Markets make me happy…

There is something about markets and me…they go together! Just the thought of visiting a market makes me glow with expectation. I actually don’t even have a compulsion to buy anything at the markets, although I invariably do, but I …

Shopping at the Ubud market…

Ubud is definitely a shoppers paradise. One of the fun spots to shop in Ubud is its huge market. The market is located very centrally in Jalan Raya (Ubud’s main road).

The market is open from 6am till 6pm every day of the week. From 6am till around 9am the fresh fruit/food stall holders are set up. Here you can purchase a vast array of produce. We bought yummy bananas, mangosteens and snake fruit. It is a great time to just wander and watch people purchasing their shrine offerings and daily goods.

After 9am the regular stall holders set up. These stalls sell a vast array of goods from fake sunglasses, t-shirts, beads, Balinese souvenirs right through to cute little pottery teapots.

However the markets are not for the faint hearted! Bartering is the order of the day here and stall holders expect that you will negotiate with them. My tips are:

• Have fun…remember you are on holidays.
• Only barter on goods you intend to buy. If you intend to buy decide on your price and stick to it. Sometimes when you walk away unsuccessfully the stall holder will come down to your price (if your price is fair!)
• If you are not interested a friendly “Just looking” and a smile is your best bet.

My boys loved to barter. They went to the market each day to get presents for their friends and compared notes on who got the cheapest price. They were happy and so were the stall holders.

Say hello to Bello…

We have just spent a divine weekend in Bellingen, NSW, Australia. Each year we visit Bellingen quite a few times because we love it so much.

So what do we love about Bello?

• It is a small character filled town lined with old shops in heritage buildings.
• It has monthly markets which are phenomenal.
• It has an interesting alternative community which really appeals to our family.
• It has a wonderful backpackers lodge to stay at.

One of the highlights of visiting Bellingen is its huge community markets. The markets are held on the 3rd Saturday of the month and are extremely popular. You can find the markets at the showground in Church Street. The markets feature 100’s of stalls, live music, children’s rides and camel rides. The wonderful stalls are chocked full of antiques, organic plants, fruits and vegetables, crafts, clothing and anything else you can imagine. One of our favourite stops at the markets is the tasty Indian food van…mmm…yummy samosas with dhal for $5… a real bargain. The Sikh owner’s sense of humour is fun and original. When I ordered he said he would only give me my order if Rahul danced. Rahul obliged with a little Indian wiggle. He then wanted Rahul to stay all day as he said it would be good for business. When we ordered our naan he exclaimed “What! I’ll have naan left.” A real character!

Stay tuned for more posts on this wonderful town.