Vientiane Shopping Guide

Vientiane has some good shopping opportunities, especially for local handicrafts and arts. The place to start is Talat Sao - the morning market. Despite its name, the market stays open until late afternoon. This large covered market takes up an entire city block. Under its temple-like roof you can find just about everything. It is sort of organized into sections, so in one part you'll find loads of Lao silks and finely woven cotton, while walking a bit further will bring you to an electronics section. In some areas, the market is two stories high. Upstairs is cheap clothing and jewelry, along with a few "antiques". Vientiane's first shopping mall is being built next to the market, and should open some tiem in 2005.

Away from the morning market, there are a number of shops and boutiques in the tourist area between Samsenthai Road and the river. See the list below for some ideas on what to buy.

Textiles: Lao silk and cotton is woven into to beautiful and colorful patterns that can be either geometric or religious. Fabrics are usually sold as either small bolts designed to be enough for a ladies suit, or in long tapestry-like hangings. The morning market has a rich selection of all types of fabrics. Outside of the market, there are many small shops specializing in one type of textile or other. Two shops worth noting are Kanchana on Samsenthai Road and Carol Cassidy Lao Textiles on Nokeo Koummane Road.
Stone Carving: Among the many knickknacks for sale in the souvenir shops are small boxes carved from stone. These are very reminiscent of the type of thing found in Vietnam, and some of it may even be imported from there. In any case, the designs and prices are quite appealing.
Wine: There are a number of wine markets along Samsenthai Road, selling mostly imported wines as well as other spirits. As one might expect, French wines dominate, but there are also Australian and Italian wines as well.