Pasar Seni: Sukawati, Central Bali

When travelling to Ubud, the mountain areas of Bali or to the East coast of the island, you will inevitably pass through the market town of Sukawati.

In the centre of town is the renowned Pasar Seni, undoubtedly the best place to shop in Bali. In fact most of the items you buy on the streets of Tuban, Kuta, Legian or Seminyak originated from here.

The two-storey market is a maze of alleyways with a massive array of artefacts, paintings, fabrics, clothing and basketware all crammed together so tight it is sometimes difficult to weave your way through it all. Other goods for sale include Sarongs, light blankets, lengths of Ikat cloth and practically all ceremonial paraphernalia.

Bargaining is a must and great fun with these super-friendly vendors. Every time I have visited here I tend to get lost in the maze of colour, so vibrant its dazzling. The best time to visit this vibrant market is definitely before 10am, because after that, the busloads of tourists arrive and it gets pretty tight in there!.

If you think you couldn’t handle the maze of stalls, then there are plenty of stalls and shops around the perimeter of the building, all with goods roughly the same price as inside.