Indonesian batik

At the luxury hotel Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we keep discovering new surprises from the Asian continent. Today we want to tell you about fashion, that´s why we are taking you to Indonesia to find out more about the batik technique.

Batik is a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to cloth. It comes from Java Island. The word batik is derived from the word ambatik, which means ‘a cloth with little dots’.

During the process, selected areas of the cloth are covered with hot wax keeping them blocked out. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and keep their original colours. In order to draw the designs, people who make batik use a spouted tool called canting. After the final dyeing the wax is removed and the cloth is ready.

The most used fabric for batik clothing is cotton and silk. The dye is produced from Indonesian plants, spices and wood. For the wax, manufacturers either use synthetic wax or bee wax.

At first, batik motifs were sacred and showed the status of the person who wore it.

Batik is an essential part of Indonesian life and culture. There are different ways of wearing and making it, influenced by local beliefs. Many regions in Indonesia have their own traditional motifs and colours. Java´s north coast typical batik is shiny and with animal and flower motifs; and Java Central´s one is with geometric motifs. There are registered over three thousand different batik designs.

Batik fabric is used for all types of clothes, from dresses to tablecloths. Designers from all over the world use this cloth and design due to its colour, exoticism, elegance and comfort. You can also crate your own batik designs, it´s very easy.

At the 5 star resorts in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa you will be able to contemplate wonderful Asian designs. Visit us and travel around Asia without leaving Spain!