The central region of Bali is particularly rich in culture and history and renowned for art,crafts, and performance. Many villages and monuments of interest are located on the routes between the coast and the slopes of Gunung Batur.
Ubud is regarded as an artistic hub and, with its variety of high quality accommodation and dining option, represents a good base for exploring the rest of area. It is surrounded by dramatic river gorges, with ridge and rice terraces from which the beauty of the landscape can be fully appreciated. The climate is cooler hire and the temperature drops further as one as ascend from Ubud towards the mountains of the north.
UBUD
For many visitors and residents, Ubud has long representative something essential to Bali's unique charm, immersed in the island's finest art, culture, and natural beauty. Today it's also cosmopolitan village, populated with a colorful community of artist, healer, designers, reformed hippies, health food aficionados, anthropologist, yogis and yoginis, and various escapees from the 'real' word while just minutes from the main street you are back in traditional Bali, where a ducks can stop traffic and around every bend in the road are expansive vistas of lush padi, villagers preparing en masse to celebrate a religious festival or a cremation, and gamelan and dance troupes in full flourish. That Bali magic is to be found here, every day.
UBUD MONKEY FOREST
While there are a number of sacred temples around Bali inhabited by monkeys, the sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud is probably the best know. Within you will find three temples, is the fist and most well-known us the site Padang Tegal's Pura Dalem (Death Temple). The other two temple included Padang Tegal's Holy Bathing Temple and Pura Prajapati (funerary or cremation temple).
BATUBULAN VILLAGE
The village is traditionally a center of traditional stone carving, and craftsmen can be seen at work painstakingly sculpting a variety of forms, the majority of which are Balinese mythological figures.
CELUK VILLAGE
Celuk village is particularly known for its gold and silversmithing, with much of jewelry sold around Bali originating in the workshop here. Jewelry stores can be found lining the main road and side streets, with design both traditional and modern.
SUKAWATI VILLAGE
Sukawati is a handcrafts center with a well-known pasar (market) the Pasar Seni. The town is also the ancestral seat of much of the royalty of the region and is a center for wayang kulit, shadow puppet theater.
BATUAN VILLAGE
Batuan is renowned as a center of artistic excellence. home to respected dancer, painters, and architect.
MAS VILLAGE
Another artistic village, Mas has a strong carving tradition and is well known for fine wood sculpture and topeng mask.
BEDULU VILLAGE
Bedulu village was at the heart of the kingdom Pejeng between the tenth and thirteenth centuries. Reliefs extend to height of two meters and width of nearly twenty five meters on rock well at the Yeh Pulu Spring.They are believed to have been the worj of one artist, dating from the mid-fourteenth century and the arrival of the Majapahit.
KINTAMANI VILLAGE
Kintamani is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Bali, particularly renowned for its views of the volcano within the caldera of Gunung Batur, the most active volcano of the island.
The Batur Volcano is the most active on the island, with noisy but minor eruptions occurring frequently. Larger eruption s have occurred more than 20 times in the last 200 years, leaving the mountain's slopes bare and arid.
