Luang Prabang
Every evening this tourist-oriented but highly appealing market assembles along Th Sisavangvong and is deservedly one of Luang Prabang’s biggest tourist…
Must-see shopping in Laos
Vientiane
Imagine a melange of aromas – coconut, aloe vera, honey, frangipani and magnolia – all of them emanating from body oils, soaps, sprays, perfumes, lip…
Vientiane
This bright-feeling shop has a broad but well-curated selection of items representing some of Laos' most reputable brands: beautiful textiles from Ock Pop…
Vientiane
This small shop works with over 300 artisans in 14 communities across 10 provinces of Laos, selling everything from hand-woven silk textiles to bamboo…
Vientiane
Lao Textiles sells high-end contemporary, original-design fabrics inspired by generations-old Lao weaving patterns, motifs and techniques. The American…
Vientiane
Stocks silk clothes and weavings from Xieng Khuang Province, plus some bed and cushion covers in striking Hmong-inspired designs. All of the shop's…
Luang Prabang
This stylish Aussie-run boutique has a choice selection of hand-woven linen, silk and cotton dresses, chemises, skirts, and beach shawls made by Chris…
Luang Prabang
Kopnoi sells stunning handicrafts from ethnic-minority craftspeople; Akha bracelets, silk pashminas, fine jewellery, packaged spices and teas, and local…
Luang Prabang
Ock Pop Tok works with a wide range of tribes to preserve their handicraft traditions. Fine silk and cotton scarves, chemises, dresses, wall hangings and…
Luang Prabang
Photographer and film-maker Adri Berger's compositions of rural Laos capture that honeyed afternoon light like no one else. His ochre-walled gallery-cum…
Luang Prabang
Located in a 100-year-old wooden home on a narrow lane running from the main street, this great little shop sells handicrafts like naturally dyed cushions…
Luang Prabang
Follow the sweeping stairs in the garden of this impressive old French mansion to discover an Aladdin's cave of antique Buddhas, golden naga, silver betel…
Luang Prabang
This shop sister to the TAEC museum is a safe way to buy the finest handicrafts made in Laos – be it clothes, bags or bed runners – in the knowledge they…
Vientiane
This state-run bookshop, with its faded titles in Russian and Vietnamese, is a lingering reminder of Laos' communist roots in an increasingly slick…
Vientiane
This shop carries what is possibly the most upscale selection of Lao silk in town (the most expensive designs, some of which sell for several thousand US…
Luang Prabang
One of the first jewellery shops to open in Luang Prabang, Naga Creations takes its inspiration from tribal motifs around Laos combined with an…
Northern Laos
Run by a friendly husband-and-wife team, this simple unnamed shop offers the best souvenirs in town. Khao makes beautiful temple-inspired stencil art,…
Luang Prabang
This riverfront antiques shop is a testament to its owners' magpie wanderings, with Hong Kong tea tins, Chinese retro alarm clocks, Mao revolutionary…
Luang Prabang
The name means 'where is it from' in Lao, and all the silk, paper and gift items in this attractive boutique come from villages around Luang Prabang. A…
Vientiane
This social enterprise-oriented shop features the work of ethnic minorities in remote corners of the country. This means chunky, colourful clothing, bags,…
Luang Prabang
This Hmong-inspired textile studio means 'language of the cloth' and it weaves an expressive tale combining geometric tribal motifs with everyday items…
Vientiane
A great one-stop shop for glossy magazines and a tasteful range of modern classic novels, plus travel guides, thrillers and lush pictorials on Laos.
Luang Prabang
This place houses a collection of beautifully made crafts from local villages. There's also a chilled cafe for tea, coffee or a snack.
Luang Prabang
Part of a regional bookshop chain, this shop stocks guidebooks, maps, novels, magazines and books on Lao history.
Vientiane
A once-unique Vientiane shopping experience has sadly undergone a facelift: two-thirds of its world of stalls selling opium pipes, jewellery and…
Vientiane
Vientiane's night market lights up the riverfront with a selection of stalls hawking handicrafts and T-shirts. It doesn't quite have the atmosphere of…
Dee Traditional Antique Textiles
Vientiane
It might not look much from the outside but within this chilled shop, stuffed from floor to ceiling with an array of rustic hill-tribe woven items, there…
Pakse
This modest bookshop is your best stop for maps of Laos and its neighbours, though don't expect much detail, plus postcards and a good range of regional…
Vientiane
Set across two floors, this Aladdin's cave of an emporium hawks traditional clothing, Hmong handbags, pillowcases and a whole lot more. Perfect for some…
Vientiane
One of the stores worth a visit along this busy drag is the upmarket Mixay Boutique; it stocks a veritable potpourri of textiles and handicrafts from…
Pakse
This modern market sells mostly discount clothing, much of which are brand-name knock-offs, of course, but a few shops stock Lao skirts and fabrics.
Vientiane
Vientiane's best-stocked secondhand bookshop sells travel guides, thrillers and informative books on Laos' culture and history.
Vang Vieng
Every evening, the street across from the Silver Naga hotel is filled with vendors selling the usual backpacker commodities.
Vientiane
Vientiane's version of the Old Curiosity Shop, this place is full of knick-knacks and faux antiques.
Vientiane
Vins de France (the sign says 'bar à vin') is one of the better French wine cellars in Laos.
Pakse
This is the closest thing Pakse has to a shopping mall, with all the usual suspects – cosmetics stores, fashion stores, electronics stores, a cinema and…
Pakse
A reasonably well-stocked convenience store inside the Friendship Mall. There is a second location diagonally across from Talat Dao Heuang.
Vientiane
One of the biggest markets in Vientiane, there's virtually everything here, from food to tools, although not much of interest to most tourists.
Pakse
Sells all the convenience-store knick-knacks. Conveniently located right on Pakse's tourist strip.
