subject: Traditional Open Air Markets of Bali [print this page] Most people in Bali do their daily food shopping in traditional open-air markets. Words cannot do justice to the profusion of sights, sounds and smells found in such markets - they have to be experienced to be appreciated. Evoking a bygone era in the West where small local markets have given way to corporate supermarket chains, Bali's open air markets remain a thriving institution to this day. Best visited early in the morning for the freshest produce, Bali's open air markets are a cornucopia of exotic fruits, vegetables and spices as well as all kinds of fresh meat and fish.
Expect to see stalls stacked high with colourful fruits and vegetables like jackfruit, mangosteen, fresh mangoes, snake fruit, passion fruit, tamarind, chiku, oranges, rambutan and eggplant. Additionally, look out for chilli peppers, betel nuts, cured tobacco leaves, live chickens, fresh meat and locally caught fish. Keen shoppers will want to keep an eye out for vendors selling Bali's notorious durian fruit, whose sweet flesh is masked by an overpowering odour that many find offensive.
Open air markets can typically be found near every major town in Bali, with many of the most tourist friendly markets found in the island's south. The Badung Market is the largest in Bali, acting as a clearing house for good manufactured all over Bali. A hive of activity, the Badung Market is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Another large market of note is the Bali Seafood Market in Jimbaran Bay, also in south Bali. A must for seafood lovers, the Bali fish market is brimming with freshly caught fish which can be sampled at many of the nearby open air restaurants. Whatever your individual preference, a trip to the traditional marketplace provides a fascinating insight into the culture and ordinary lives of the people of Bali.
