Luang Prabang Town in Laos

Luang Prabang Town in Laos

Luang Prabang in Laos was voted the number one destination to visit from the New York Times in 2008 and coincidentally I was there in February that year. I had booked my trip to visit Vientiane and also Luang Prabang which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This old charm town which was once the capitol of Laos is located 425 kilometers north of Vientiane and is only 300 meters wide by one kilometer long.

Luang Prabang - Nao's Place, Sports Bar, Grill, Bakery and Restaurant

Luang Prabang was built by the European colonials in the 19th and 20th century era and houses one of the best collection of French provincial style homes which many have been converted into cafes, restaurants or even boutique hotels. The beauty about Luang Prabang is that due to the UNESCO status (which was awarded in 1995), is there are absolutely no modern buildings here making it a perfect place to enjoy the natural culture and heritage of Laos.

Luang Prabang - One of the beautiful boutique hotels

When I was walking around the main town of Luang Prabang, I could not help notice the pure French Indochinese architectural marvels of that era. Some of them stand out in the night as they are beautifully lit. Most of the beautiful bungalow homes you see have been converted to high end boutique hotels. Entering one of them, a Lao doorman who was dressed in the 40s concierge attire, welcomed me in perfect English, a site rarely seen nowadays.

Luang Prabang - Main street in the day

Back to Luang Prabang town. The town is very small with one main street called Sisavangvong Road where everything happens. All the main restaurants, cafes, travel agents, Internet cafes, spas, money exchange, antique shops and boutiques are here. So in the mornings, the town will be very busy with tourist. One thing I noticed when I arrived in Luang Prabang was the majority of the tourist were all Caucasians. Lilian and me were probably the only South East Asians there throughout our stay of 4 full nights there.

Luang Prabang Sisavangvong Street at night

In the night, the restaurants, cafes and Internet cafes come alive. Travelers catch up with one another asking information on other places of Laos while having dinner and drinks in town. People are generally friendly, from the travelers to the locals. On occasion, you see orange robed monks checking emails or surfing the web in Internet cafes.

Luang Prabang - Sayo Guest House

The town of Luang Prabang is actually very interesting when you start to explore the other little roads and lanes, (you can actually walk the entire town in a couple of hours) and here is where you will find many guest houses catering to the budget travelers of backpackers. Some of the guest houses like the one in the picture above called Sayo Guest House are remarkably maintained. There are various temples and home grown businesses that you will come across.

Luang Prabang Bakery Guest House

Another popular place from my observation is the Bakery Guest House right smack in town. This cafe serves some great food and doubles as nice little cozy hotel. The menu is fantastic as they serve wine,cocktails, pizzas, steaks, pasta, burger, sandwich, soup, and spicy Lao food.

Local Lao restaurant in town

Generally, we tried most of the restaurants on Sisavangvong Road as we were daily visiting the main street for our tours to Pak Ou Caves, Whisky Village and other places of interest. To be very honest, I think Lao food is so much tastier than Cambodian or Thai food. Something about the fresh herbs they use here that makes it so much nicer. We even tried Indian food for a change. So, there is variety if you must know.

Tour packages in town

Tour companies or travel agents are all found along Sisavangvong (Main) Road. You can book sight seeing tours or book your tickets to other places in Laos or the neighboring countries. Prices for the tours are surprisingly cheap too. The most popular tours would be the Kuang Si Waterfall Tours, Elephant Ride tours, Pak Ou Caves and Rural Village visits.

Luang Prabang - Massage services (proper ones too)

In general, there are a ton of things to do in Luang Prabang so please do not try to book a 48 hour trip there as you will be missing out on a lot of things. I would easily recommend a minimum of 4 nights there to enjoy your stay and also experience the traditional Lao Spa. Well, ladies, this would be a shocker as it costs a fraction of what you pay back home. Anyway, 10,000 KIP = US$1.00 so from the picture above, a Lao Massage costs only US$4.00 and hour.

Luang Prabang - Hmong Day Market

You can walk around the day market which is called Hmong Market at the junction of Sisavangvong Road and Setthathilat Road. At this morning market, the Hmong Hill Tribe people of Luang Prabang will be selling their wares and you can find quilted bags, silver jewelery, t-shirts, some fabrics and cushion covers in Lao designs. These Hmong tribe people belong to the Lau Soung ethnolinguistic group which are known for their skills in silver ornaments and textiles.

