Celuk, Indonesia Tourism

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Celuk near Sukawati, 12 km (71/2 mi.) from Denpasar.

Craftsmen's village

Along the main street of the long, straggling village of Celuk are numerous goldsmiths' and silversmiths' shops, some of them with workshops which can be visited. Prices are about the same as in the tourist centres, for Celuk is on the regular route of the organized coach tours.

Many of the shops offer to make items of jewelry "to measure", though they require up to a week for this. Before paying you should check the quality of the work.

Celuk is also famed for its woodcarvers, particularly those who make wayang figures and topeng masks. The work is usually based on traditional models, but some of the wayang figures are of the type produced on the neighboring island of Java. It should be borne in mind that many of the masks are mass-produced for tourists.

There are other craftsmen's shops in the villages around Celuk, for example in Guang, Batuan and Sukawati. With luck you may still find craftsmen in these villages who take the trouble to produce careful and conscientious work.