Shopping and Dining in Ubud: Bali’s Paradise!

The fun part of any tour remains incomplete without tasting the local food and getting home the souvenirs! Don’t you agree?

Located in tropical Bali, Ubud; is one of the most fascinating travel destinations of recent times. As the cultural hub of the island, it grants many culinary and shopping treats to the tourists.

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Let us explore the myriad array of dinning and bargain hunt.

In reality, the fine dining at Ubud is designed to satisfy varied taste buds. Who will not go gaga over a delectable taste and tempting aroma?  And things will turn more exciting if one gets the chance to explore through the bargain-basements of the shopping hubs.

Café Wayan and Bakery, situated at a distance of 3Kms from Monkey Forest, serves the most comprehensive set of choices of Balinese specialties. If you can make it on a weekend, do not miss the luxurious traditional Balinese buffet served on Sunday evenings.

Similarly, Dirty Duck Restaurant locally known as Bebek Bengil is another name.  Placed in the heart of Ubud, this eatery is popular for specific innovative à la carte recipes including snails, fish and chips, finger foods and obviously the famous crispy duck steamed with a combination of Balinese spices and then quickly deep-fried at a high heat for a very crunchy result and amazingly delicious taste.

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IbuRai Bar & Restaurant is another must visit eating place.  Since 1960, this outlet is widely known for selling delicious, reasonably priced and healthy food.

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Are you a shopaholic? If the answer is yes, then Ubud is the place for you. Here the shopping experience is no less than being on the seventh earth. The choices are endless starting from jewelries to furniture. You name it, in all probability you’ll get it.

 There are few best handicraft centers which highlights both traditional as well as chronological side of Bali. Names like Sukwati and Ubud are the two most talked markets related to craft and cloth shopping. Choose the best of Indonesian dresses, shirts, scarf, cushions, scarf, bags and batiks from Sukwati market. On the contrary rattan stuff - bags, baskets, placemats and tissue box holders made of coconut husk, sarongs, pareos, masks, bags, salt and pepper shakers are the best picks at Ubud market. Celuk village is the stop for bagging a few metal artifacts. Here the shopper is blessed with copious choices for gold and silver ornaments. Ubud is also packed with malls and flea markets. The area appears like a paradise for fashionistas where one can get hold of replicas of famous designer wears. Jalan Raya tops the list because of its moving collection. If wood crafts is what you are looking for then it certainly ends in Mas village. Batubulan presents you with its stone carved pieces, ideal as keepsakes. Nusa Dua on the outskirts of Ubud is another hub for handicrafts.

N.B. - Credit cards are accepted everywhere except family owned souvenir and gifts shops.

Jaipur-a trove for shoppers

Jaipur is a city of royals. People who love ancient heritage and royal stories visit this charming city to explore it in a better way. Every monument, every street hither make you go back to the time where famous Kings use to rule the city. Its rich culture, traditions, and art have not only impressed the visitors from India but travel freaks from round the globe. People who come here take back their memories and good time spent in Jaipur by shopping local artifacts, clothes and precious jewelry. With so much to see and do, the city stays crowded throughout the year with travelers who take cheap flights to Jaipur to descend hither. If you really want to buy unique Rajasthani things, then shopping at malls is a big NO. The local glittery markets in Jaipur give variety of choices for shopaholics to satisfy their habituation of shopping. Main markets of the city are- Indira bazaar, Bapu bazaar, Johari bazaar, Choti Chopad, Badi Chopar, Tripolia Bazaar, Kishanpole Bazaar, Chaura Rasta and many more. Shopping in Jaipur lets you buy ethnic royal sarees and bandhani dupattas, which you cannot find anywhere else in the world.

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Jewelry and Gems

Jaipur is popular for its dainty style jewelry. If you love being in fashion and are looking for jewelry which never goes out of trend then this city can serve to your need in the most stylish way. Ornaments with precious gems when are assembled with Rajasthani design gives an antique design which stays in style. Different types of jewelry for which you can bid your money in Jaipur are- Thewa Jewelry, Meenakari Jewelry, and Kundan Jewelry. To explore the jewelry souks, you can undergo the streets of Johari Bazaar, Tripolia Bazar, M.I Road, Maniharon ka Rasta, and Haldion Ka Rasta.

