Tucked away just 40 kilometers east of the tourist galleries in Ubud lies Kamasan, the birthplace and last authentic stronghold of Bali's classical painting tradition. Unlike the more commercially oriented Ubud style that evolved to appeal to Western tastes in the 1930s, Kamasan paintings maintain their original aesthetic—two-dimensional figures arranged in narrative panels, painted with natural pigments on cloth prepared with rice paste. These paintings traditionally served as temple hangings depicting Hindu epics and Balinese myths. What makes this village extraordinary is its unbroken lineage of master artists, with current painters able to trace their artistic ancestry back centuries. Most remarkable is the community's adherence to traditional materials and processes—natural pigments extracted from minerals and plants, brushes crafted from bamboo and human hair, and preparatory drawings made with charcoal on cloth sized with rice paste. In family compounds throughout the village, you'll find multiple generations working together, with children as young as eight beginning to learn the intricate outlines and characteristic profiles of Kamasan figures.

Hidden in eastern Bali's highlands, Tenganan remains one of the island's oldest indigenous communities and the only place in the world still producing geringsing—sacred double-ikat textiles believed to have protective powers. What distinguishes double-ikat from the more common single-ikat textiles is that both warp and weft threads are resist-dyed before weaving, requiring extraordinary precision to align the patterns during the weaving process. Each cloth takes one to five years to complete depending on its complexity. The village maintains strict cultural practices that have preserved this tradition, with weaving knowledge passed exclusively through female lineages. The community follows pre-Hindu Bali Aga traditions, and the textiles feature motifs with animist and astronomical significance predating Hindu influence on the island. The most sacred designs are still reserved for ceremonial use rather than commercial sale. Throughout the village, you'll see women working at traditional looms inside open pavilions, using natural dyes derived from native plants including the rare mengkudu root, which produces the cloth's characteristic reddish-brown coloration.

Beyond the roadside silver shops selling mass-produced souvenirs stands the genuine silver village of Celuk, where families of metalsmiths have practiced their craft for more than 700 years. Originally producing ceremonial items for Bali's royal courts and temples, Celuk artisans still create work using traditional techniques including filigree (jawan), granulation (bun-bun), and repoussé. What distinguishes authentic workshops from tourist-oriented businesses is their continued focus on ceremonial pieces—intricate offering vessels, temple decorations, and ritual implements that require techniques rarely seen in commercial items. In traditional family compounds, you'll find multigenerational workshops where master smiths work with charcoal fires rather than modern torches, using handmade tools and traditional methods for determining metal purity. Particularly special is witnessing the creation of sacred items made for specific temples, where designs must adhere to ancient specifications and undergo blessing ceremonies before use. While commercial jewelry dominates the main road, venturing into side streets reveals family compounds where artisans create elaborate headdresses for temple dancers, ceremonial daggers (keris), and holy water vessels using techniques passed down through generations.

While tourist markets sell factory-made wooden masks, the village of Mas maintains the sacred tradition of topeng mask carving, where masks aren't merely decorative objects but vessels capable of housing spiritual energy. Traditional mask makers, known as undagi, still create sacred masks for temple performances following ritual protocols that begin with meditation and fasting before selecting specific trees considered spiritually appropriate. What makes Mas extraordinary is the continued understanding of mask carving as a spiritual vocation rather than merely an artistic profession. The most respected carvers still create masks for temple performances rather than tourist sales, with certain sacred masks requiring specific ceremonies before carving begins. These masks are considered temporarily inhabited by the entities they represent during performances. Throughout the village, family compounds house workshops where you can witness the complete process—from the selection and blessing of the wood to the application of natural pigments made from minerals and plants. Most remarkable are the family temples containing ancient masks used for generations, some dating back 300 years, still brought out for important ceremonies.

Just south of Ubud lies Batuan, a village whose distinctive painting style emerged in the 1930s but remains rooted in traditional Balinese visual narratives and spiritual concepts. Unlike other painting villages that gradually modified their styles to appeal to Western aesthetics, Batuan maintained its devotion to narrative density, horror vacui (fear of empty space), and supernatural themes drawn from Balinese cosmology. What distinguishes authentic Batuan paintings is their complexity—each densely packed canvas contains hundreds of intricately rendered figures depicting multiple narrative scenes simultaneously, often incorporating spiritual, mythological, and daily life elements within a single composition. The village has preserved traditional techniques including the meticulous application of thousands of dots and lines to create depth and texture. Many paintings require months or years to complete due to their extraordinary detail. Traditional painters still begin with meditation and offerings before starting significant works, especially those depicting religious narratives. Throughout the village, you'll find family compounds where artists work in open pavilions, continuing to depict traditional Balinese stories while subtly incorporating contemporary elements that document the island's changing reality.