On the market in Tomok: "Ulos may be worth to take back home. . . . ?" Top 5 Page for this destination Danau Toba Shopping Tip by kokoryko

I must confess that shopping is not exactly an activity I like to practise, specially in tourist laden areas where the traps are numerous and the wares sold not exactly of best taste. In Tomok there are many shops in the main street, and there are alleys bordered by shops and stalls, on each side, going to the lake shore on one side, and up to the older village. When I was there, it was low season, as there were more shopkeepers at times than visitors.
One thing I may recommend to consider purchasing, is the typical Batak cloth fabric: ulos.
The Toba ulos are woven with the ikat technique, dying threads and weaving after.
Some Ulos look quite nice and are very decorative; in the past they were an important piece of clothing, if not the only one; now they are used for decoration, put on tables, or hung on walls, but locals wear on some occasions (look at my local wedding tip).
On picture 2, the vendor displays a wide ulos, and there are many tipes like you can see on picture 3.
If you are not inspired by the ulos, you can find lots of other little things to bring back, not always typical (picture 4), and on the streets you cannot tell you don’t have choice.
I did not buy, but I liked a lot the display of the sandal shoes, almost all different and very decorative (first picture).

Theme: Local Craft