Tihingan Village, Klungkung: Where Balinese Gamelan Is Actually Born

Most travellers meet gamelan through an afternoon dance performance in Ubud. But most of the gamelan sets played by sekaa music groups and banjar communities across Bali are actually born in one small village: Tihingan, in Banjarangkan district, Klungkung. Here hammers ring out in people’s front yards, and you can hear a gong being shaped from nothing.

The smiths’ village that supplies all of Bali

Tihingan has been known as a centre of bronze gamelan making since the era of the Gelgel Kingdom, and most of its residents still live from the craft. Gong kebyar, gangsa, jegogan, kendang drums and ceng-ceng cymbals are all made here — for gamelan groups across Bali as well as orders from studios and universities abroad. The work is passed down within pande smithing families.

From molten bronze to tuning by ear

• Melting: a mixture of copper and tin is melted in a prapen, a forge fuelled by charcoal and coconut husk.
• Forging: the glowing disc is gripped with iron tongs and struck in turns by several men on a stone anvil until it becomes a bar (bilah) or a bossed gong (pencon).
• Smoothing: the surface is filed and ground until it is clean.
• Nglaras: the tuning is done by ear, not with a digital device — the most mesmerising part to watch. The metal is shaved away bit by bit until the pitch is right, then matched with a bamboo resonator.

Come politely: this is a workplace, not an attraction

• These workshops are family businesses with no ticket booth and no show schedule. Greet people first and ask permission before entering a yard or taking photos.
• Come in the morning, roughly 08.00–11.00, while the forge is still burning. Work often stops by midday.
• Wear closed shoes and long trousers, and never touch anything that has just come out of the fire.
• Ideally arrange your visit through a guide or a local contact. On your own, simply stop at a few pande workshops along the village road and ask nicely.
• Bring cash if you want to buy a small instrument or souvenir; not every workshop accepts transfers.

Practical Info & Booking

• Location: View on Google Maps — Tihingan Village, Banjarangkan, Klungkung; about 15 minutes from Semarapura, 45–60 minutes from Ubud, 60–75 minutes from Sanur.
• Opening hours: not a ticketed attraction with fixed hours. Family forges are generally active in the morning, roughly 08.00–12.00, and often close on ceremonial days.
• Tickets/prices: no entry fee. If you are allowed to watch, it is polite to leave a voluntary donation of around Rp25,000–50,000; small instruments and souvenirs start from a few hundred thousand rupiah.
• Booking: there is no online booking system — go in person and ask permission at the workshop gate, or arrange it beforehand through a local guide or the village office.
• Instagram: search on Instagram

Combine this visit with Kerta Gosa and Taman Gili in Semarapura (about 15 minutes away) and Kamasan Village, famous for its classical wayang painting, and you have a full day of Klungkung culture with no tourist queues. Plan your stay for less with an AccessiaPass hotel voucher.