Tips on Shopping

The quantity of Balinese arts and crafts available on the island is overwhelming. Woodcarvers, jewelers, and craftspeople of all types line the streets around all tourist areas, particularly in and around Ubud and on the streets of Kuta. There's something for all budgets, from tourist trinkets to fine art and antiques. It's a shopper's paradise of fabrics, clothing, wood and stone carvings, paintings, and doodads of varying quality. Generally, you get what you pay for -- but with a bit of haggling, you can get a lot more for what you pay. Shop around; the same item gets cheaper the more you look at it, and it's really the same stuff everywhere. Ask the price, offer half, smile, and go from there. Even at inflated prices, you'll still come out ahead of the game.