Bali Shopping Tips by balisunshine Top 5 Page for this destination

Installing Alang Alang Roofing

If you have never been to Bali,
you may become quite enchanted
by the beauty that the traditional
alang alang roof adds to many of its structures.

Alang alang thatching has been used
in Indonesia for hundreds of years
on the islands of Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa,
Timor and Sumba as a
traditional system of roofing.

The alang alang roof is
a good insulation against heat
and is very attractive to look at,
both inside and out.

It is durable, with reports of it lasting to twenty years,
although by this time it would be very thin and unattractive.
More commonly it has a life span of seven or eight years.

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ACE: More than just hardware

What to buy: In the west,
stores like Home Depot and Ace
are common outlets that we have available.

But here in Bali,
getting certain items can be a bit difficult at times.
Well Hallelujah for Ace!

All those difficult items to find,
like juice extractors, hot hair curlers,
hula hoops, steamers and
other human creature comforts
are available here.

It’s not the cheapest…but you can find what you want!

And they deliver!

Address: Jl Patih Jelantik Kuta

Phone: 0361-769 328

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Rich Stone Art & Design: Beautiful Buddhas

What to buy: As you drve along the roads of Bali,
you may see a fountain,
Buddha sculpture here and there.

Some of them are absolutely exquisite!
And you might just want to take one home!

But be warned,
these things can weigh
anywhere from 250 - 500 kilos.

It can be a problem in just loading it onto the truck.
Much less to say in a container.

But if your do live here,
and plan to install one in your home,
a great lace that makes them
out of cement and iron is
Rich Stone.

Normally a water pump is installed in them
and you need to add spot lights to emphasize
the splendor of these striking features.

Just a word of caution,
their puntuality runs sometimes
on Balinese time.

So make sure you have ample time,
before you need to get it delivered.

Rich Stone Art & Design

Address: Jl. Raya Kerobokan No. 4, Br. Umulas Kangin

Other Contact: E-mail: rich_stone@yahoo.co.id

Phone: 0361-788-2353 or 081-797 13067

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Website: http://www.rich-stonebali.com

Doing business the Balinese way

The strongest advice here is,
foreigners need to throw away their economic
and business management books and theories
which work perfectly will in the outside world.
Understand the Balinese way in business dealings,
using payoffs, no sense of common rules
and decisions and play the Balinese game.

Additional factors needs to be taken into account
when doing business in Bali,
and all of South East Asia in fact,
it will be a conglomeration of frustrations which,
like ants at a picnic table,
come out of nowhere,
annoy the hell out of you,
devour all they can and refuse to go away
until you have nothing left.

Then they will leave just as quickly and
as stealthily as they arrived.

These factors include: people not turning up for appointments;
not be able to obtain the simplest piece of information;
delays in work for no apparent reason;
sudden price rises above the original quote or the job;
un-notified law changes; staff not turning up for work;
agents running away with deposits; miles of red tape and regulations;
shoddy workmanship, etc.
The list goes on!

Never pay money upfront.
Take a lot of time to gather all information
before investing one rupiah into any business

As a foreigner,
you should not attempt to do it on your own.
You need to have an intelligent Balinese partner who you can trust.
Finding the right partner is extremely difficult
but your business may fail without them.
Remember though, your Balinese partner
will have to be the front man in the business.
You can have all the great ideas and innovations you like
but you need the Balinese National to make them legal,
to put them effect and hopefully make them work.

What to buy: Apart from your Balinese business partner,
the less people involved in the management the better.
Try to avoid being talked into hiring or using any friends
or relatives of your partner.

Who’s interest do you think he will be looking after?

Never part with one rupiah or sign any document
before obtaining the services of a lawyer.

Walk, no RUN away from any deal where
the other party suggests that you need not go through a lawyer
because it will only cost you extra money.
The same goes if the other party offers
the services of his own lawyer at a discount price.

Property: Find out who actually owns it.
This could be difficult as title searches are not
as straight forward as they are in the west.
The property should be owned by one person,
a company, a family or several people.
They are also fake or forged titles around.
One of the most costly scams involving an unwary boulet/foreigner
is to sell him property that is not owned or fully owned by the seller.
The seller pockets the money.

You are not in your country,
so you have to accept the way and the pace at which things are done here

Learn the lesson from the Chinese.
If your enterprise is successful and does make money,
don’t tell anyone.

Should you be seen as making a lot of money from your business,
one phone call from a greedy or jealous competitor
can get you into trouble with the authorities.

People exaggerate their sphere of influence
in order to elevate their importance in the community.
DO NOT rely on any of them to get you out of a jam
and it doesn’t matter who the say they know
or who they are related to.
If you ever find yourself in trouble,
the only thing that may get you out is money.

Western style business ethics can not be found here
and western style legal recourse
in the case of dishonest business practice is unheard here.

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Bali Liquor Store: Dude! Where’s the booze?

What to buy: Ok Guys.

Got a special night?
Need some booze?

Ran out of ice?
This is the place to call:

Bali Liquor Store
Jl Kunti 18
Seminyak
Tel. 361-737-132

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Decorating with Bamboo

If you decide to sojourn here,
you may opt for
decorating with Bamboo.

It is economical
and there are some furnishings
that are nice pieces.

But be aware,
if you buy the furnishings locally,
in most cases the stuff has never
been fumigated.
And termites LOVE the stuff!
Amongst who knows
what other critters.

When rainy season comes,
this also may be
one of the first pieces
to grow mold and mildew.

So if you opt to go
with an open-air house,
and don’t spend a little extra
on air-cons or dehumidifiers,
get ready for a massive spring cleaning!

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But how long can I lease???

The main concern
for many westerners when
trying to invest in land,
is the Leasehold term.

Because in most cases
this causes some unease,
realtors are requesting for an extension
so to compete with it's neighboring countries.

Read more at:

Extending the Lease?

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Arie & Harry Professional Salon: My hair is so dry!

Because of the water here,
which is probably full of limestone,
if you wash your air often,
it will soon dry out.

The choice of good hair products
may be limited for some.

After looking around,
and trying different products
I finally found a hair salon that sells,
L'Oreal and Kerastase hair products.

They’re not cheap though, but hey!
A girl has got to do what she has to do,
so to have beautiful hair.

What to pay: Not cheap

Directions: Arie & Harry Professional Salon
Istana Kuta Galerie
Valet II No. 19
Jl Patih Jelantik
Kuta

Phone: 769-218

Theme: Bath and Beauty

Bahagia Pet Shop: Meow?or Arph!

When you have a home in Bali,
having a dog is a good thing.

In most cases the Indos are scared of dogs.

And well....the rats should be chased away by the cats.

So, adopt a pet.

But it all comes with a price.
You gotta feed them,
entertain them,
and love them.

I've gone to quite a few pet stores,
and not all of them have a variety of choices.

But I did find one shop that is pretty well equipped
AND they will deliver for free!

What more can you ask for?

Meow?or lets say Arph!

What to buy: Dog and Cat food.
Dog cloths and accessories.
Cat accessories.

Pets.

Address: Jl. Sunset Road No. 1

Other Contact: 081-238-53992

Phone: 0361-747-3663

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A healthy pet

For you animal lovers out there,
when in need of a vet,
Doctor Anom will go to your home
and do what is needed.

For worm shots,
the cost is 100,000 Rp.

Then you can feel free to give
your pet all the cuddling that you want!

Phone: 744-3311

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