Sunday markets are something that Sanur does really well. Although I'm sure there are many more held, I just wanted to mention my favourite three. Mainly for me as they are easy to attend with my toddler.
Byrdhouse At the north/top end of Sanur you'll find Byrdhouse at Jalan Segara Ayu. Firstly, I find the venue spot on for children as they have a large green area which is perfect for them to run around in. Here they also have a little playground area with swings and a small adventure castle. There's also an area with plastic toys for smaller children. And another nice feature is that they have flightless birds wandering around the grounds which are always a point of interest for my toddler.
Byrdhouse Food Festival & Market
About the market itself; it runs the first Sunday of the month from 12 noon until 10pm. On the beach side of the Byrdhouse you'll find a ticket table. Here you pay for the meals you would like to try – I always feel they are value for money. The range is from traditional food, sandwiches and live Asian food cooking demonstrations to drinks, doughnut satay and sweet items. You are then given a card with your meal written on and need to find the correct preparation station to hand it in to. You're then given a second card to return once the food is ready. It may seem a little long winded but it works. Further along the food area is the market part. This is normally small but worth a quick look around as there's a good mixture of fashion, handicrafts and jewelry.
Apart from the good food, park and grass area there are two other reasons I love this market. The first is once you have purchased your food you are able to get a swim, play and dine wristband. This gives you access to use the pool and I have to say the pool is great at Byrdhouse. Around the main swimming area there's a shallow bit. It's the perfect depth for toddlers to play in while adults enjoy the meals. It is also naturally shaded for most of the day. Normally pool access to this venue would be a lot more expensive but during the Sunday market it's included in the price of the meal.
Byrdhouse Food Festival & Market and fun with Cheeky Monkeys for the Children
The other reason this is a fantastic market for families is that around 3pm staff from the nearby pre-school Cheeky Monkey's hold an activity afternoon for the children until around 5pm. Each month there's a different theme – from Star Wars day and UFO World Day to Alice in Wonderland and Jungle play. It includes free face painting and normally a craft activity and then a paid one if you also fancy. The team are amazing. Sadly, we have to leave soon after that but I understand that the event continues with lots of live music. They even advertise tarot readings, if that's your thing.
ABC – Artotel Beach ClubNot as far north as the Byrdhouse is the Artotel Beach Club (ABC) on Jalan Danau Tamblingan 35. Around every second Sunday they hold an afternoon jumble sale come Sunday market. I love the location, layout and facilities of the ABC, which means I love any excuse to visit it. I've mentioned a little about ABC in this feature - [LINK=https://www.weekendnotes.com/bubblegum-bali-book-club/] When they hold the market there are plenty of other families, a bouncy castle and live music.
Bouncy Castle Fun for the Children
It runs between 3pm and 10pm, so even if it clashes with one of the other markets you can still visit it later in the day. They also feature live music during the event and the bazaar is a mixture of preloved items and new. This is a lovely feature as you can have your own stall; it's not just small businesses, you can use it as your own car boot sale. And I always manage to pick up a bargain.
Fun at the ABC
There are also some food carts and they usually run art activities. Although it's a smaller market, there's just something about this venue that makes it a chic place to hang out. You'll also find lots of shade.
Mercure Hotel Resort
At the complete other end of Sanur, in the south, you'll find the Mercure Sunday Market the last Sunday of the month. This for me is the biggest market and it has plenty of stalls lined along the beach path and also around the garden area of Mercure. It normally runs between 10am until 6pm. They have a section with live music that's also where you'll find a fantastic variety of food stalls. They have everything from Thai, Lebanese, vegan ice cream and local food. They also have demonstrations from time to time for you to watch – like dancing, capoeira and even some tradition Indian music. On occasion, it's been known for the market to do really worthwhile community events like a beach clean. You'll also find there's normally a charity stall that you can show your support to.
A long line of stalls at Mercure
The other reason I like this market is that it's near Genius Café. Every Sunday morning they hold a children's activity morning from 9 – 12. This includes face painting, story time, some games and lots of art and craft opportunities. This means you can enjoy a relaxed beachside breakfast with your family, then take a slow wander through the market. Normally there's a bouncy castle in the Mercure garden area which is another plus. I also find that at this market you have the greatest variety of stalls. Some are mini businesses and others are second hand. There are plenty of clothes to buy but also things for around the house or quirky present ideas.
Take a seat and enjoy the food and music
And if you're worried about having to choose one over the other, these markets actually don't need to compete against each other. One is the first Sunday of the month the other the last Sunday and the third option is normally every second week (in the afternoon). They all have their highlights and I never tire of visiting them.
If you've been to any of these markets I'd love to know what you think; which one is your favourite and why.
