This year there are only five places to go Christmas shopping in Bali. Number Two: Word of Mouth, on Jalan Kunti near Bali Deli. The place is a showroom-playroom with a cafe and bar. Talk about one stop shopping. If you have to find gifts for everyone on a long list, the last thing you want to do in Bali is go hauling around in traffic, parking and unparking, and fuming with frustration. With that in mind, I’m focusing on places where you can get fed, watered, and find gobs of great gifts without wasting your playtime. Word of Mouth meets all of the above requirements, and then some.
Here’s how it’s done (above). You seat yourself at one of the tutti-fruity dulang tables, order a drink, and lunch (I recommend the flatbread with goat cheese, pine nuts and caramelized onion). Peruse the wares without even getting up from the table (toys, accessories, lighting, pop-up books, velveteen busts of Chairman Mao, ceramics, CDs). You’ll see slinky bikinis packaged like sushi, and sports-inspired dresses that are easy to wear and made for movement. There’s metro-tropical menswear, too, that’s as wearable as it is unusual.
And bijoux that won’t break the bank, created by a handful of local and regional designers.
Word of Mouth is probably best known for its own extraordinary collection of furniture (below). This stuff is for serious gifting. Some good things come in enormous packages, after all. And if your Christmas tree is a coconut palm on the lawn, there’s plenty of room for big boxes.
One of WoM’s most famous (and comfy) designs is an oversized basket of upholstered eggs. It typifies the wit and whimsy that are WoM’s watchwords. Whatever you choose here for a gift, you can be sure it won’t leave the recipient with a blank stare, and a “gee, that’s just what I always wanted.”
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