Luang Prabang - Handicraft Market at night

There is also the most popular Handicraft Night Market which is starts at the corner of Sisavangvong Road and Kitsarat Road and this market is open daily from 5.00 pm right till about 11.00 pm at night. Hundreds of traders from all over Luang Prabang will sell their wares here ranging from catchy T-Shirts, Silver Jewelery, Lamps, Silk Scarves, Traditional shoes and head gear, original paintings, antiques, blankets, pillow cases and many other souvenir items. Seriously, this is probably the best market I have ever been to which remains true to the actual word handicraft market.

Video of the Handicraft Market in Luang Prabang

I think I must have visited this handicraft market four nights in a row. It was rather large with so many unique things to see. Not like what you get in the Bangkok markets, the items here were really interesting and most importantly, cheap. And you could also bargain with the locals. Not to worry as they speak some English if not a calculator will be whipped out by them. I bought over 20 paintings and Lilian bought about $100.00 worth of silver earrings and bracelets not forgetting the beautiful Lao design cushion covers.

Chinese antiques being passed off as Lao antiques so be careful

Other parts of Luang Prabang, you would also see some shops selling antiques like the picture above. But do not be easily fooled as most of these are brought in via China, Vietnam and also Thailand. Even if you ask the shop keeper, they will insist that these are authentic Lao antiques so for those of you who can tell the difference, keep an eye out.

With this, I will conclude Part 1 and please see my other postings for the continuation of Luang Prabang with more Temples, Sites, Markets, Hotels and other interesting things.

Places of interest around Luang Prabang

• Kuang Si Waterfall Tours
• Elephant Ride tours
• Pak Ou Caves
• Rural Village visits
• Phousi Hill
• National Museum
• Vat Xiengthong
  

Markets and Shopping in Luang Prabang

• Hmong Day Market
• Dara Market
• Handicraft Night Market
• Shops along Sisavangvong Road

Best time to visit Luang Prabang

• Between October and March
• May till October - Rainy Season
• March till May - Tempreture of 90 to 100 degrees F

Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Website for Luang Prabang


My other Laos and Luang Prabang blog postings:

Luang Prabang Town Part 1
Whisky Village in Luang Prabang
Pak Ou Buddha Caves in Luang Prabang
Phu Si Hill in Luang Prabang

Talat Sao Morning Market in Vientiane
Food in Vientiane
Patuxai Arch in Vientiane
That Luang Stupa (Golden Stupa) in Vientiane
Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan) in Vientiane

Map of Luang Prabang

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~ David Jr

Raw Kitchen Bar Restaurant in Singapore

RAW Kitchen Bar

Raw Kitchen Bar and Restaurant is located at an old fire station at the Upper Bukit Timah Road in Singapore. Run by couple Javier Perez and Sharon Lee, this Japanese, Italian and Asian restaurant in housed in one of the older single story brick bungalow with an open back courtyard which in turn is stunningly beautiful to dine at. Somewhat like visiting a friends house for dinner, Raw Kitchen brings you back into the 70s in this well decorated house-restaurant.

Raw Kitchen Bar and Restaurant

Getting to Raw Kitchen Bar is no hassle as upon arriving at the old Bukit Timah Fire Station entrance, just drive in till the end of the road and you will see this cozy little white house with a tiny signboard no larger than a shoe box mounted on the entrance wall.


Raw Kitchen Bar has two dining sections, indoor and outdoor al fresco. Usually the outdoors would fill up quickly so the best to book ahead or make reservations before coming here on weekend. From the looks of the Raw Bar Kitchen, it is a perfect place to host small parties or celebrations and the outlet would easily accommodate about 50-60 people.

Unique dining tables

Inside the Raw Kitchen Bar, there are many tasteful pieces of furniture placed all over the premises. A small bar cum cashier counter greets you while a piano sits against one of the walls it feels like you are in someone's home. On entering the indoor seating, there are various types of tables and chairs where no two are alike. From tables of two for the romantic couple to family tables that can seat about 6 to 8 people.

Raw Kitchen Bar - Indoor dining

Decorations are minimal and tastefully selected where you see unfinished walls and 70s style large framed window louvers on one side of the hall and on the opposite are 2 main door ways to the outdoor area. The mood of the music is pretty different too as when I was there, Bob Marley was playing with a mix of other modern lounge and club tunes.

Raw Kitchen Bar - Al fresco dining

Al fresco dining outside the Raw Kitchen Bar should be tried as colourful lanterns hang above the area which is partly covered with part of the Bukit Timah greens.

Raw Kitchen Bar - Table decorations

Taking a look at the menu at Raw Kitchen Bar, I couldn't help notice that there was no raw food served here so it was rather catchy to use that name for a restaurant. Back to the menu, it was a simple one paged menu serving from starters till desserts.

