After Celuk, the main road heads to Sukawati, famous for its art market (pasar seni) and dalangs (puppeteers). The twofloor market sells everything from statues to dance costumes, all at reasonable prices. In the evening, a night market takes over and it provides a good selection of Indonesian food. Sukawati village is also a center for the manufacture of bamboowind chimes. The puppeteers of Sukawati perform their art all over the island. They often travel to perform at ceremonial occasions, and are said to have inherited their skills passed down from one generation to another.

Further along the road towards Ubud is the village of Mas. Famous for woodcarving, Mas offers a myriad of wooden items. The main road of the town is lined with dozens of workshops. Mas is also of historical significance to Bali's history as it was here that the great priest Nirartha had his hermitage in the Pura Taman Pule.

After Mas, you enter the area of Ubud, often regarded as the cultural heart of Bali. "Ubud" is derived from the word "ubad" which means medicine as the town supplied medicinal herbs in the ancient time. A former principality, Ubud has several palaces and brahmin mansions, as well as beautiful houses built in the Gianyar architectural style. The modern Balinese art movement began here (see article titled "Paintings"), when artists first began to abandon purely religious and court scenes for scenes of everyday life. Ubud is home to many respected local and western artists.