Shopping in Indonesia

Indonesia has a lot to offer the enthusiastic shopper- the range of traditional arts and crafts is quite vast, and with a bit of perseverance, you can strike some good bargains. While you will find huge department stores in some cities that house popular international brands, the things to really go after are local handicrafts and other items unique to this part of the world. Some of the nicest things to buy include woodwork, textiles (especially batik- it’s a specialty of Indonesia, and you really can’t leave the country without buying at least some batik!), silverware, paintings and sculpture. Most of these are available in small and large shops across the country. Bargaining is common in all the smaller shops, but prices are fixed in the larger department stores, supermarkets and shopping complexes.

Shopping complexes and department stores usually open from 9 to 9, all week, (including Sunday, although they may open for shorter hours). In the smaller towns and cities shops often close between 1 and 5 to allow the shopkeepers a post-lunch siesta.