Arts of Bali Tour

Ubud
The town of Ubud is the undeniable artistic heart and soul of Bali's art. It rests among lush hills and rice terraces. The vacation lifestyle is markedly different from Kuta's, the island's other major tourist magnet. It's more cultural, less hedonistic. Life proceeds at a slow pace, even for visitors, which is part of the charm. The locales are open and friendly -- and you encounter few pushy vendors. Day trippers from the southern beach resorts miss out on the special sense of place. You need to stay in the Ubud area for at least several days. It's an insightful, unforgettable experience.

Stone Carvings at Batubulan
Ten km northeast of Denpasar, Batubulan is a village known throughout Bali for its ornate door-guardian statues, carved of soft paras volcanic tuff. Until these became popular for secular use earlier in this century, the carvings were only used in temples or palaces, but this art form has spread extensively in recent years and is today found in homes and public buildings.

Silver Works at Celuk
Although many arts and crafts have prospered in Celuk, the village has evolve, into a center for silver and gold smiting. Almost every home in the village contains small scale production facilities fulfilling orders placed by large shops and exporters. Bracelets, rings, earrings and brooches, to name a few of a wide range of products produced here, have started to enter the export market.

Mas/Kemenuh
Wood carving, like stone carving, has traditionally featured largely in temple and palace architecture with little freestanding 'sculpture' work produced commercially. Immaculately carved demons and mythical beings decorate pillars, door panels, lintels and window shutters with the aim of protecting the buildings from evil intruders. The village of Mas near Ubud is probably the best known for its carvings of female figures, Buddhas, characters from Hindu epics and the traditional Topeng and Wayang Wong masks.

Balinese Paintings at Ubud or Peliatan
Influenced by the Western use of perspective and everyday-life subject matter, the Ubud style is one of the most Expressionist of all the Balinese schools. Despite this, Ubud art still retains many traditional features, including attention to detail and very stylized characters. Among the better known.