Badung Market — Attraction in Denpasar Barat

This used to be my favorite market but it went downhill. Let me make a comparison of what it used to be vs now. To be clear, I'm referring to the newer building.

It used to be cleaner, now it sucks, sometimes the floor is sticky wet. The washbasins used to have proper running water and soap. It's essential because we touch fresh produces, meats etc and the vendors need to maintain their hygiene especially dealing with animal blood. Now, you can barely find a tap with running water near meat section behind, and there is no soaps. The front side sometimes has soap, sometimes not.

The parking is nightmare. It used to be much easier to find parking on the courtyard, but then they close it down for... event? Why? It would be fine if they are other proper parking spaces but writing about the parking make me furious that I knock down one more stars. In the morning the basement parking would be full of vendors, it's all very chaotic, they don't care and put their stuff everywhere. You have to navigate without proper sign and all of the sudden you are at the exit gate without the opportunity to turn around. The alternative is to go one floor lower, which is more likely empty, but there were more than one occasions when it was flooded with ankle-high water that was both smelly, dirty, sticky, with dark color. I literally had to wade through it to go up. It didn't help that I saw one vendor washing her vegetable there. The ramp is also not to standard, be careful for the challenge of going up for older automatic car without manual override.

It's not so much now, maybe because they have remembered my face, but the service solicitation was so bad, they actually followed me around, offering their service to carry your stuff, and they insisted, even though I obviously only carry one or two things. Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for the hard labor but it's not right when you are in a verge of harassing, some would pull my shirt or hand and didn't want to leave you alone even after you repeatedly say no.

I wish it would return to the earlier days. I went to the wet market often but now I do bulk buying so I don't need to come here frequently, or use go-send. I have gathered many regular vendor contacts so I could do my shopping without coming but I'd prefer to pick everything myself. If there is better wet market, trust me I will not shop here anymore before it improves.

Update March 2025: A new parking area, but the older one is still closed for event. The condition of the market and the basement is still horrendous.

Another issue: they let motorcycles through car parking exit gate sometimes, even though there is a motorcycle exit gate...

Very overpriced if you're a tourist, 500x more quoted than other traditional markets in Bali and even supermarkets. I was followed by a "friendly" lady trying to assist me all so that I'd go buy clothes from her shop. No matter how many times I told her to let me explore on my own, she wouldn't leave and kept trying to hurry me along. Might be a case by case thing but do watch out for this. I managed to slip downstairs when she turned away. Felt bad but didn't want to be followed either. There were so many flies on fruits and food. The place was also very dirty everywhere. I've been to every traditional markets in every country I visit so do understand the conditions they are usually in - have never complained as it is what it is. This place was bad. I had a better time by going outside to the sellers along the river and nearby streets. The fruits and food along there was in better condition than in Bandung Market itself. It's a good experience but was not worth the time for me on this particular trip. Might be due to country just opening again so I'll go again to see if it's different on...

The Biggest Traditional market on Bali! Badung Market, or ‘Pasar Badung’ in the local tongue, is considered the largest traditional market in Bali. It seemingly never sleeps, functioning as the main source of fresh produce among locals. Regular stalls open well before the break of dawn, with a daily flow of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers from suppliers in farming regions in the central highlands and elsewhere, and often stay open well after midnight, creating a night market scene. The market comprises an open and spacious ground level area adjoining its parking space, and a four-storey building (currently under repair following a recent fire) that houses dozens of shops selling mostly non-perishable goods, such as batiks and other fabrics, household items, kitchen utensils and farming tools. The former is more attractive and most visited, with its vibrant rows of stalls selling fresh tropical fruits, flowers, meats and poultry, and other groceries.

Beside of market theres public river called "Tukad Badung" also known as "Tukad Korea" because the river is same as...