Hidden in the hills of East Bali, there are two ancient Bali Aga (old Bali) villages. The Bali Aga people are the original aboriginal people of Bali. They were living in Bali long before the ancestors of most of today’s Balinese arrived as part of the Hindu Javanese waves of migration. The culture dates back to the 11th century, and the Bali Aga people celebrate with unique temple ceremonies and festivals that have remained virtually unchanged over the centuries.
Once entering the walled village of Tenganan Pegringsingan, located 5 kms from Candi Dasa, I found myself on a wide stone pathway connecting the village’s housing compounds and temples. It was late afternoon, and the filtered light seemed suspended, pervading the space with silence. As I walked through the soft, quiet village, I was struck by the geometry of the layout. The uniform houses all faced the stone pathway in long, linear formations. It was almost as if the architectural order reflected the social order, which has remained pretty much unchanged since time immemorial. Life is communal, and decision-making and rituals follow an ancient customary law that has endured for centuries.
It is one of Bali’s most intact Bali Aga communities, the descendants being the island’s pre-Majapahit inhabitants, where tradition is not performed for visitors and tourists, but lived daily and deliberately. If you are born in this village, you stay in this village, and most of the young people I met had no desire to leave.
Step beyond Tenganan’s stone exit gate and you are greeted by towering trees, tangled jungle vines and the low hum of cicadas. The forest rises toward the hills of Bukit Kangin, forming part of a protected customart territory that has long shielded the community from overdevelopment. There are many walking tracks, and if you have time, it’s well worth exploring the forests more deeply, and your guide will take you there if you ask.
The Bali Aga people place importance on preserving their ancient ways, keeping a balance, and ensuring harmony with nature. The village is organised into four associations, which help to ensure this balance and the smooth running of the community. There are associations for married men and married women, as well as for boys and girls. One role of these organisations is to oversee the many community rites of passage. Children begin to learn about their roles and duties as early as seven years of age.
The calendar of temple ceremonies and festivals is full of events featuring unique dances and rituals every month. Many of these rituals require elaborate ceremonial dress and headgear, which is unique to the Bali Aga villages. It is an impressive sight, very colourful, ornate, and somewhat regal.
I planned my visit in June, the fifth month of the Balinese calendar, to witness the largest religious festival, Usaba Sambah (also known as Sasih Sembah).
Wayan told me that anyone can come and see Usaba Sambah
and the other unique events, and that his village welcomes an increasing number of guests every year. “You just missed the coconut event at Tenganan Dauh Tukad Village, our neighbouring Bali Aga village, ” Wayan said, “This involves young boys trying to balance heavily laden coconuts on a shoulder pole, some with up to 40 coconuts. The boys must balance the coconuts and dodge a hail of flying bananas. If they drop a coconut, they get fined,” he continued, “Of course, the bananas hit them, left, right and centre, and chaos reigns. This ritual is all about encouraging strength and focus, and it clearly tests participants in that way. The ceremony is called Sabatan Biu, or Banana War.”
As I walked through the village, I came upon a tall wooden swing-set structure. Only unmarried young boys and girls are allowed to ride on the swing in a special ceremony that forms part of Usaba Samba, which resembles the old Vedic rites of boys and girls.
I watched as the girls dressed in elaborate traditional hand-spun fabric, climbed onto the swing chairs. The manually hand-propelled mechanism raises the swing-set high into the air. The girls were very flirtatious, but with a pure kind of innocence, while the boys remained stoic, observing from below. As the old rotation wheel device spun into action, it rapidly gathered speed. The old wooden propeller started to moan and groan under the weight, and as the individual swings gathered speed, the pitch of the girl’s squeals got higher and higher. I stood there, mesmerised, under an almost hypnotic spell of creaking wood, the drone of the large propeller-wheel turning, girls shrieking in delight and nervousness, and the boys below, trying to catch the eye of a girl, if she allowed that. Komang, my guide, explained that the ceremony symbolises the unity of the sun and the earth and also a courtship ritual.
In the afternoon, I ducked into one of the ikat (weaving) shops in the village and talked with the shopkeeper, who confided, “Oh, I remember that swing ritual. I got to swing on it five times, and then I was married.” After a little chat, she invited me to come back the next day at 5.30 am to witness another very special ritual.
This ritual involved young girls walking in single file, in delicate white lace and silk, up a steep forest trail, heading towards the mountain top. When they reached the sacred place in the forest, they took part in a special ceremony which involved winding long strands of fresh coconut into each other’s hair. The girls then read from sacred texts, and Komang explained that this was to reinforce and cultivate self-control and honesty.
Tenganan Village adheres to many sacred rituals, combining a nurturing element with strict adherence to customary laws. From early childhood, rituals like this are deeply respected, so much so that if you move away from the village, you are not welcomed back. Also, you are encouraged to marry within the clan (there are several), and a Bali Aga man or woman is not allowed to marry an outsider or a foreigner. Of course, this happens, and consequently, they are ousted from the village. Only Bali Aga people are allowed to live in the village.
I was told by one of the elders that one of the village leaders, a few years ago, fell in love with a German girl, and he had to move away. He can never come back to live in the village.
Later that afternoon, a large crowd gathered for the Perang Pandan (Pandan War). Young men and brave teenage boys, clad only in a sarong, are prepared to engage in a coming-of-age ritual combat. They faced each other, locked shoulders, and the ritualistic fight began. It is called makare-kare. The male combatants attack each other with thorny pandanus leaves and attempt to whip their opponents’ bodies. During the ritual, blood must flow in order to honour the god Indra, the god of war.
Each fighter has a woven bamboo shield, although they often discard it in the fury of the fight. As the blood flows from the sharp thorns, a referee controls the battle, ensuring there is no heated violence at any time.
Adat (customary) local law is honoured, and the society is inclusive, welcoming foreigners and guests at any time. A timeless and mystical visit awaits you, and rest assured, local law decrees that no village land can be sold, so what you witness reflects the past and the present, and the colourful Bali Aga customs and traditions will remain alive and well for all time.
Fact File
Tour guide and homestay lunch: Claudio Komang Sutrisna
Whats App: +62 878-6221-1441
Story by Stephanie Brookes
Photos by Yusuf Ijsseldijk
Updated March, 2026
Stephanie Brookes is a travel writer and blogger with tales from Indonesia and beyond.
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