Laos Shopping

Where & What to Buy in Laos

Laos shopping areas are devoid of megamalls and sky high stacks of counterfeit goods you might find elsewhere around the region. Her fragile economy has been boosted through the interest of international weavers and textile enthusiasts such as the American, Carole Cassidy who established Lao Textiles back in 1990. Vientiane is the best place to pick up these elaborate handicrafts, followed a close second by Luang Prabang.

The majority of goods are bought and sold at morning markets, where the hill-tribe people emerge with their pain-staking produce of silver, gold, carvings and silk. Buying from these markets is cheaper but not always as good a quality as the studio-shops, where you pay for quality rather then quantity. The less developed provinces such as Bokeo, Champasak, Savannakhet and Xieng Khouang, have fewer shops but decent markets where fresh produce and intricate handicrafts can be bought Laos-style.

Shopping in Vientiane

Laos is an excellent destination for those interested in picking up elaborate handicrafts and Vientiane is the best place to do so. Hill- tribe silk, arts, crafts, home-furnishings, jewelry and couture-quality textiles are all readily available within the city. There are quite a few markets around Vientiane where fresh produce, as well as crafts and ornaments, can be picked up. The city's main shopping streets are Samsenthai and Setthathirat, around the Nam Phu Fountain area and the Morning Market, where you can find the best deals on local silks.

Shopping in Luang Prabang

Much like Vientiane, Luang Prabang trades in handicrafts, art, textiles and jewelry. Be sure to explore the night market Thalat Sonpao or Thalat Dala, where the Northern ethnic hill-tribe people sell handicrafts and creative textiles such as hand-sewn bedding, bags and many other distinctive souvenirs. The numerous gift shops around the town are good for picking up couture-style textiles and quaint house hold objects.

Shopping in Champasak

As with every city in Laos, there is a Morning Market selling fresh meats, vegetable, and food ingredients. While souvenirs like weaving silk, silverwares, jewellery, antiques and hill-tribe products can be found from stalls located surrounding most of Champasak's attractions. When in Champasak, don't forget to try (or even buy) Laos' famous Arabica Coffee grown on the Bolovens Plateau (on the east of Paksea - the best place to grow coffee in Southeast Asia.)

Shopping in Savannakhet

Savannakhets, stands Laos' only Special Economic Zone (SEZ) or the Savan-Seno. At the border where Savannakhet bridges with Mukdahan (Thailand) is a large active junction where ethnic minority people from the two countries trade. Along the main roads in the city, there are many small shops offering a wide variety of products. Highlights are craft, art, antiques, fabrics, silverwares, hill-tribe products, and Laotian coffee. Savannakhet also has several fresh markets where the local lifestyle and trading can be observed.

What to Buy in Laos

Laos is an excellent destination for anyone interested in picking up elaborate handicrafts. Hill tribe silk, arts, crafts, home-furnishings, jewelry and couture-quality textiles dominate the market. Although many of these products are available in Thailand, some of the things listed above are unique to Laos and its hill-tribes. In buying traditional crafts such as silks and carvings, tourists are invariably helping to support an infantile and fragile economy.