Raw Kitchen Bar - Chilli Lime Grilled Pork Salad

We had 3 starters as none of us were very hungry, the Chilli-Lime Grilled Pork Salad was simply awesome with generous portions of pork tossed with fresh greens.

Raw Kitchen Bar - Zucchini Pancake

Zucchini Pancake with balsamic goat cheese and prosciutto, this was one of my favourites as it was just tasty and was perfect sized portion. The trick here is to put the prosciutto in between the zucchini pancake like a burger. If you are a big eater, go for two starters here.

Raw Kitchen Bar - Salt and Pepper Squid

The Salt and Pepper Squid was a nice touch as it was lightly marinated so you could taste the overall favour. This dish comes with 2 additional dips.

BBQ Chicken Drummets

Off the menu, we were recommended the special which was Barbecued Chicken Drummets served on a bed of fresh greens.

Herb pizza, absolutely tasty

The Mozzarella, Basil and Rosemary Pizza was pretty tasty as you could taste the flavours of the herbs used. Note the pizzas here are all thin crusted and not over marinated. Best ordered to share as all the pizzas here are large portions.

Raw Kitchen Bar - Prawn and Chilli Pizza

One of my favourites here was the Prawn and Chilli Pizza, as usually it is hard to find this kind of pizza around. A generous portions of fresh prawns was topped as you can see in the picture above. The crust, thin as I always like my pizzas, was perfect. However, if you are expecting more to the topping, don't. The menu says it all, prawns and chilli. Also note that the chilli can get a tad spicy for the non chili eaters.

BBQ Pork Ribs with wedges

For the meat lovers, the BBQ Pork Ribs with Parmesan Roasted Wedges was excellent. Though the portion looked small with 6 finger sized ribs, the prok was really tender. Your knife would just fall through when cutting it. A great dish to share. However, I found the apple sauce that came along with this was a bit over as the ribs had that sweet touch to it. So we used the apple sauce as a dip for the wedges.

Raw Kitchen Bar menu

The menu of Raw Kitchen Bar. Excuse the poor photograph for the menu, but do click on the picture to see it in full size for details.

Raw Kitchen Bar - Outdoor view

My conclusion to Raw Kitchen Bar - This is an excellent place to entertain, throw a small party may it be a wedding, anniversary, birthday, visiting guests or just for no reason. The food is excellent, staff good and overall ambiance perfect. Of course, it is also recommended for a nice dinner with your loved one or families.

If you are from the breed of huge eaters, give this place a miss as the portions are not your typical hawker sized dishes. You may have to order two mains to fulfill that appetite of yours. Women will find the portions perfect here and groups will have a field day with ordering various dishes.

If you haven't had enough of drinks, you can just walk next door to the Firestation Hillside Gastrobar which is more on the trendier louder side.

Prices: Surprisingly cheaper then I expected, we are looking at about SG$50.00 (US$34.00) per head without wine.

Starters: From SG$7.00 to SG$16.00

Mains: From SG$15.00 to SG$24.00

Pizzas: From SG$17.0 to SG$21.00 (Large potions)

Desserts: Enquire within as they have daily specials

Open: Tuesdays to Sundays, closed on Mondays. Open only for dinner and drinks from 6p.m. until a.m. hours.

Parking: Available inside

Crowd: Mix of locals and expatriates

Baby Chairs: Yes

Wines: Available

Address:

Raw Kitchen Bar
276 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Spectra - The Old Fire Station
Singapore 588214

Tel: +65 6467 3987

Contact: Sharon or Javier

You can alternatively visit the website of Raw Kitchen Bar

Map to Raw Kitchen Bar

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~ jrhogan

Charlie Brown 'Snoopy' Cafe in Hong Kong

Charlie Brown 'Snoopy'
Cafe in Hong Kong

Charlie Brown Cafe is located on Cameron Road in Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong. How did I come across this place? Well, we (Lilian and me) were actually exploring Tsim Sha Tsui one evening and we chanced upon this cute Snoopy cafe from about 500 meters away. Without hesitation, Lilian could not resist and we had to go in and see what the Charlie Brown Cafe was all about.

Charlie Brown Cafe - Main entrance

The Charlie Brown Cafe here is located on the upper floor of the building and looks pretty normal from the outside but when you walk in, there were all kinds of various memorabilia relating to Snoopy and gang which suddenly takes you into another world. The staircase up was also filled with figures of Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and Woodstock from the Peanuts collection. All of these are built into special glass covered pigeon holes in the walls as you go up.

