Tenganan -  Bali - Indonesia

Tenganan is 4km up a side road just west of Candidasa. It is a place of striking beauty, with two rows of identical houses and a photogenic backdrop of hills. The village is situated on several levels - as you walk up, the land gradually elevates – like giant stairs.

The village  is one of only a few remaining communities in Bali that offers an authentic experience of what life was like on the island years, years before. Despite the relentless invasion by the modern world, Tenganan boasts a close-knit community that manages to stay true to its roots.

During the festive period of Usaba Sambah (usually in June), all villagers dress up in their brightest outfit. Smartly dressed unmarried girls carefully observe the dusty and noisy spectacle in front of them – young men, clad in sarongs, engaging in a ferocious war dance. In these fights, men wield thorny pandanus leaves, which they try to whip against their opponents’ bodies. Each fighter has a woven bamboo shield to protect .Only what’s guaranteed is blood...but, it impresses the girls and spectators.