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Fabric and Carpets

When one speaks about artistically threaded carpets and fabrics, the only Indian city that strikes the mind of global tourists is Jaipur. With its best traditional designs and colorful fabrics, this ancient metropolis offers numerous choices of carpets to buy from. Choose from wide variety of Persian print rugs or Namdas carpets, Jajam or dhurries, and enhance the beauty of your house to a large extent.  These carpets are available in various materials, sizes and styles, thus shop one as per your room interior and size. With numerous carpet centers, Kishanpol bazaar, M.I. Road, Bapu Bazaar and Nehru Bazaar can make you spend some extra money from your wallet.

Handicrafts

Jaipur is a hub of beautifully made handicrafts. Creations like metal-works, blue pottery, woodworks, stone carvings etc. leave the visitors of the city mesmerized by its beauty and designs. A pure display of Indian art can be seen on these artifacts which are unique, stylish and imperial.

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Camel Leather Items

Jaipur’s famous camel leather items can serve as a classy gift idea. Its enduringness and sturdiness is the main reason why locals and visitors don’t miss out their chance of buying products made out of using camel leather. Since the time when Kings and Queens use to rule the land of Rajasthan, this fashion of wearing camel leather items is common. Shoes, toys, wallets and bags, anything you want is available in the markets hither. So on your visit to this city beautiful don’t miss out your chance to shop from ‘Bapu Bazar’ which is renowned for leather artifacts.

Dubai Shopping Festival 2014

Dubai Shopping Festival 2014

The extravagant and the much awaited Dubai Shopping Festival will outset from mid of January to mid of February 2014 with huge discounts, numerous glittery events and offers. Million of shopaholics from all around the globe, bargain hunters and holiday lovers are expected to descend hither to witness the splendor of the festivity.  Myriad programs are organized for visitors to make sure that no guest returns without special treatment from the festival. Many celebrities and esteemed people from all over the world are invited, to give extra flavor of glamour to the DSF this year.

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17 years of the Dubai Shopping Festival 

Started in the year 1996, the festival has come to a long way. From being just a shopping festival to becoming a grand extravaganza, is a huge difference in 17 years. The festivity offers lots of shopping choices to its travelers and entertainment options. It also helps in the development of tourism in Dubai by inviting tourists from every corner of the world. Every year the number of visitors visiting the fest is increasing, and is making it bigger. Not only shopping and entertainment, but the DSF also lets the visitors to feel the luxury and culture of the country.

Discounted Shopping and Bargains

Local brands to international marks, ask for anything and you will get it here at DSF. What more can one demand for, when you get to purchase goods on discounted rates and that too tax free. Many daily lucky draws take place here, where you can win gifts worth millions of Dirhams. Numerous souks such as- Spice Souk, Gold Souk, Perfume Souk, or Fish Souk are settled at DSF to astonish visitors with their striking offers.

Events and Entertainment during DSF

Apart from shopping merriment you can also enjoy lots of events- including music shows, celebrities’ performances, fireworks display, and film festivals at DSF. Many international designers choose to showcase their designs during Fashion week here. You can also involve yourself in vivid sports such as Football, tennis and many more.

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Other Major highlights of Dubai

Dubai is full of highlights to explore. For travelers who are planning to visit DSF 2014, the city provides many other options of must visit sights to keep them occupied and entertained.

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Let’s start to explore the city from:

Burj Khalifa- The tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa dominates the skyline of Dubai. Here you can observe the beautiful view of the city from the second-highest outdoor observation deck in the world, at 452 meters. Other important foregrounds of the building are - The Dubai Fountain, Burj Khalifa Park, casinos, restaurants and more.

Burj al-Arab hotel- This luxurious hotel stands on the artificially made island near Jumeirah beach. It is the fourth tallest hotel and the only 7-star hotel in the world (though the rating is disputed).

Beaches- With legion number of beaches, Dubai is a perfect beach destination for beach lovers. Some famous beaches which you must visit while holidaying at Dubai are - Jumeirah Beach Park, Russian Beach and Kite Beach.

Dubai Museum- Built in the year 1787, it is the oldest existing museum in Dubai. The main aim behind opening this museum was to present the traditional way of life in the Emirate of Dubai.