IKTT Wisdom from the Forest

IKTT Wisdom from the Forest — Quick Facts

What is it?

village — A Silk Village Rebuilt to Save a Dying Craft

Where?

Siem Reap , Cambodia

Entry Fee

Workshop visits typically arranged via the IKTT shop in Siem Reap; fees vary by tour package

Opening Hours

Daytime; the main shop in Siem Reap town can arrange village visits

Time Needed

Half a day, including travel

Best Time

Morning, to see the weaving and dyeing workshops at their most active

Don't Miss

Golden silk produced from worms raised on-site, dyed using only natural plant and forest materials

What to See at IKTT

The Story Behind the Village

IKTT was founded by Japanese textile conservator Kikuo Morimoto, who set out to document and revive Khmer ikat weaving after learning how few master weavers had survived the Khmer Rouge era. What began as a small project tracking down surviving weavers grew into “Wisdom from the Forest” — a self-sufficient village 30km north of Siem Reap that now employs roughly 800 people.

Mulberry Groves and Golden Silkworms

The village cultivates its own mulberry trees to feed silkworms on site, including a strain producing a distinctive golden-coloured silk — giving IKTT control over the entire process from cocoon to cloth, unlike workshops that buy in raw silk.

Natural Dyeing and Traditional Looms

Dyes are sourced entirely from forest and garden materials grown or gathered on the property, and weaving is done on traditional wooden looms using the ikat technique — threads tied and dyed into pattern before weaving, the same method behind genuine Khmer sampot hol.

How to Get to IKTT

The village is about 30km north of Siem Reap; the main shop and starting point for visits is in Siem Reap town itself.

Via the Siem Reap shop: Visits to the village are generally arranged starting from IKTT’s shop in town, around 25 minutes from the Old Market by tuk-tuk
Private car or tuk-tuk: For the village itself, allow extra travel time beyond the in-town shop

Practical Tips

This is a working NGO-run village, not a polished tourist facility — visits should be arranged ahead rather than dropped in on
Hands-on weaving workshops let visitors try the technique under a weaver’s guidance
Purchases from the shop directly support the weavers’ wages and the institute’s conservation work
Pair with the more easily accessed Angkor Silk Farm if short on time, or visit both to compare a social-enterprise model against an NGO-conservation model

Nearby Attractions

Angkor Silk Farm — Artisans Angkor’s silk workshop, a more easily reached alternative or complement
MGC Asian Traditional Textiles Museum — historic sampot weaving on display, back in Siem Reap town