Bali Unique Bamboo handicrafts and Nature of Tigawasa Village.

Tigawasa is one of the famous traditional villages as a center of bamboo handicrafts which is situated in a hilly land overlooking Lovina in the northern coast of Bali. As a center of bamboo handicraft it has been well-known for a long time. This village belongs to Banjar district, Buleleng Regency, north Bali. The people of Tigawasa have done traditionally bamboo conservation surrounding their house and garden,too. The location of the village which spreads mainly on hilly land with small river flow areas and stiff slopes supports the bamboo conservation. Many species of bamboos have been planted in this village. The genus of Gigantochloa and Schizostachyum dominate the species, and have been used for various bamboo handicrafts. Many kinds of bamboo handicraft products have been produced in this village. The diversity of bamboo handicraft products have been developing according to the progress of the technology and demand of customers. Many new products have been created with various colors or paints. Two kinds of products namely traditional boxes(locally called “sokasi”) handicraft and woven bamboos (traditionally called “bedeg”) have made this village very well-known all over Bali. To support the bamboo home industry in the village, raw materials are also supplied by the neighboring villages. Even supply of raw materials also comes from east Java in anticipation of decrease local stock.

Tigawasa Baliage Village

Tiga Wasa is located in a quite large area in the hills south of Lovina. It covers approximately 1,500 hectares and about 5,500 residents. The population of the village consists of mainly of Bali Aga people, an ethnic group of Balinese considered to be the original and oldest inhabitants of Bali. They own a particular interpretation of their Hindu religion. They also speak a language that is distinctively different from the Balinese in general. The residents mostly settle in simple houses scattered in the hills.

Bali Unique Bamboo handicrafts

The Bali Aga people in Tigawasa also make a living from agriculture and livestocks. Beside bamboo handicrafts, cloves are important sources of income. Bamboos are usually harvested in and around the river valleys and processed into mats, baskets and other utensils in the house. The bamboo basketry of Tigawasa is very well-known throughout Bali and is considered to be extremely high in quality.

To access the village, you can go through a road from Lovina by motorbike/scooter or car. This way you will pass several small warungs (small traditional shops) run by local people. It is also very exciting for younger visitors to go there by hiking or tracking. The warungs on the way to and in the village usually sell basic daily needs to supply the residents in the area, such as drinking water, soft drinks, snacks, cigarettes, soap, etc., as well as simple meals commonly called “nasi campur”. Since the location of the village is not far from the tourist resort of Lovina beach, you can hire mountain bikes, motorbikes or cars in Lovina as your transport to go there. You can also rent villas in and around the village if you would like to stay there. The panorama of Lovina beach and its surrounding is really fascinating from the village. The sunset can be beautifully witnessed from its hills.