin beds. In the fan-cooled Great
Room there is also a full-single day bed that has direct access to a bathroom.
5 people 6 people
USD 305
A group of 5 is accommodated in both the Wates Bangbau house and the Bugoharjo house. per person Wates Bangbau will take 3 people in 2 air-conditioned bedrooms: one with a queen-size bed,
the other with a king-size bed or twin beds. Bugoharjo will take 2 people: it has 1 air-conditioned
bedroom with a queen-size bed, and a large single Chinese canopy bed in the fan-cooled Great Room that has direct access to a private bathroom.
USD 265
A group of 6 is accommodated in both the Wates Bangbau house and the Bugoharjo house. per person Wates Bangbau will take 4 people in one air-conditioned queen-size bedroom, one air conditioned king-size or twin bedroom, and a full-single day bed In the fan-cooled Great Room
that has direct access to a bathroom. Bugoharjo will take 2 people: it has 1 air-conditioned
bedroom with a queen-size bed, and a large single Chinese canopy bed in the fan-cooled Great Room that has direct access to a private bathroom.
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Terms & Conditions
Availability and Costs
The 3-day or 4-day itineraries are available whenever the Umajati Retreat has free rooms and when our expert guides are available. Room availability can be checked on umajati.com. To inquire about arranging a small group tour, please send an email inquiry to tours@threadsoflife.com with your preferred dates and the number of guests.
Unfortunately, we are not able to convene groups for individual travelers and ask that you contact us once you have
a group of 2 to 6 guests. If the number of group members changes, so will the total price for the group tour and the
price per head for that tour.
Included in Tour Price
• Lectures, classes and activities as specified in itinerary • Tours and guides as specified in itinerary • Local transport as specified in itinerary • Arrival and departure airport transfers, or the equivalent to other Bali destinations
• Hotel accommodations based on shared occupancy
• Breakfast, and other meals as specified in the itinerary • WIFI throughout the hotel
Not Included in Tour Price
• International or domestic airfares and baggage charges • Indonesian visa fees (US$ 25 on arrival) • International departure taxes (150,000 Rp or about US$ 17) • Travel insurance. We recommend you buy travel insurance that includes emergency medical evacuation cover.
• Other incidentals or items of a personal nature, and optional activities
• Drinks at scheduled meal times, including alcoholic and soft drinks
• Meals not listed in the itinerary
Payment, Cancellation and Refund Policy
US$ 100 non-refundable reservation deposit per person is required at time of booking to secure your place. Remaining balance per person is due before 30 days prior to the start of the tour. • Cancellation received on or before 30 days prior to the tour start: Loss of US$ 100 per person reservation fee. • Cancellation received after 30 days prior to the tour start: Loss of 100% of total tour cost per person. Cancellation requests must be made by email to tours@threadsoflife.com or in writing to Threads of Life, Jalan Bisma 3, Ubud, Bali 80571, Indonesia. The date of trip cancellation is the date on which the written cancellation is received. No refund will be made for failure to attend or if you voluntarily leave a tour for any reason after the tour has begun. No refunds will be given for any accommodation, transport, sightseeing, meals or services not used
during the tour.
Payments
Method 1
The preferred method is by secure online credit card payment via PayPal. You do not need a PayPal account to pay by this method. All PayPal payment fees will be covered by Threads of Life. Once you have registered for the tour you will be sent an email invoice via PayPal for the Deposit, and later for the Balance.
Method 2
Payment may also be made by bank transfer in US dollars to the following account of Threads of Life in Indonesia.
Please make sure that you pay any bank transfer fees so that the full amount is paid into the recipient account.
Bank: Bank Internasional Indonesia
Bank Branch: Ubud, Bali
Bank Address: Jalan Raya, Ubud, Bali 80571, Indonesia Bank Tel: (62) 361-976595
Account Name: William Paul Ingram Account Number: 2-195-082390 Account Currency: US Dollar
