Shopping in Bali

Bali is famed for its extraordinary artists and artisans who produce incomparable paintings, fierce and vivid masks, lifelike carvings and sculptures, fine metalwork, delicately carved jewellery, ceramics that reflect the Balinese expression of art in everyday objects, and a river of hand-woven and -dyed fabrics, including the world-famous batiks.

The artists’ enclave of Ubud in the hills north of Denpasar is at the heart of Bali's arts world. Ubud is famed for both art and the performing arts, with so much to see and experience that visitors often stay much longer than they intended.

In much the same way the Middle Eastern world has souks that specialise in particular types of wares, various villages around Bali have become the wellspring of creativity around certain art forms. Visit Batubulan for stone carving, Celuk for silver & gold jewellery, Mas for wood carving, and Pengosekan for painting. Or prepare for some good-humoured haggling at Sukawati’s "Art Market" for all kinds of handicrafts and textiles. Be sure to carry cash, as not all places will accept credit cards.

Those with an interest in art history will want to visit the homes of the late Gusti Nyoman Lempad, a local pioneer of Balinese stone carving and architecture; American artist, Antonio Blanco; Walter Spies, the influential and infamous German painter; and the restaurant of Dutch painter Hans Snel.