Night Markets

Hi, we will be in LP for 4 days in early December.

I have a black belt in shopping, and I was wondering what is available in the night markets. I did a search and most people talk about textiles, please relate your LP shopping experiences.

thanks

Ann

Night Markets

theres some small silver jewelry places down past the Joma bakery that had hand made stuff, night market is mostly lao handicrafts and textiles, but fun

Night Markets

A lot of the products at the night market are obviously mass-produced, probably in China and Thailand rather than Laos. There are lots of embroidered and appliqued textiles which are worth looking at. There are beautiful silk wall hangings for sale in many small shops in and around the main street - these are much more expensive (US$200 plus) but absolutely lovely. Most shops don%26#39;t take credit cards, so you will need cash. Another outlet for local good quality products is Mulberry, and they do take credit cards. Also, get a copy of the Stay Another Day brochure, which lists shops selling locally made goods, plus worthwhile charitable organisations.

We bought at night market some hand-made things such as paper lanterns, cotton pillow cases, postcards, notebooks, necklace...I wish I could bring more home:D

Happy shopping!

One thing I%26#39;ve noticed (and as you%26#39;d expect) at the night market is how much the asking prices increase (more than double in most cases) during the main tourist season of Nov - March, so bear this in mind if you%26#39;re going December!

hi rojaan!

Amazing textiles - just take a look at the underside to see if they%26#39;re handwoven. The French women were really concerned with whether or not it was silk - I was more concerned with the stitching! Someone at the night market was selling the same machine made scarves I bought on the street in Barcelona for 3 euros (back when they were even)! Other than that, a lot of tshirts and some paper light shades, umbrellas, etc. There was 1 vendor with lots of silver looking jewelry and figurines.

Bought much better stuff in stores. Lots of silver looking jewelry and, the ubiquituous ornamate silver pumpkins, apples, animals. Much better quality in the stores. The main drag of Luang Prabang is one great store/gallery after another but there are also high end stores facing the rivers. One thing I didnt buy that I am regretting was the bedding. There was a place that sold silk sheet sets that were ridiculously cheap (right on the main street - Sisavangvong?) - and those silk bed sacks that I already have for travel, but are great gifts for the hostel/cheap hotel stayers in your life (I think your kids are beyond that, but maybe???). There was 1 store that had the most gorgeous wooden serving pieces, etc and a different level of woven silk.

And dont miss the huge market on the outskirts of town if you want to see how the locals live, and pick up coffee, spices, sticky rice. I got a kilo of coffee for $3 - still working on it - its so strong!

wow - there are some things in my post that dont make sense! I meant the scarves were 3 euros when the dollar and euro were flat - so $3 scarves from China they were asking $15ish for

(I dont remember what I paid for the silk scarves I bought but the price of the made in China one stuck in my mind!)

and I meant ornate pumpkins, not ornamate!

Thanks for that guys, and hi evenings !! That trip in December we are going to Ankor Wat, LP and Bangkok, we have been to Bangkok a zillon times so I was wondering if the shopping was any different in LP.

We will have to have another meet up in NYC - we will be there in Sept!

Ann

its completely different, but you%26#39;ll see a lot of the same things. I saw a bag in Thailand, Laos and finally bought it in Phnom Penh when I decided I needed more carryon space. The shopping in Siem Reap (and Phnom Penh if you get there) is as good as Bangkok for craft items but not the high end stuff designer stuff or modern furniture you%26#39;d find in the better malls or Sukhumvit.

Meanwhile, I was able to find 5 scarves I wanted to buy in Luang Prabang (2 of them gifts) and picked up another 2 completely different styled ones in Cambodia. The last time I was in Northern Thailand, I picked up an ornate silver betel nut holder shaped like a pumpkin - this trip I looked all over Thailand for one and couldnt find it, but there were 1000s in Cambodia.

Also, in Cambodia by the ruins they sell amazingly cheap books about Angkor. Didnt expect such good repro. And, I%26#39;m kicking myself for only buying 1 $3 Angkor Wat tshirt.

Looking forward to seeing you and Dr Ron in Sept! As of now I%26#39;m here the whole month, but you never know.... Have you been to Mexico City yet? Just got back - talk about major shopping opportunity! I have 4 new pieces to incorporate into my studio apartment. Ugh!