CnC Living Travel Log: Shopping for Balinese Batik Textiles and a fun boutique in Seminyak (By the Sea)

We wanted to shop for local band interesting things in Bali.  I first encountered batik, or patterned cloth made using a manual wax-resist dyeing technique there.  Batik is made by applying melted wax in a pattern to cloth before it is dipped in dye.  There will be a slight cracking in the pattern and the dye will not penetrate areas where there is wax.

Certain patterns can only be worn by people of a certain noble lineage and patterns and colors may vary by region.  Now there are many batik printed cloths which may not actually use the wax techniques.

I went to a tourist centered batik factory store in Ubud and was able to see the batik process.  I don't usually like to shop at these establishments because they tend to be higher priced.  Batik was also easily found elsewhere in Ubud, particularly in and around Ubud Market.  I bought a few batik pieces pictured at the beginning of this post (about 2.25 meters in length and can be worn as a dress or sarong) from a vendor on the ground level (I later learned the less trafficked second level could have had better deals).  Bargaining is mandatory and vendors are pretty aggressive.

I ended up getting the pieces for 40% of asking price and I still wasn't sure if it was too high because sellers may start the price at ten times above the normal price!  Luckily our driver said I got a bargain and I'd wear the batik as a skirt or dress.

Tip: Ask a local guide, concierge, etc. for pricing reference points.  

We also found the most adorable boutique on Jalan Rasa Seminyak - By The Sea (the rest of the street had random casual clothing shops, spas, and restaurants).  The baby blue Vespa by the door was already an indication of the fun and fashionable vibe inside.  It was closer to American pricing on items, but the items seemed to be of good quality.

It was like a tropical J. Crew inside and they even had great styles for guys.  Mr.Shop 'n Chomp got a t-shirt and this was the shopping bag! 

What do you like to buy when you travel?