Shopping in Bali: World famous bargains

Casual tourists to Bali stroll around the markets in Kuta, Sukawati and Ubud checking out the nick-nacks and deciding what to buy for Auntie Flo. Bali has for decades supplied cheap gifts that can by bought for a couple of dollars. There is a newer side to the Bali shopping scene that has gained worldwide attention, luxury interior goods.

Seminyak shops are stocked with furniture and interior design pieces, that are unique, attractive and cheaper than in Europe. The abundance of skilled craftsmen also give a shopper the ability to have custom made items.

‘Bali style’ is a term that encompasses the styles of various Asian countries. It loosely means a kind of tropical creativity with an ethnic element. The book Bali Style demonstrates how this looks inside homes in Bali. Looking down the page on Amazon’s site, one can see that after viewing Bali Style on the website, 28% of people buy it, followed by Island Style: Tropical Dream Houses in Indonesia, Bali Houses: New Wave Asian Architecture and Design, Bali Modern: The Art of Tropical Living. So one could say its all part of a wider trend, with people living in Australia, Japan, the US and Europe wanting to incorporate aspects of ‘Bali style’ or what they perceive as Bali style into their own homes.

An article in the Financial Post discusses this more.