Charlie Brown Cafe - Memorabilia's on the walls

On reaching the cafe floor, you will be greeted by the staff and you then approach the cafe counter to place your orders for drinks, food and desserts. Mind you it was about 9.00pm when we waked in and we had just finished dinner. So dessert was next and what an excellent choice we made here.

Video inside of the Charlie Brown Cafe

Charlie Brown Cafe - Interior

We found a nice cozy seat in the middle of the Charlie Brown Cafe and literally everything was about Snoopy and gang. From the walls to the ceiling. There was even a large flat screen TV playing Snoopy cartoons. Huge live sized effigies of Snoopy and Charlie Brown were placed around and parts of the walls covered in all sorts of cartoon strips.

Charlie Brown and Lucy toilet doors

Went to the washroom and you guessed it, Charlie Brown and Lucy as the male and female doors to indicate. Well, if you are doing a themed cafe, you would go all the way here.

360 degrees view of the Charlie Brown Cafe

Charlie Brown Cafe - Various cakes

Besides all the beautiful cakes and pastries, they serve some spaghetti and pastas too. We bought a slice of Snoopy Cheese Cake but unfortunately Lilian didn't have the heart to eat the Snoopy shaped white chocolate on top, so no guesses to who ate it.

Charlie Brown Cafe - Snoopy Cake

I guess if you are a big Charlie Brown or Snoopy fan, this is one of the places you must visit. Not only that, the Charlie Brown Cafe also sells merchandise like coffee mugs, key chains, stuffed toys and t-shirts. A great place to just hang out too if you need a break from all that walking around in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Note that on weekends it can get really crowded so be prepared to wait for a seat. The Charlie Brown Cafe also has a VIP Card programme so inquire with the staff there to sign up.

Address of the Charlie Brown Cafe in Tsim Sha Tsui which I visited;

G/F-1/F., Kok Pah Mansion,
No. 58-60 Cameron Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Hong Kong

香港九龍尖沙咀金馬倫道58-60號國鈀大廈一樓及地下

Tel: (852) 2366 6315

Map to Carlie Brown Cafe

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Other Charlie Brown Cafes in Hong Kong

2/F, Dundas Square,
43H Dundas Street,
Mongkok, Kowloon,
Hong Kong

香港九龍旺角登打士街 43H 號登打士廣場 2 樓

Tel: (852) 2388 8202

G/F., Block II,
Tsui Yuen Mansion,
8 Kwong Wa St., Mongkok,
Kowloon,
Hong Kong

香港九龍旺角廣華街8號翠園大廈二期地舖

Tel: (852) 2388 8203

Shop Nos. G34, G47B-G48, G/F.,
Empire Centre, 68 Mody Rd.,
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon,
Hong Kong

香港九龍尖沙咀麼地道68號帝國中心地下G34，G47B-G48號舖

Tel: (852) 2366 6302

Shop Nos. 350-351,
Level 3 Tsuen Wan Plaza,
4-30 Tai Pai St., Tsuen Wan,
N.T., Hong Kong

香港新界荃灣大壩街4-30號荃灣廣場第三層350-351號舖

Tel: (852) 2499 9612

~ jrhogan

Jonker Street Dessert Cafe in Melaka

Jonker  Street Dessert Cafe in Melaka

Jonker Street Dessert Cafe is one of the famous stops for all tourist visiting Melaka which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This unique cafe which is also called Jonker Dessert 88 Cafe doubles as a museum too. Serving one of Melaka's best local Baba-Nyonya dessert and food, almost everyone who passes Jonker Walk would have stepped into the Jonker Dessert Cafe which is right in the middle of the famous main street.

Jonker Street Dessert Cafe in Melaka

Jonker 88 Dessert Museum Cafe was formed back in 1997 by the Yoong Family who are all native Melaka people and it is located in the famous heritage district called Jonker Street (Jalan Hang Jebat). A local favourite, this quaint little cafe serves local Melaka desserts, noodles and also rice which is part of the Baba-Nyonya cuisine or Peranakan Cuisine. Melaka was awarded a UNESCO World Heritage status in 2009.

Jonker 88 Cafe - Baba Curry Laksa

The trick here is when you enter the Jonker Cafe, you need to place your order with the stalls located just outside the 200 year old pre-war building entrance. There are 2 stalls opposite each other where one serves desserts and the other serves out noodles and rice dishes. The famous dishes here would be the home made Peranakan Nyonya Asam Laksa, Baba Curry Laksa, Baba Nasi Lemak and the desserts which are the Baba Ice Kachang, Baba Cendol (Chendol) and Durian Cendol with Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar).

