Ubud’s ‘Pasar Seni’ or Art Market is a must stop on the tourist route and tours to the market are offered by most travel agencies in Bali. All of Bali’s finest arts and crafts can be found in this two-storey brick building. A good time to poke around would be in the early morning when the vendors are just setting up their stalls. Not only will you be buffered from the harsh midday sun but you will also be offered lower prices (‘harga pelangsir’) as the Balinese believe that the first sale of the day must be secured even at rock-bottom prices as this brings good luck and more sales throughout the day. Shopping in the evenings before closing time also increases your bargaining power. The wet market is open from 7am; the other tourist shops open at about 9am. The entire market closes at 6pm.

As most tour groups often only have time to mill around the shops on the ground level, shops on the upper level are more usually accommodating when it comes to bargaining. There is a bigger selection of clothing upstairs while the lower level sells mostly wood carvings and other handicraft items. You should be able to get souvenirs for around $1-2 USD; sarongs are normally from $4 onwards depending on the quality.

Sellers at the Pasar Seni are pretty much battle-hardened due to the mass onslaught of tourists and you have be very patient if you want to achieve your desired price. It is normally better to ask the seller for a starting price and then aim for about a third, even a quarter of the asking price. Of course, one should remember that the local Balinese do not earn much and keep things in perspective when bargaining.