Bali Shopping Tips by Wild_Orchid

Daun-theGift Shop: Aromatherapy & Tasteful Gifts

Located at Kuta Square, just nearby the Kuta Art Market (with its little stalls selling t-shirts, key-chains, sarongs), this store is quite a gem. With a tasteful layout, the merchandise on display looks classy and of good quality, but it is really not too expensive. Service is good as well. Last but not least, the air-con actually works!

What to buy: After making a comparison with a few other shops, I found that the massage oil and aromatherapy oils at Daun smelt very natural and not too strong and wasn't at all cloying.

The scents come with exotic names such as Night Queen, Sandalwood, Jasmine,Cempaka, Frangipani, Ylang Ylang, Lavender, LemonGrass, Bergamot, Rose ~ who could resist? Certainly not me! (wink!)

I felt that the pricing was very reasonable when compared to its quality and packaging.
(most suitable for gifts)

Apart from these oils, the store also had some lovely wooden, painted doll figurines, small stone and wooden vases, unique handicraft, mini-fountains, and they were at reasonable prices (clearly marked), with no hassles of having to bargain.

What to pay: Aromatherapy-small bottles 30,000 rupiahs
Massage Oil-medium bottle 60,000 rupiahs
Set of 5 tiny bottles (2 different sets of combinations available) 11,000 rupiah

Address: Kuta Square, Block E-26-27, Jl Bakung Sari, Kuta

Directions: Stones throw from Kuta Beach area.
a few shops away from Milo (a big name local designer) which is at the corner.

Other Contact: 62-361 756245 (fax)

Phone: 62-361 756253

Theme: Bath and Beauty

Kuta Kidz: Lovely children's clothes at reasonable prices

Updated: July 2007
Was informed that Kuta Kidz has changed its name to Pokito and Qii. The Kuta Kidz shop at the corner of Bemo is now owned by someone else. As I have not visited for quite a while, I can't confirm whether this information is true. Anyway, do check out the shops when you're in Bali.

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Beautifully designed casual t-shirts, tops, dresses and beachwear for kids and babies. The colours and designs are very tasteful and quality is good for what you pay. You would be able to buy clothes for kids from age 1 mth to 10 years old. Some of the clothes are really tiny, so they fit Asians and smaller sized Caucasians kids very well.

I was here in 1996 and bought some lovely clothes for the kids (when they were just babies!), and it was certainly nice to revisit and find that the store is still around. Now they have two stores in Kuta-they carry similar stock, but one has more beachware.

Clothes are Aussie design and made in Bali, which accounts for their reasonable prices.

What to buy: Kids clothing-Aussie styles at almost local prices.

What to pay: Tops for girls - 32,500 rupiahs -36,500 rupiahs
Top with matching pants for girls - 77,500 rupiahs
Shirts for boys - 32,500-45,000 rupiahs
Dresses - approx 70,000 rupiahs

Address: Jl Taman Griya 2.G. Tuban, Kuta Bali

Directions: Near Bemo Corner (corner of Beach St and Legian St)

Other Contact: 62 361 756994

Phone: 62-361 753 992

Theme: Children's Clothes

Website: http://www.kutakidz.com

Bali Design at various Shops: a spot of Bikini Shopping !

Ladies, if you're from Malaysia, Singapore or Thailand where the variety of swimwear is rather limited & nice bikinis are hard to find, (or if you are a guy who would like to see his lovely lady wearing a bikini), don't miss out on a spot of bikini shopping while in Bali.

What to buy: There are numerous shops at Kuta & Legian and the choices are pretty good. The locally made Bali Design bikinis (see pics)are priced from 155,000 rupiahs. Bali Design's designer is a lady called Jessie Norman~I think she could be Australian. I also managed to buy one at a clearance price of 50,000 rupiahs.

What to pay: Prices differ from store to store-but with the variety, you would be sure to find something that matches your budget!

Address: Legian, Kuta. Also at Sanur and Nusa Dua

Directions: Besides Kuta Square, the section near Bemo Corner (on Jalan Legian), has a number of good shops selling swimwear. These shops are less busy, and you can spend more time trying on the outfits.

Theme: Women's Clothes

Matahari Department Store: All Kinds of Everything

Matahari at Kuta Square has all kinds of everything. It also houses a supermarket for your daily necessities.

Wood carvings, scented massage oils, souvenior items such as key-chains, handicraft, batik, t-shirts are available here at reasonable prices-sometimes the prices here are even cheaper than at the smaller stalls outside. As this is a fixed price store, I was able to browse around without feeling hassled. My philisophy: If the price is right, buy it, if not, just give the item a miss. It was a good place to note prices so that when you DID have to bargain with the stall owners (some people seem to enjoy this process, I simply don't), you'd have an idea where to start.

A large Matahari store is also located at the DFS Galleria Complex at the main Kuta Junction (Jl Ngurah Rai By-Pass).

What to buy: Small wooden, painted cats-set of 3 for between 6,000 to 8,000 rupiahs (depends on size)
Key Chains-from 3,000 rupiahs (US$1.00 at the airport which is 3 times more!)
Two-meter batik cloth with matching stole - unsewn - different quality, different fabric and styles, 120,000 - 260,000 rupiahs. Expect to pay much more for silk. Sometimes it comes in 3 pieces, one for the skirt, another for the blouse and last is the matching stole/light shawl.

Address: Matahari Department Store, Kuta Square

Directions: Next door to McDonalds, you really can't miss it!

Theme: Department Store