Shopping in Bali is more than just visiting a shop and picking up something you like. Bali has a variety of things to offer you starting from art, local goods, handlooms and many more. Bargaining in Bali is a must and this makes shopping in Bali more fun. If you want to get the best deal, start by quoting a price which is one third the price you have been asked for. You are guaranteed to get the thing you like in at least 50% less price than original. You can familiarise yourself with the different things Bali has to offer you before you decide on what to buy:
- Fabric– Bali is noted for the vibrant fabric it offers to everyone. These fabrics are used especially during festivals and ceremonies. Bali specialises in naturally dyed traditional textiles which include red ikat cepuk, black and white checked poleng and silk songket which is of particular interest because it is cloth woven with strands of gold or silver. These special fabrics come in both bright colours and beautiful prints.
- Jewellery-Bali has a variety of interesting jewelleries to make you look pretty. You will find fashion jewellery like surfer necklace, sea shell shaped earrings, choker, bracelet, bangle and wooden rings. These jewelleries are mainly made of materials like shell, bone, coco, wood, feather and corals. You will also find necklaces that has a wooden pendant and strands with different sized beads. These jewelleries will offer you a unique and sophisticated look thereby enhancing your beauty.
- Handicrafts- Handicrafts in Bali are examples of sophistication, beauty, elegance and culture. Bali will offer you handicrafts like wood cravings, air brush keychain, wooden statues, mosaic mirror, wooden masks, wooden flowers, Abstacts statues and many more. These handicrafts come at affordable prices and are popularly demanded by tourists.
- Paintings– Balinese paintings are just the appropriate thing for you if you have a taste in paintings. Bali will give you all and every possible kind of paintings from realist paintings which depicts the reality of what the eyes can see; Buddhist Monks paintings in bright colours; to Frangipani painting which is a speciality of Bali, paintings depicting a lovely tropical flower of Bali named frangipani, Balinese paintings will definitely attract you.
- Art: Balinese art is essentially carved, woven, painted and prepared into objects rather that just as an object of artistic sense. So Balinese art will give you style that upholds the unique culture of Bali. Balinese art will offer you its famous wood carving of an elderly Balinese lady, a large wooden carving of a heron with a crab and shrimp in Sanur style, wooden statue of Rama transformed into god Shiva and the very popular Bali temple in wood carving.
- Bamboo Furniture– Furniture in Bali has a speciality and that is the furniture is made out of bamboo. This furniture includes any and every kind of home unit you want. This furniture is very easy to care, sleek in design, lightweight, and come in a wide range of designs and styles.
- Sarongs-A very popular local item of Bali is the sarong. Sarongs are common to beaches bu the sarongs in Bali are different from other sarongs because these are not a flat piece of fabric but a cloth in tube shape and is also known as a sarung or a sheath. Sarongs in bali come with a decorative panel which is called a kepala and it is woven or dyed into the fabric.
- Beads– Bali beads are noted for its details and that is exactly what makes them so unique and popular among tourists. Traditionally Bali uses beads are usually round or tubular in shape to make bracelets and necklaces, but barrel shaped and cone shaped beads makes interesting combination in jewelleries as accent pieces.
- Pottery– Bali will offer you its unique pottery to decorate your garden, home or lounge. These potteries are unique to Bali because of their designs, styles and shapes. You will find beautiful potteries like terrazzo pots in different modern shapes, concrete pots in asymmetrical shapes and traditional looking pots with intricate carvings.
- Spa Products– A very unique and local to Bali is the variety of spa products. Bali has its own array of aromatherapy products including essential oils, healing lip and body balms, botanical infused body oil and Balinese bath soaps and all are prepared by hand using only natural ingredients. These products are highly popular among tourists and are very typical to Bali.