Cheap gifts from Bali

Visitors to Bali often like to shop for cheap gifts to bring home for friends. Even if you have a large, extended family, there is plenty of choice in Bali. The main places you will find the best selection of cheap gifts are Pasar Seni’s (art markets). In my opinion you could equally refer to them as junk markets, as there is nothing in them I’d actually buy, but for cheap nick-nacks they are handy.

An art market is basically a line of stalls, next to the street with goods spilling out all over. The most popular art markets are:
•Southern end of Kuta Square, close to Matahari department store, in between Jl. Kartika Plaza and the beach.
•The length of Poppies II heading back from the beach.
•Jl. Melasti in Legian.

Most popular stuff sold:
Bintang t-shirts, knock-off surf wear, place mat and other bamboo accessories, jewelry, hats, hanging decorations, sunglasses, watches, bags, cup holders, DVD’s, kids toys, paintings and wind chimes. There are of course hundreds of items, all mass produced and subject to negotiation.

In the past I have bought a soccer shirt at the pasar seni in Tuban. Asking price was 300,000rp, I paid 170,00rp I think. I later learned you can get them in Denpasar for 30,000rp. This pretty much is the rule for everything sold in art markets. Not much point in me telling you what things cost, as its up to you to convince the seller to part with it for your desired price. If you buy several items from the same vendor, your barganing power goes up.

Once in a while you might see a special gift that close friend would love, like these elegant paperweights. No harm in browsing, you can swoop a dozen gifts in an hour, for not much money. You do get what you pay for though, and a cheap watch will probably not work for long. Art markets usually open from around 9am-9pm.