Just south of Ubud you will find the small Mas village, which is the place to go to find wood carvings and other good quality crafts made of wood, like furniture. Even if Mas means gold, it is basically woodcarving that has brought fame to the place. Some of the best woodcarvers on Bali today can be found in Mas, often surrounded by young students who want to learn how to become a master.

Gunung Kawi is the largest and maybe also the most impressive of the old monuments on Bali. Like Goa Gajah this site is around 1.000 years old, probably built at the end of the 11th century. Gunung Kawi was first discovered by Europeans in 1920, even if the local population had knowledge of it a long time before that. The monument is located just south of Tampaksiring city, about 40 km north of Denpasar. It was in this area Hinduism first got a foothold on Bali.

The mysterious Goa Gajah (elephant cave) is one of the oldest relics on Bali. The exact time of origin is uncertain, but archeologists estimate the cave to have been built around year 1022 AD. This was long before Majapahit entered the island, and also hundreds of years before the first Europeans set foot here. The site is a mix of Hindu- and Buddhist symbols, among them the cave with the entrance in an artistically carved cliff, a bathing pool with fountains, a statue of the Buddhist goddess Hariti, as well as several other Buddha figures.

Traditionally Gianyar has been the richest district on Bali, today about half the population here works in the tourist industry. Gianyar city is the administrative center of the district, while Ubud is the cultural capital and has the largest population. Gianyar city is located about 23 km from Denpasar, and is a junction for north and east bound traffic. Around Bedulu, between the Petanu and Pakrisan rivers, is a 10 km long belt of land known as "the land between the rivers".

Bedulu was once capital of the old Balinese kingdom Pejeng; a long tongue of land between the Petanu and Pakrisan rivers. Today this area is home to some of the most famous and appreciated monuments and relics on Bali, like Yeh Pulu and Goa Gajah. Pejeng was the last kingdom that surrendered to the Majapahit empire from Java, which invaded Bali in 1343. The strong influence of Javanese culture and Hinduism culminated with Majapahit's large escape from Java to Bali in 1515.

Batubulan means "moonstone", and if you like to see or buy any works of stone while you're on Bali, then Batubulan in the Gianyar region is the place. You will pass this village if you drive from Denpasar to Ubud, it is hard not to notice the kilometers of displayed statues, Buddha figures, demons and other mythical figures, all carved in stone. Stone carving has a long tradition in Batubulan, and the quality of the products are usually good.

Sanur is the area on Bali where mass tourism first got a foothold. The 11 floor high Bali Beach Hotel, the first large hotel on Bali, was built in 1965. It is still the highest building on Bali, due to a law made after the completion that bans any building higher than a palm tree. High buildings was considered to be a lack of respect for the gods, and the law is still valid all over the island.

Over the last 20 years Denpasar has seen an incredible growth, and has taken over for Singaraja as the capital of Bali. The city used to be the capital of Badung, but became in 1992 together with Sanur, Benoa harbor and Pulau Seringan a separate district. The name means something like "close to the market", and the town's main market, Pasar Badung, is the largest on Bali. Denpasar do, more than any other town on Bali, look like the large, crowded cities of Java.

Singaraja was once the center of trade on Bali, as well as the capital of the island. Traders from all over Asia have arrived here since the 10th century, trading goods like weapons and opium in change of fresh water, food, cattle and slaves. Singaraja means "lion king", while there are no lions here, the name is in remembrance of an old palace built in 1604 by the mighty king Raja Panji Sakti.

Lovina is located just southwest of Singaraja in the Buleleng region, it covers an area of about 8 km including the Anturan, Tukad Mungga, Temukus and Kalikbukbuk villages. Lovina has a growing number of shops, restaurants and hotels, but is not by far as crowded as Kuta. The hotels are spread along the coast, with the majority in Kalikbukbuk, which also has some activity in the evenings.