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Shopping in Bali can be a joyful experience as the island is a wonderful emporium of things to buy. This is where you can find lots of local products, souvenirs and handicrafts, not only of Bali, but of the whole Indonesia. Bali itself has a thriving cottage industry producing many items that are considered exotic or fashionable elsewhere. A number of people built up an export trade on these items, and buying them in Bali is certainly cheaper than back home.
In Bali, while you may encounter many items considered "designer labels", not everything you see is genuine. Still, it will be hard to tell the difference. Others are truly genuine staff manufactured under license in Indonesia.
The main shopping areas of Bali are Kuta, Sanur and Ubud. For local crafts, you might get better prices visiting the source, bypassing several layers of middle men.
Fruit vendor at Legian Beach (18 June, 2004)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Shopping hours in Bali varies. In general, you can expect most shops to open between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm, although in the Kuta area, many shops open until 10:00 pm. Visiting the local markets is a rewarding experience, not only for the visual sights, but also the opportunity to buy things at a very low price. Most markets operate from the early morning until late morning. By 3:00 pm, most markets would have called it a day.
The Indonesian Rupiah is the currency most widely accepted, though you can often purchase using US Dollars, especially at selected shops that deal with tourists. However, the exchange rate is usually unfavorable. Credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted at upscale shops and department stores.
Bargaining is a common practise in Bali. If you intend to do a lot of shopping, then you should brush up your bargaining skills, as all prices can be brought down, except at the most upscale shops. How low do you go? Offer what you feel is reasonable, which can be as much as half or two thirds the offered price.
It is always better to stay away from buying things from hawkers along the streets. Not only are the goods usually of inferior quality, you are more likely to pay a higher price than the items are worth. Hawkers are of course the most aggressive lot, and they prey on tourists especially in the popular tourist areas. Do not make eye contact and if approached, ignore them completely. A response from you is an invitation for them to stick around like glue.
Matahari Department Store, Bali
Author: Yoshi Canopus (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
The biggest department store chain in Bali as well as Indonesia is Matahari Department Store. It has stores in Legian, Denpasar and Kuta. Second to Matahari is Ramayana Department Store, located in Denpasar. Department stores are air conditioned and sell items at fixed price.
There are two major shopping malls in Bali, namely Kuta Centre and Discovery Mall, both in Kuta.
In addition to the department stores, there are also supermarkets where you can buy local as well as Western food items. Perhaps the best known among visitors is Makro.
The markets are where the locals shop. Although they may be dark, damp and a bit claustrophobic, they are a wonderful place to catch a glimpse of the locals in shopping mode. These are also a good place to buy local items at local prices.
Kumbasari Market in Denpasar is well stocked with local goods from around Indonesia. In Ubud, the main market is Pasar Ubud. In Gianyar, head to Sukawati Art Market, which, while a bit claustrophobic, has an excellent array of local crafts.
If you're longing for some freshly baked breads, you can find a number of bakeries and delis in Bali. Among them, there's Bali Bakery, Dijon Deli and Le Bake in Kuta; Bali Deli in Seminyak; Casa Luna in Ubud and Sanur Deli in Sanur.
Buah salak on sale at a local market (18 June, 2004)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
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