Are you looking for Indonesia souvenirs? There are lots of fun and unique products to buy or bring home as gifts to friends and family.
Souvenirs are one of the best ways to tell your friends and family that you are thinking about them while traveling. And it’s also something that’s fun to buy to yourself as a memory from your trip.
So, do you want to know what to buy in Indonesia for your loved ones? Then continue reading below, because here’s a list of the top 10 things to buy in Indonesia!
Table of Contents
Chocolate
If you visit Yogyakarta, make sure to buy some local Monggo chocolate. The chocolate is delicious and is a perfect souvenir for yourself or a loved one back home.
This is one of the Indonesia souvenirs that cannot go wrong. It’s delicious, cheap, and easy to bring back home!
Batik
Batik textiles is a great souvenir to buy. Batik is a wax-resistant dyeing technique that has been practiced in Indonesia for many many years.
Each region of Indonesia has its own patterns and colors. Many prints include animals, flowers, people or folklore.
Many batik textiles that are sold today are manufactured in factories – these are called batik cap or batik print. If you’re looking for the real hand-made textiles, you should go looking for batik tulis, which means written batik in Indonesian.
Photo: Shutterstock
Gamelan instruments
Gamelan is traditional and cultural Indonesian music that’s played during special occasions and ceremonies.
The locals use different kinds of instruments when playing this type of music, and that includes; bamboo flutes, rebab, xylophones, metallophones, and drums.
If you have a friend back home who’s interested in music, then this is a perfect souvenir to buy. Some of them are bigger, so if luggage space is a problem, just buy a bamboo flute!
Celuk jewelry – One of my favorite Indonesia souvenirs!
Are you traveling to Bali? Then you must visit the Celuk Village for some silver jewelry shopping. In Celuk Village you’ll find talented silversmiths who have been creating beautiful jewelry for generations.
You can shop everything from a simple silver ring to beautiful earrings, bracelets, pendants, and necklaces.
It’s definitely one of the best Indonesia souvenirs if you’re traveling to Bali!
Photo: shutterstock
Incense
If you’re going to miss the smell of the incense in Indonesia, then I would suggest you to buy a pack of incense to bring back home.
The most common form of incense in Indonesia is sticks. You can buy incense almost everywhere, as well as holders for the incense.
Congklak (dakon board game)
When traveling around in Indonesia you might see some locals playing this game. Mostly females, since it’s considered to be a ”girl’s game”. However, it’s still played by some men and boys.
This board game is usually made of wood and has 5-9 holes on each side (depending on the region). These games can look very simple, but also very decorative with beautiful details, colors, and shapes.
These games can vary in price, depending on how they’re made and how they look. But it’s possible to get one of these for around 20 USD.
Photo: shutterstock
Batik Paintings
If you’re not into the batik textiles, you might want to have a look at the batik paintings. These beautiful paintings take skill to make since it’s such a hard technique to learn.
You can buy batik paintings in most markets and in several shops throughout the country.
The patterns of the paintings can vary depending on where you buy them. The paintings often feature designs such as flowers, traditional life, villages, landscapes, etc.
Pottery
Pottery has been made in Indonesia for a very long time. Mostly stoneware and earthenware are made in Indonesia, but also porcelain after the Chinese introduced it.
There are many pottery centers that you can visit during your stay in Indonesia. The most famous ones are located in Kasongan, Plered, Pundong, Sitiwinangun, Lombok, Singkawang, Klampok, and Melikan.
You can buy everything from vases and pots to bowls and decorative pieces. The price varies depending on the design and where you buy it.
Photo: shutterstock
Stone & wood carvings
All over Indonesia, you can buy local stone- and wood carvings. The locals are super talented, I mean, just look at the beautiful temples.
Today you can buy both statues, masks, furniture, and much more. The prices vary depending on the material and the quality of their work.
You’ll find shops selling these kinds of souvenirs all over the country. In some shops, you can even see the locals in action!
Caping Gunung – Traditional Hat
In many villages around in Java, you’ll be able to buy this traditional hat known as Caping Gunung. It’s made from bamboo and is usually used by farmers and people in the village.
It’s a fun souvenir to buy, that’s also useful to wear in the hot and sunny climate of Indonesia.
Photo: shutterstock
Kopi Luwak Coffee – Do not buy this product!
Kopi Luwak Coffee is one of the things that most people recommend in their articles about the best Indonesia souvenirs. However, this is one of the products that I do not recommend you to buy.
When buying this expensive coffee, you’re at the same time supporting animal cruelty.
If you have heard about Kopi Luwak Coffee, you know that it’s made from the droppings of small civets (mongoose-looking animals) who eat the coffee beans. Most people think that these animals are wild and that the Kopi Luwak coffee-makers are picking up the droppings in nature – but that’s not the case.
These poor animals are held in cramped cages where it’s filthy, and they have nowhere to move or climb. It’s pure animal cruelty, so I hope that you’ll choose not to support this business when traveling to Indonesia. These beautiful animals do not deserve to be treated this way.
Do you have any further questions about Indonesia souvenirs? Leave a comment below!
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