souvenirs recommended by Bali travel expert!

Rena Umebayashi · Last updated : Feb. 16, 2017

One of the most delightful moments of a trip is souvenir shopping. It is fun to share pleasant memories of your trip with your friends.

This is Rena from Compathy Magazine.
One of the most delightful moments of a trip is souvenir shopping. It is fun to share pleasant memories of your trip with your friends.
In Bali, Indonesia, there are so many cool goods, cosmetics, and groceries, which are only available in Bali, and they will be a souvenir for your loved ones. So here is a list of souvenirs recommended for you.

Photo credit: Masaomi Takatsuka 「初めてのバリは王道のバリ。」

20 souvenirs you should buy in Bali

1. "Pohon barang", wooden crafts

Budget: from 0.80 USD
A lot of pretty and unique wooden crafts of cat or frog motif and wooden masks of Barong, which is a mythological creature in Bali, are available for tourists to purchase. Especially the ones with cat motif are popular as they are called "pet angels."

Photo credit: Masaomi Takatsuka 「初めてのバリは王道のバリ。」

2. "Ata" crafts

Budget: small ones from 2.50 USD, bags from 1.60 USD
"Ata" is a plant found in Indonesia and hand-knitted crafts are made from dried Ata. There are different types of crafts such as bags and baskets. They are now so popular to be exhibited at department stores in Japan.
The carefully hand-knitted bags are very sophisticated, and they will be a perfect accessory for summer.

Photo credit: emo「Bali」

3. Beads crafts

Budget: from 0.80 USD
They are more affordable and popular among women. There are a variety of products such as bracelets, necklaces, pouches and more.

Photo credit: Chie via flickr cc

4. Batik and Ikat

Budget: small ones from 2.50 USD
Indonesia offers beautiful fabrics such as Ikat, a traditional weaving, or Batik, a wax-resist textile. A variety of products using these fabrics include handkerchiefs, scarfs, tablecloths, or pillow covers. A batik dress is also available.

Photo credit: Yukina「バリ島」

5. Silvers

Budget: from 40 USD
Celk is a village in Bali famous for silver and you can buy beautiful silver accessories there such as necklaces, earrings, and broaches. Don't worry if you have no time to visit Celk. You can find shops where Celk silvers are sold around Kuta and Ubud.

Photo credit: NATALIA PHOTOS via flickr cc

6. Jenggala Keramik

Budget: small ones from 5 USD
Jenggala Keramik is famous tableware originated from Bali. These lovely Asian ceramics are widely used in luxury resorts and restaurants within Bali.

Photo credit: Kei Izawa「たまには贅沢したっていいじゃない！なバリ」

7. Aroma oil

Budget: from 1.60 USD
When it comes to Bali, massages and beauty treatments might be the first ones to come to your mind. Various kinds of aroma oils used in salons and spas are available for tourists to buy. Even the inexpensive ones are moisture-rich and high quality as they are made from natural materials in Bali.

Photo credit: Kei Izawa「たまには贅沢したっていいじゃない！なバリ」

8. Natural soap

Budget: from 1.60 USD
There are a lot of shops such as KOU, Burat Wangi, and Alam zempol where soaps made from natural materials in bali are sold. They are good souvenirs for everyone as they look cute and are good for skins.

Photo credit: emo「Bali」

9. Bahan Makanan Bali

Budget: from 0.40 USD
Sambal (Chili sauce), Nasi goreng (fried rice), Mie goreng (fried noodles), seasoning…so many kinds of interesting foods are available at supermarket in Bali. If you like spicy food, pour Sambal on fried rice or rice bowls. That will make the dish Bali-ish.

Photo credit: emo「Bali」

10. Logo barang

Budget: from 0.80 USD
T-shirts, tanks, mugs, and other goods with logos of "I LOVE BALI" or "BINGTANG" are available everywhere. T-shirts are nice gifts for everyone as they can be worn at home.

Photo credit: emo「Bali」

11. Kopi Ruwak

Budget: from 16 USD
Balinese coffee has stronger taste than the one in Japan, and especially Kopi Ruwak is known as a quality product.
Kopi Ruwak is the precious coffee made from part-digested coffee cherries eaten by the Asian palm civet.

Photo credit: Sarah Ackerman via flickr cc

12. Kosmetik

Budget: from 1.60 USD
There are a variety of cosmetics and body care products such as "Cream Bath" that can be used for massages on a neck and shoulder and small packs of hair treatment oil, which are rarely found in Japan and are more affordable in Bali. They can make a good souvenir for women.

Photo credit: emo「Bali」

13. Garam Kusamba

Budget: from 4 USD
Garam Kusamba is salt, which is produced near Kusamba coast, Bali. They are made by hand and taste little bit sweet because of minerals they contain. They will make a simple dish tastier and if you put them in bath, they will make water moisture-rich.

Photo credit: Marc Emond via flickr cc

14. Jamu

Budget: from 1.60 USD
Jamu is traditional medicine in Indonesia, which are 100% made from natural herbs. Different effects such as body treatment, bust treatment, diet, or odor prevention are expected, and they are regularly used by Indonesian women.

Photo credit: avantsteve from Java (Flickr) CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

15. Garam

Budget: from 1.20 USD per package
Garam is an Indonesian cigarette brand. They taste sweet and have a distinct smell. They are good souvenirs for smokers. Or if you smoke them when you are back in Japan, they may remind you of memories of Bali.

Photo credit: Rodrigo Denúbila via flickr cc

16. Dupa

Budget: from 1.60 USD
Once you arrive at Dempasar airport in Bali, you can smell aroma, which makes you feel like relaxing at a resort already. There are different kinds of aroma for souvenirs. Some of them come with an incense burner. Especially the ones at supermarket are recommended as they tend to be more affordable.

Photo credit: Guillermo Viciano via flickr cc

17. Bir Bingtang

Budget: from 1.60 USD per can
Bir Bingtang is an Indonesian beer brand. Just like other East Asian beers, they are smooth and easy to drink. They are good souvenirs for beer lovers.

Photo credit: Yuki「インドネシア」

18. Arak

Budget: from 8 USD per bottle
Arak is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from coconuts. They are strong; some of them have alcohol percentage of over 60%. I can't tell you if they taste good or not because I'm not a drinker, but if any of your friends love alcohol then get Arak for them.

Photo credit: Philip Kendall via flickr cc

19. Krupuk

Budget: from 8 USD per pack
Krupuk is a shrimp cracker but it looks different from the one in Japan. They are popular side dish in Bali and you can buy them at supermarket. They are so addictive that those who once tasted Krupuk will say "Get Krupuk for me if you go to Bali."

Photo credit: Gunawan Kartapranata CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

20. Gamelan Ball

Budget: from 8 USD
Gamelan is a musical instrument played during religious ceremony in Bali. Gamelan Ball is a miniature of this musical instrument. They look pretty and produce the mystical sound, and they can work as an amulet.