Phnam B.
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We had the most incredible tour with Henne from Interior Design Retreats. She concocted a plan based on our interests via WhatsApp, then we embarked on a visually and culturally rich visit of artisans and merchants through Ubud. As someone who doesn’t normally like shopping tours, this one was incredible. We visited textile showrooms, exquisitely nestled around green hidden courtyards. We were shown tools and techniques that put forth the incredible craft that marries ancient techniques with contemporary tastes, including batik, ikat, silk hand painting, and melted wax indigo dyeing. We learned how to recognize sustainable beauty, in opposition to soulless mass production. Time is a crucial element in the Balinese way of life, and you could feel it in every fiber you touched with your hands and eyes.
In addition to textiles, we visited incredible antiques stores and warehouses. I was taken aback by the attentive curation, where the sheer amount of objects should have been overwhelming, but wasn’t. Masks that carry stories, dolls and statues with distinct personalities, shadow puppets that make you travel to a different era, furniture that envelop you with warmth and sacred geometry… it felt difficult to not want to pick up and drop this lovely shop into my own home.
We ended the morning with a visit of Taman Bebek, a historical hotel where legends of the music and film industry stayed in the 70’s: David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Francis Ford Coppola, Charlie Chaplin. This hotel is also the place where extensive anthropological research was done by westerners on the incredible history of the Balinese people.
After a lovely lunch, we headed to our indigo dyeing workshop, where we were shown the plants and techniques behind the craft. We also spent an hour creating our own tie dyed t-shirt and scarf, while snacking on delicious local treats.
The Interior Design Retreats tour was a wonderful way to immerse ourselves in local craft, purchase quality pieces (we were never pressured to do so), and understand what goes on behind the inherent beauty that is Bali. I highly recommend this tour for everyone looking beyond obvious tourism and wants to connect with the local merchants and artisans that keep the traditions alive.
