Between Denpasar and Ubud, craft villages straggle along the road, each with its own speciality. Here, children start soaking up traditional skills before they’ve learned to walk, for chances are that home is also the family workshop.
Batubulan
Stone-carving is as much a part of Bali’s culture as temple festivals and gamelan. Much of it is produced in this village just north of Denpasar. Batubulan is where the Balinese come to shop for a pair of demons to guard the threshold of their temple, hire a master-carver to carve a frieze in-situ at their bale banjar, or bargain for a statue of a Hindu goddess to grace the lobby of their new hotel.
Celuk
At the northern edge of Batubulan, the main road turns sharply eastwards. As you round the bend, stone statues give way to signs advertising the showrooms of Celuk’s silversmiths and goldsmiths. Unlike Batubulan, Celuk doesn’t do much local trade. While Balinese buyers head for Denpasar’s jewellery quarter, Celuk lives more off tourists and export buyers and there are many galleries and workshops catering either to visiting tour buses and travel groups or the more adventurous shopper. Continue
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