Must-see shopping in Indonesia
Kuta & Legian
Makes batik and other fabrics to order in infinite colours. Great browsing.
Bukit Peninsula
Great little surf shop offering board sales and rental, plus gear.
Jakarta
Project X is a hip multibrand design store stocking a selection of independent streetwear brands from South Korea, Japan and around the globe. This…
West Timor
About 20 women are part of this group, who weave using natural dye and are happy to show visitors around, especially if you'd like to make a purchase.
Yogyakarta
Established by a Belgian expat in 2005 to introduce his handmade chocolates to local markets, this chocolaterie has since expanded into a factory with…
West Sumatra
Makmur Arts has an extensive collection of antiques, including Minangkabau brass salapah panjang (long boxes) used for storing lime and tobacco, silver…
Ubud
The large Ubud Market is your one-stop shop for kitschy souvenirs, clothing and presents for back home. It's inside a large complex; stallholders set up…
West Java
Sells a wide range of secondhand Western titles from a roadside shop stacked floor to ceiling with English, Dutch, French, German and Spanish titles (and…
Sumba
The owners of this art and souvenir shop appear from nowhere to open up as you arrive. There are wooden antiques, old stone grinders, bronze jewellery and…
Kuta & Legian
This large outlet of the French discount chain combines lots of small shops (books, computers, bikinis) with one huge hypermarket. It's the place to stock…
Labuan Bajo
Blink and you'll miss this sweet, second-hand bookshop, which shares a space with a day-trip boat operator. Dive into a blind date with a mystery book…
South Jakarta
Excellent selection of English-language magazines and books, both fiction and nonfiction.
Ubud
The trademark parrot of this T-shirt shop is a characterful bird and he (she?) appears in many guises on this shop's line of custom T-shirts. Designs…
Nusa Dua
Often empty except for the dozens of assistants in the glacially air-conditioned Sogo Department Store, this security-conscious mall gamely soldiers on…
Danau Toba
Roganda has a selection of wood carvings, including interesting Batak calendars, elaborate totem poles and fine musical instruments. Bargain hard. We’re…
West Timor
Has a terrific selection of local ikat, antique masks and statues, plus carved beams, reliefs and doors from old Timorese homes. Bargaining is acceptable…
West Kalimantan
Opened in 2015 this central mall is one of the largest in West Kalimantan. Along with boutique shops and food outlets, there's a Hypermart and cinema. The…
Denpasar
Handicrafts, a plethora of vibrant fabrics and costumes decorated with gold are just some of the goods at this huge market across the river from Pasar…
Pulau Ambon
Plaza Ambon is the city's cross between a proper shopping mall and an old-school market. In addition to byzantine market stalls, it has the requisite fast…
Papua
Local handicrafts from the Mee tribe are available at this tidy little shop in central Nabire. Prized items include bags woven from orchid bark, and…
Bandung
A modern indoor-outdoor sweep of a shopping mall, with a food court on the leafy ground floor and a blend of small businesses and international chains on…
Kuta & Legian
Swallowing up a significant section of the shoreline, this huge, hulking and popular enclosed Tuban mall is built on the water and filled with shops of…
West Sumatra
This outdoor adventure store is handy if you're climbing Gunung Kerinci or going on a multiday trek into the jungle. It has a good selection of camping…
Kuta & Legian
Although most other outlets have left, Jl Arjuna still has a few batik wholesalers hanging on amid the construction boom in chain hotels. This one is a…
Ubud
Stocking everything from textiles to beaded boxes to kris (traditional Balinese daggers), this French-owned store has been designed to please those with…
Pulau Ambon
Ambon City Center is actually in Passo, some way out of town. It's the biggest mall in Maluku, and the place to reconnect with your favourite brands or…
Mataram
Collection of quirky stalls, some of which sell good-quality ikat (traditional cloth), as well as an interesting food market. Think of it as a modern…
Kalimantan
This daily market contains several souvenir shops offering batik sarongs and Dayak carvings. Food stalls serve amplang (crunchy fishy puffs) and standard…
Karimunjawa Islands
One of surprisingly few tourist shops in town, this small outlet sells official Karimunjawa National Park merchandise, including T-shirts (190,000Rp to…
South Jakarta
This locally well-regarded design store has its own line of clothing made with classic Javanese batik, including a large collection of colourful…
Rio Helmi's Photo Gallery & Cafe
Ubud
Noted photographer and Ubud resident Rio Helmi has a small commercial gallery and cafe where you can admire or purchase his journalistic and artistic work.
Jakarta
A hectic old-school mall with spotty air-con but enough textiles to blanket the city. Plunge into the narrow aisles between the polychromatic stalls.
Pontianak
West Kalimantan's biggest shopping mall features a Hypermart, food court, Starbucks and a six-screen cinema.
East Bali
This textile factory is located at the western end of town on the main Ubud road. It has a large showroom where you can buy material by the metre.
Denpasar
This hive of consumerism has the Ramayana Department Store, Bali's largest. It also houses a big supermarket, food court and many clothing shops.
