Ubud art market should definitely be the place that you have to visit upon your stay at Ubud. Modern shopping spots can easily be found for sure all over Bali including Ubud. Yet the so called traditional markets remain in the vicinity. It includes art markets as well in which many people could really come and satisfy their hunger of beautiful and unique arts of Bali. Aside from the one in Ubud there is another highly popular art market known as Sukawati art market. Both of them offer authentic traditional arts of Bali to enjoy and to bring to everyone else.
Why It Remains Today?
The art market of Ubud is known as central market of Ubud as well. It means that it is not entirely about art in terms of the market itself. It stays for a long time mainly due to its uniqueness. Traditional arts of Bali differ in many ways from other areas and regions of Indonesia. It can only be found in art markets located around Bali for sure. The half section of the market is actually a normal traditional market with daily needs offered by the locals. This section is the Eastern section contributes to the fact that the market remains today as well.
The Location and Opening Hours
One decent thing about this famous Ubud art market is that it is located right in the middle of Ubud. It is easy to find from anywhere you are staying during your stay and holiday in Ubud. Another easy way to find this market is that it sits right in front of the so called Puri Saren Ubud. It feels like the area has been designed perfectly so that famous attractions and destinations can be found close to each other. It takes up to 90 minutes to reach this traditional art market from Kuta. Around the proximity there are famous locations as well that include Goa Gajah Temple, Saraswati Temple, Tegalalang Rice Terrace and Monkey Forest.
Just before going on a trip to the market it is important to understand the opening hours of the market. In short the market can be visited from 4 am. It will not be closed before 6 pm to ensure that everyone can find and enjoy many things there. The morning time is the time when the market is crowded. The locals love to sell their stuff as early as possible so that they will be ready to sell in the morning. Furthermore tourists will start to rush into the area at about 10 am so be sure to be there before 10 am if you do not want to feel the crowd. More people means more time to navigate around the market so avoid getting there at midday.
Depending on your intention to go to the market, you should decide to go in the morning or afternoon. If you want to find good stuff in good prices then morning it is. There will be many things to choose from and that many local sellers will still be there. Meanwhile if the idea to go to the market is simply to enjoy the area without having to buy lots of things then it is okay to visit the Ubud art market during the afternoon. There will not be too many people in the afternoon since some of them may have closed their stalls and shops.
Traditional Goods at Their Best
The locals tried their best to maintain the quality of the goods they are selling in the market. It means that there is no need to worry about the quality of the things offered there. In terms of the price surely it will not be too expensive since it is a traditional market. Yet it is important to understand that bargain is a must. It has been known to be a culture upon purchasing items in traditional markets to bargain first. Commonly the initial offered price can be reduced at a fair number as long as you know how to do the bargaining properly. It is considered to be okay to start bargaining by asking a price reduced up to 40% from the initial price. The sellers will offer a new reduced price for you and so on.
The items available at the markets are mainly supplied by home artisans so that the actual price can be really cheap. What else to expect aside of authentic traditional arts in cheap price, right? It is a must to get you authentic arts made in Bali for everyone at home. It is easy to actually bring Bali home by purchasing souvenirs in this art market of Ubud.
Aside of traditional forms of art originated from the area religious items related to Hinduism and Buddhism can easily be found in the market. Believe it or not there are Buddha heads to buy within the market that are offered in different sizes and finishes. Statues of Hindu figures, masks and even costumes related to religious ceremonies are there as well. The locals find their daily needs of religious items in this market as well. Natural homemade fragrances are available in the market for those who love traditional scents. Soap, oil and cologne are all available with their respective natural scents made by locals.
Meanwhile within the eastern section of the market the locals offer ordinary daily needs. You may well visit the section as well to find anything you find it interesting. You can find local foods there in which those food lovers will eager to try. Fruits and veggies are there as well, just in case you need to maintain your diet or something.
Maximizing Your Shopping
Furthermore it is crucial to really maximize the shopping around Ubud art market just before leaving the proximity. It is advised to go around the entire area first before deciding to buy things. There are many merchants around the place scattered in a large and multi-story building of the market itself. It is common to ask for the price on an item you are interested in different merchants. Some of them will offer different initial price for real. Once you think you find the right price you may want to start bargaining for even better prices. If you buy more, the price can be lowered further. Just be sure to bargain that as well.
Moreover there could be different variations of items that you found earlier in different sections of the market. That is said that you have to be really patient in finding good stuff in this market. It will take a long time to do the shopping in this market so be sure to set the right time to go there.
It is important to understand that merchants are pretty persistence and sometimes aggressive to persuade tourists to buy their goods. Some may be overwhelmed by this matter. Yet that is a common thing that should not be given too much attention especially when you are not interested in the things offered there.
Clearly in this market the best things to buy are Bali souvenirs and merchandise. The fact that this is a traditional market of the locals means that local arts are there to buy. Purchasing authentic local arts from this location could help to deliver the message to others. The western section of the market is where the good arts can be found. There are local paintings there that are obviously enjoyable to look at. There are art museums close by as well for those who want to enjoy collections of paintings from famous artists.
Getting There
It is easy to find the market itself but getting there may need a bit of consideration. Parking is definitely amidst common issues in many regions of Indonesia including Bali. The main issue is the available area for parking is not enough. Thus upon visiting the art market it is better not to drive or ride on your own. Try to find services around that will take you there without having to think about parking at all. Hopefully this particular issue can be dealt with later in the near future so that visitors will be able to visit and enjoy the market better.
On the other hand if you want to go around the area aside from the art market you may want to rent a scooter. It surely is the cheapest way to go around Ubud and Bali alone. It will cost about IDR 50,000 to have it for a day. It is easy to operate scooter since today there are even automatic scooters available. It is recommended to visit other places around the market at first before shopping there. You will not need to bring the items you have purchased if you visit the market later.
The final verdict is that this art market of Ubud is a place that should be visited. There are so many items available there that can really satisfy anyone’s craving for shopping goods. Be sure to put it on your list to visit Ubud art market.
