Luang Prabang Shopping
Luang Prabang is a shopping paradise for handicrafts, ethnic souvenirs and traditional snacks are everywhere. Famous shopping places include Dara Market, Phousi Market and Night Markets. Some of unique souvenirs include traditional Lao national costumes, hand-made lanterns with twine, eco-friendly notebooks and lampshades, and beautiful paintings by various folk artists. Prices at the night market are cheaper than at the Dara market. However, if you are going to Vientiane, the capital city, it is better to buy in Vientiane. Vientiane's tourist souvenir market is said to be the wholesale distribution center of the country.
What to Buy
Lao Dao Brand Coffee
During the colonial period, the French brought coffee to Laos as well. The volcanic geology and climate create a strong aroma of Laotian coffee, and the cultivation process does not use pesticides and fertilizers, which has been sought after by European and American countries. Dao coffee is the most famous coffee brand in Laos, with instant coffee, coffee powder, coffee beans, etc.
Handmade Paper Products
Eco-friendly paper pulp is obtained by processing elephant dung, and beautiful paper products are made by neatly placing flower petals, leaves and other materials in the pulp and then drying the pulp. These papers are then made into beautiful lampshades and notebooks, which are very distinctive.
Nutritious Wine
Laotians, like most Asian people, especially men, are fond of drinking health drinks. Wild snakes, scorpions and other ingredients with medicinal value are steeped in locally produced wine, which is especially suitable to bring back home for elders.
Ethnic Fabric
Laos is a multi-ethnic country and there are many Hmong people living in Luang Prabang. The Hmong people are good at weaving, and they make various kinds of cloths with various patterns, which are very unique.
Handmade Wood Carving Products
Wood carving is a traditional art with high collection value, and it is also suitable as a souvenir to bring back home. Handmade wood carvings can be made into a variety of shapes, can be placed on the table, can also be hung on the wall, are the choice of good products as materials, exquisite carving, the finished product is realistic.
Various Artworks
The various artworks in Laos may make you linger. There are many kinds including hand painting, rattan and bamboo baskets, small dolls, bamboo umbrellas, etc., and probably the most common is the paper lampshade, where flower petals or leaves are dried to make a lampshade and painted with Laotian patterns. It may cost less than a few dollars to bring home these handmade artworks with Southeast Asian characteristics.
Natural Spices
The geographical location of Laos determines its wide variety of tropical botanicals and spices, including benzoin, sumac, cinnamon, purple gum, incense, sand, etc., which are fragrant, have a variety of efficacy and effects, and are inexpensive.
Essential Oils
Essential oils can be found in many local handicraft stores or night markets in Laos, and are especially popular among women for their soft texture, fragrant aroma, and excellent moisturizing effect on the skin. Massage oils, essential oil soaps, hair care oils, etc., there is always something you need.
Gold and Silver Jewelry
Laos is also famous for its gold and silver jewelry, with a wide variety of necklaces, ethnic bracelets and earrings that will definitely make you dazzled, all processed with locally produced raw materials and unique.
Where to Buy
Luang Prabang, like other tourist cities in Laos, has few places to shop and does not have any one-stop high-end shopping malls that can provide shopping, leisure, entertainment and dining for tourists. However, like other parts of Laos, there are morning and evening markets where you can buy fresh food, cooked food, snacks, daily necessities and so on. The night market is even more colorful, occupying a street full of Sisavangvong Road, selling handicrafts, ethnic costumes, special tourist souvenirs, local products and so on. If you want to purchase some special tourist souvenirs, you can also go to the Dara Market, which has a very local character. Some Laotian souvenirs are definitely a must-have for tourists, and for bulk purchases you can head to Wan Jia Long Shopping Mall, the only large supermarket in Luang Prabang.
Phousi Market
Phousi Market is the largest fresh market in Luang Prabang, where the locals go to buy things. You can also find a lot of pure local goods or souvenirs, and it is interesting to buy all kinds of fresh tropical fruits there to enjoy the taste.
Operation Hours: 05:00-18:00
Address: Phothisarath Road, Luang Prabang 0600, Laos
Dara Market
A large indoor market, equivalent to a wholesale market, with stalls set up by small tents, selling a wide variety of goods, silverware, clothing, textiles and handicrafts, basically at marked prices, but you can also try to bargain. It is quiet and lazy in the daytime, but it becomes lively at night.
Wan Jia Long Shopping Mall
A larger supermarket in the Luang Prabang area is run by the Chinese, so they sell many Chinese goods. There is a wide variety of goods on the shelves. The famous Lao Dao brand coffee is often swept away, and the sweet corner candies made from plant sweet horns and various flavors of Dao brand dried fruit are not to be missed.
Operation hours: 8:00-22:00
Address: Across from Luang Prabang Stadium, Near Chinese market.
Night Markets
The night markets are the biggest tourist attractions in Luang Prabang. Hundreds of stallholders there have been selling silk scarves, T-shirts, clothes, shoes, Hmong patchwork cloth carpets, paper products, silverware, bags, pottery, paper lanterns, bamboo lamps and more.
Hmong Night Market
A few hundred meters away from the Mekong River, there are seven or eight streets horizontally and vertically. During the day, it is a quiet street, and after night, stall owners have set up their tents, mainly selling paper lanterns, wooden products, fabrics, gold and silver jewelry and paintings, etc. The prices are basically between US$1 and US$20. The snacks at the night market are also worth tasting, with Lao sticky rice, Lao spring rolls and vegetarian buffet, etc.
Operation Hours: Starting from 17:00 PM
Address：Thanon Sisavangvong, Luang Prabang, Laos
Ock Pop Tok (Handcraft Shop)
Many branches have been opened in Laos, specializing in a variety of woven goods, including scarves, clothes, small bags, trinkets and so on, with top quality materials and exquisite finished products, making them the perfect gifts for people. Ock Pop Tok shows the local folk crafts of Laos to friends from all over the world.
Operation Hours: 8:30-21:00
Address: Ban Vat Nong, Luang Prabang, Laos
