Ubud is the shopper's paradise of Bali, with everything from tacky plastic doohickeys to priceless works that will have you thinking of selling the S.U.V.
Start at Ubud Market, at the southeast corner of Monkey Forest Road and Jalan Raya Ubud. Open during daylight hours only, it's a real market -- great noisy fun, with dozens of stalls selling produce and livestock along with tourist kitsch.
All along Monkey Forest Road, Jalan Raya Ubud, and Jalan Hanoman, shop after shop is filled with gorgeous sarongs, woodcarvings, mobiles, jewelry, incense, pottery, and gaily colored shirts. It's all geared to tourists, but the quality isn't bad. Elsewhere in town, you can find jewelry, housewares, and textiles.
Treasures, Toko, and Toko East are fine boutiques owned by the folks at Ary's Warung; find them on the main road in the center of Ubud or online at www.dekco.com. Other boutiques and galleries line the road running north of central Ubud toward the high-end resort area. The lace shop Toko Uluwatu has outlets all over Bali. You can find its popular storefront on Monkey Forest Road in the center of Ubud. Okrakartini, east of the palace on the main road (tel. 361/975624), is an upmarket boutique with fine cloth, jewelry, and antiques. Threads of Life, Jalan Kajeng 24 (tel. 361/972187; www.threadsoflife.com), a foundation that supports groups of weavers on the eastern islands of Indonesia, sells unique local patterns.
For books, stop by Periplus, on Monkey Forest Road (tel. 361/975178); or Ganesh Bookshop, Jalan Raya (tel. 361/970320; www.ganeshabooksbali.com), adjacent to the popular Buddha Cafe.
