What you love
Crafts and textiles
Block printing in Rajasthan, silk weaving in Varanasi, embroidery in Kutch, bronze casting in Patan, weaving in Bhutan: meet the craftspeople in their own workshops, and try it yourself.
South Asia still makes by hand much of what the rest of the world makes by machine. Families have practised the same craft for generations, and many welcome visitors who are genuinely interested.
We arrange visits to workshops rather than showrooms, with time to watch, ask and try. You buy directly from the makers if you want to, and there is never pressure to.
At a glance
- Textiles
- Rajasthan, Gujarat, Varanasi, Bhutan
- Other crafts
- Pottery, bronze, wood carving, papier-mâché
- Best for
- Designers, collectors, curious travellers
Where we would send you
Where the makers are
- Jaipur, Sanganer and Bagru
- Hand block printing with carved wooden blocks and natural dyes.
- Kutch
- Embroidery, tie-dye and weaving in the villages of Gujarat's salt desert.
- Varanasi
- Silk brocade woven on hand looms, a tradition of several centuries.
- Patan and Bhaktapur
- Bronze statues cast by the lost-wax method, and potters' squares in Bhaktapur.
- Bhutan
- Weaving on backstrap looms, and the textile museum and arts school in Thimphu.
- Sri Lanka
- Batik, lacquer work and the carved masks of Ambalangoda.
How we plan it
What we take care of
Real workshops
Workshops we know, run by families and cooperatives rather than showrooms.
Hands-on
A morning printing your own fabric or throwing a pot, not only watching.
No pressure
Shopping stops are only added if you ask for them, and there is never any obligation to buy.
Plan my journey
Tell us roughly what you have in mind
A specialist for that country replies within 24 hours, with a first idea of route and price. There is no charge and no obligation.