Natural Dyes Of Asia Retreat

Day 1 – Arrive and settle Airport pick-up from Jakarta CGK, optional stopover lunch at an authentic Ayam Bakar in Bogor (self pay), and a walk around the farm before dinner. An early night's rest for an early start tomorrow.

Day 2 – Fibres, mordants and dyeing the first colour We start with the theory that actually matters: the different fibres, what mordants really are and how they are applied differently on cotton against silk and wool. You mordant your own cloth, then dye graduated shades of blue in indigo – our first addition to the Dye Atlas! – before breaking down dyestuff for extraction in the afternoon.

Day 3 – Harvest and dye Discover what the farm has to offer, from flowers to edible plants, and learn what makes a good dye for fibre against what is better added to colour food. You'll process your morning's harvest and extract the dye from it. In the afternoon we work with tannin-rich dyes and modifiers, expanding the colour palette of each plant.

Day 4 – Eco-printing with Dhenny Setiawan Our guest artist from Bintang Bumbu joins us for a full day. We walk the farm collecting plants for printing, set the botanical prints and final reveal on an organic cotton scarf. The rest of the time is for personal project planning and consultation.

Day 5 – Dye Atlas and personal project Swatches get collected, labelled and bound into your Dye Atlas as we recap every dye we have made. The day is yours for personal project work, with me offering support when needed. Our last evening together is over a shabu shabu and yakiniku farewell dinner.

Day 6 – Bamboo forest and home An early trek through the bamboo forest for anyone up for it, group photos with everything you've dyed at 9am, then check-out and the drive back to CGK.

Our retreat takes place at Sukasantai Farmstay, a family farm in the hills of Sukabumi, West Java. At 1000m above sea level the weather stays cool as we work in the alfresco dye studio. The air is clean. Food comes off the farm and onto the table the same day, cooked masakan rumahan — home-style Indonesian.

Participants fly into Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK).

• Familiarise with commonly used dye plants
• Preparation of plant and protein fibres
• Various mordant methods
• Preparing the dye baths
• Dyeing with fresh and dried native dye plants
• Experience indigo dyeing
• Tannin-rich dyes and modifiers
• Eco-printing
• Finishing methods

Full board accommodation

• Two-way airport transfer
• 5 nights farmstay
• 5 meals per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks)
• Freeflow tea and coffee
• Farm activities
• Farm-made goodies

Natural Dyes of Asia Masterclass WithAutumn

• Craft tote bag
• Personal apron and gloves
• WithAutumn "Dye Atlas"
• Printed recipes and guide
• Workshop fabric (cotton, linen, wool, silk)
• An organic cotton scarf (for ecoprinting)
• All tools and ingredients for natural dyeing

Farm activities included Vegetable harvesting, cow milking, bamboo forest treks, a visit to the essential oils distillery, fishing by the pond and bonfire evenings. Meals are home-cooked and farm to table.

5 – 10 May 2027

Please hold off booking flights until you hear from us. We'll email to confirm the retreat is going ahead as soon as we hit our minimum of 8 participants – usually well before our cut-off of 15 January 2027.

– Recommended flight times –
Arrive at Jakarta CGK on 5 May 2027 before 11.00am local time.
Depart Jakarta CGK on 10 May 2027 after 5.00pm local time.

Return airport transfers are arranged around these times. Booking outside them means arranging your own transport to and from the farm at your own cost.

– Baggage –
Singapore residents: please book a ticket with check-in baggage. We post your materials pack (roughly 2kg) to you a week before departure and it travels with you.

Everyone else: your pack will be waiting in your room when you arrive, so there's nothing extra to carry over.

– Joining us from outside Singapore –
We recommend arriving a day early and staying an extra night at the farm, or overnighting in Jakarta and travelling to the airport the next morning to join the rest. Flying into Singapore for a couple of days first also works well, as there are many daily flights from there to Jakarta.

Email hello@withautumn.com and we'll talk through the arrangement with you.

[Participant]
Early Bird: SGD 2,490 (ends 30 Sep)
Not-so Early Bird: SGD 2,580 (ends 30 Nov)
Standard: SGD 2,680 (1 Dec onwards)

Accompanying guest: SGD 950
Private room supplement: SGD 750

A deposit of SGD 1,200 secures your place. Balance due 5 February 2027.

Not included: flights, travel insurance, personal spending, optional add-ons, and your own fabric and yarn for personal project work.

1) Flights are not included. You will need to purchase your own flight to Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK).

2) Participants share rooms during the retreat, either 2 or 3 per room. If you are joining with friends or family, please leave a note at checkout so we can allocate rooms accordingly.

3) If you wish to have a room to yourself, add both "Masterclass Participant" and "Private Room Supplement" to your booking. Limited private rooms, subject to availability.

4) Each participant is welcome to bring up to two accompanying guests for a relaxing nature retreat. Accompanying guests enjoy a free and easy stay with the same full board benefits, join everyone at meal times, and dye a little keepsake of their own with us.

5) Workshop materials are provided. Bring your own fabric and yarn only for your personal project. I will send a Things To Bring guide once you book.

→ Read the Retreat FAQ

If your question isn't answered there, email hello@withautumn.com and I will answer it.