Bali

Shopping

Shopping in Bali is typical of shopping in any South East Asian country. There is plenty of fake designer wear and the usual tourist knock-off goods, and plenty of haggling is necessary. There are also wonderful local batik designs, and plenty of swimwear and surf wear for shoppers to indulge in.

In Kuta, the streets are lined with stalls and shops selling clothing, leather goods, and handicrafts, as well as great art shops selling Balinese crafts. Kuta Art Market, next to Kuta Square, is the place to go for local arts and crafts, though travellers will also find all the usual international tourist staples. Discovery Shopping Mall on Jalan Kartika Plaza offers fantastic shopping opportunities with its department stores, cafés, bookshops, home accessories, jewellery and international brand outlets such as Sogo, Guess and Esprit.

Denpasar's three-storey Kumbasari Market near the river is a great place to shop for clothing and spices. Seminyak and Canggu are the spots to go for trendy boutiques, unique furniture and ethnic chic couture from the corner of Legian Street to Laksmana Street.

For good local souvenirs, such as hand-made jewellery or traditional wood and stone carvings, travellers should head to the surrounding villages, such as Ubud, where some of the best quality can be found. The Bukit Mungsu traditional market in Bedugul is a good place to find dried spices and coffee, which are also popular Bali souvenirs.

Nightlife

The nightlife in Bali is mostly located around the busy resort town of Kuta, where everything from karaoke bars and pubs, to discos and clubs can be found bustling until the early hours. Travellers can enjoy sundowners at a rustic beach bar followed by dinner and a pub crawl, until the bass lines thump and the party animals start crawling out of the woodwork around midnight. Hot nightlife spots include the main drag of Kuta and the Legian Beach area, which is the place for rockers. There are events such as full-moon and half-moon parties taking place frequently, especially on Legian Beach. Seminyak also pulsates after dark and countless clubs, bars and sexy dancers can be found.

Lovina, Nusa Dua, Ubud and Sanur offer a more low-key variety of nighttime entertainment, which is mostly confined to restaurants and hotels. However, there is always something happening to keep the young at heart entertained. For a vibe that is halfway between the sleepy streets of Ubud and the heaving clubs of Kuta, travellers should head to Canggu. With plenty of hip bars and beach shacks to drink at, they can chill and kick back until sunrise, but perhaps without the pulsing headache that the clubs down the coast promise.