Legian shopping guide
Legian is home to fascinating craft workshops
Shopping in Legian is a step up in both variety and quality once you leave the confines of neighbouring Kuta and is also a less stressful experience for most tourists. Legian doesn’t have Kuta’s huge one stop shopping malls but boasts a high number of small specialty stores and boutiques. You will notice most traders have a more relaxed attitude and rarely will you be confronted by really persistent salespeople.
Low grade fake designer gear and cheap pirated DVDs are a part of any Bali shopping trip and Legian has more than its fair share of typical tourist tat. This is centred around the rambling Jalan Melasti Art Market, but you will also find some attractive woodcarvings and textiles here among all the cheap souvenirs. A distinct village atmosphere pervades the resort where you will encounter dozens of small independent stores selling an eclectic range of wares. There is everything from hand made kites, textiles, designer jewelry and original artwork.
The main Jalan Legian thoroughfare has the most stylish retail stores and a good place to search out top notch fashions and beachwear such as Sol & Luna (Jalan Raya Legian no407, Tel: + 62 (0)361 755435, open daily 10:00 to 19:00). There are also many classy home ware retailers here including Himya Gallery (Jalan Raya Legian, Tel: +62 (0)361 758538, open daily 11:00 to 19:00).
Heading north towards Seminyak sees a distinct increase in price and quality again. Jalan Legian is peppered with elegant private art showrooms and pricey retro fashion boutiques. There are also a handful of wholesale outlets aimed at local expats who make a healthy living from exporting Balinese jewellery and handicrafts to Europe and North America.
Legian is arguably the best place outside of Denpasar to browse for quality sarongs and batik textiles and there are many outlets to choose from. The Jalan Werkudara and Jalan Arjuna area is the best place to start and the latter road especially has several cheek by jowl art shops selling good quality fabrics, silk garments and bedding. Many places also offer custom designs and a made to measure service.
Bargaining is part and parcel of the shopping experience and you can expect plenty of good natured banter before an agreeable price is reached. Virtually every establishment expects a certain amount of haggling and the often grossly over inflated opening price will reflect this.
