When you travel from Denpasar to Ubud, the first village you reach is Batubulan, a small village famous for its river stone carvings. Actually, most of the mass produced stone sculptures you see around Bali are almost certainly made in this village.

These works are displayed all along the main road. The popular door guardian statues of volcanic tuff, once exclusively used in temples and palaces, are now exported overseas. Another specialty of Batubulan is the Barong dance performed daily in the morning. The dance symbolizes the never ending battle between good (represented by Barong) and evil (represented by Rangda). You must not miss Pura Puseh Batubulan, a beautiful temple.

Just after Batubulan, Celuk and nearby Singapadu are the centers for Balinese goldsmiths and silversmiths. More than 40 jewelry workshops are located along the road from Batubulan to Celuk. The jewelry is exported worldwide. Singapadu is also well known for topeng and barong mask making.