The Art of Balinese Shopping - Even the Men Will Enjoy!!!

Markets/Shopping: As far as shopping goes Bali is relatively cheap by SE Asia terms and definitely by western standards. After traveling though Thailand and Malaysia I found Indonesia much cheaper. Unless you want a Chang tank top, save your money (Malaysia had very cheap electronics however, I heard the same about Jakarta in Indonesia). Expect to bargain most places as it is expected. We heard that if you can get 60%-70% off the original price you made a good deal. Remember that they have a price they are willing to go to but they can only go so low. Don’t buy at the first stall, walk around and banter. Most shops sell very similar items with a few different gems hidden away so keep looking!  

      

       For example in Sukawati we bought 2 pairs of swim trunks and a sarong for RPH120,000.  It was originally RPH300,000 so we figured that was a good bargain down. But we also insulted a few people by bargaining to low on other stalls. If you really like something buy it though because it is probably cheaper than the countries that you are from. 

            Markets that we went to were Sukawati, Ubud, and the venders in Sanur and Kuta. Sanur and Kuta have the same things as in Sukawati just less stalls. Most places you find Jewelry, clothes, Bintang shirts/hats, art, and penis shaped carvings. Everything in these shops is negotiable. We went to Sukawati on a Wednesday mid day and were the only white people so we were hounded by people, it wasn’t all that bad though because they wanted to make the first sale of the day which if they make a fair deal to start the day then they have good luck and fortune for the rest of the day. The market itself was easy to find, it’s on the main road in Sukawati with a large sign out from saying ‘Art Market’. There are maybe 100 stalls total, it’s not very clean and quite tightly packed but was worth the trip. We went because we heard it had more to offer than Sanur and Kuta. Sukawati is worth the trip but only for a few hours, and is only about a 20-minute drive from Sanur by motorbike.

            Ubud had many of the same things as Sukawati and if your bargaining skills are decent, ours are hit and miss, it’s almost as cheap.  Expect to pay a little more but not much. We didn’t do too much shopping there but did walk around and haggle. The bonus of the Ubud market was it had the same things as other markets but more to offer as far as carvings, religious items, and jewelry. It was also cleaner than other markets as it was tailored to more of the wealthier vacationers. Most of the shop owners here all paid the same price for their items-they just know they can get a bit more for it since people are more hesitant to haggle prices. Be wary of any “hand carved” item, we kept getting offered these 'treasures' only to see the same one across the street. People also drive around on their bikes pedalling souvenirs. 

              After all this information, if you still don't want to/can't be bothered/or are too intimidated to haggle, then there is a gem of a shop in Legian (5 mins up the road from Kuta). If you google/ask around/or speak to any tourist, they will know of..."Ketut's!" Ketut has about 4 shops right next to each other, that is packed from floor to ceiling with clothes, bags, wallets, sarongs etc etc. Everything is fixed price, she also hands out water whilst you shop, and it's full of Aussies who have been going back and shopping here for years and years. She will remember you, and those fixed prices are some of the cheapest around. This is somewhere I recommend and I will be returning to.

            The night market in Sanur also sells things to tourists but also everyday items. Not much selection but if you need something in a pinch and can’t get out to the other markets give it a try. Jewelry stalls at all of the markets sell pendants made from everything from jade to mother of pearl, wood carvings and figures, and chains of metal or thread to go with it. Expect to bargain here, again if you think its one of a kind, walk across the street and see if the other guy sells it too. There are some very beautiful pieces though and we bought a few for gifts and whatnot. Shopping here is fun but exhausting, even if you don’t want to buy anything it can be good sport. Don’t feel pressured to buy and have fun trying to get a low price.    

            If you have come to Bali without an adaptor for your electrical items, they sell them pretty much everywhere on all streets in all towns. But we found the cheapest adaptors to be sold in Circle K mini-mart (which are on every corner you seem to look!) for around RPH10,000 where as in the stalls they sell them for RPH50-100,000! If you are a reader, there are a few book stores located in the major tourist towns. They have second hand books but they can also order them for you if you are staying a while. Bookstores seem to have a variety of languages: Dutch, German, French, English, and Spanish. If you bring back books they give you some money for them so you basically rent the book. If you are only traveling through for a few weeks and have some extra room in your bag throw in a book or two, someone might want to read it and its slim pickings on the islands. A lot of the hotels and Homestays' had there own libraries for people to read for free. That’s a bonus if you want to keep yourself occupied while sitting by the pool.