On weekends or long holidays, the place can get a little chaotic so you have to be a little patient. I got in on a Sunday afternoon and the line to order had already reached on to the street. But it can move quite fast so you will not have to wait ages.

Jonker 88 Museum Cafe main area

The next tip here is to have someone go in and get a table while you place the orders out front. Trust me, you do not want to walk in holding a tray of food with no place to sit. So, once you get your food, head on inside this living museum cafe. The seating stretches all the way into the back portion of the shop. You can also ask to share a table if you are a couple.

Jonker Street Dessert Cafe in Melaka

Inside the Jonker Cafe, you will notice that there are a lot of museum pieces displayed throughout the cafe. Aged wooden display cabinets hold priceless antiques and memorabilia which is in the front portion of the cafe. Various items are being sold such as Pineapple Tarts and cookies and some other local cookies. I once bought a special edition postcard set of old Malacca from inside here. So you can actually inquire about some of the items for sale there.

Jonker Cafe - Back portion of the cafe/restaurant

While the back portion of the old shop house is a general seating area, it is divided by a wooden bar window and doorway. The washrooms are all the way to the back. Looking around, you will also notice old Chinese and Baba-Nyonya paintings and some antiques mounted on the walls with various vintage items such as irons, cash registers, telephones and many other interesting items carefully placed around the area.

Jonker Cafe - Nyonya Asam Laksa

The food and desserts served at the Jonker Cafe are an absolutely must try for anyone visiting Melaka. Here you will get a taste of the famous Melaka Peranakan Baba and Nyonya cuisine. I must say that in the last 2 years, I have visited this place 4 times at Jonker Walk. Every time I make a trip to Melaka, I must make it a point to stop here for the addictive food and desserts sold here.

Jonker Cafe - Nyonya Nasi Lemak and Ice Kacang

One of my favourite combinations would be the Nyonya Nasi Lemak with the Baba Ice Kacang and my Iced Teh Tarik (Iced Tea with Milk). Never goes wrong on my every visit, just that the crowd is getting bigger every time I go there. I will not be going into details about the food and desserts here as they speak for themselves. After my multiple visits and it still taste good, I can assure you they have a pretty good standard here.

My personal conclusion to Jonker Street 88 Cafe:

• Must visit for the local food, desserts and ambiance
  
• Can get super crowded on weekends
• Overall charm spoilt by the cheap utensils used
• Turn around time is pretty quick as people eat and leave fast
• Value for money

Price Range: RM 2.50 (US$0.71) to RM4.00 (US$1.15) for food

Visit this site to view the MENU

Address for Jonker Dessert 88 Cafe;
Jonker Dessert 88 (Museum Cafe)
88, Jonker Walk
Jalan Hang Jebat 75200
Melaka.

Opening Hours:
Daily - 10.00am to 6.00pm
Saturdays - 10.00am to 10.00pm

Contact:
019-3975665 (Jason)
019-2517667 (Jenny)
019-6695959 (Johnson)

Jonker Street Dessert Cafe in Melaka is a must visit for first timers here to experience the local dessert cuisine.

Map to Jonker Street in Melaka

View Larger Map

Final note - Some of the pictures here were taken from my iPhone so please excuse the quality. Jonker Street Dessert Cafe in Melaka will always be a place to stop over whenever I visit Melaka.

Morning Market called Talat Sao in Vientiane, Laos

Vientiane Morning Market
or Talat Sao Market, Laos

The 'Morning Market' in Vientiane is called Talat Sao and is one of the must visit places when visiting Laos. This morning market is located at the eastern corner of Lan Xang Rd. and Khu Vieng Rd. in the heart of Vientiane, it opens 7:00 in the morning and stays open till around 4:00pm daily and is full of locals and tourist alike. Another landmark to this busy morning market is the Vientiane main post office which is just in front of the Morning Market.

Morning Market - Talat Sao Market or Bazaar

Getting to this morning market is pretty simple as you can just walk there if you are staying in town. It would take about 10 to 15 minutes to walk here from the main fountain in town. The morning market has recently added a 4 story shopping center connecting to the main Talat Sao market and should be completed by this year, 2009. One of the modern structures in Vientiane, this will cater to the many locals and tourist to the area and add on to Vientiane's modernization.

Morning Market - Main motor bike parking

The morning market consists of many small shops, restaurants and vegetables vendors outside. Inside, there are shops for purchasing gold, jewelry, silk and clothing (modern and traditional), wooden crafts, musical instruments, electronics, appliances, housewares, CDs and DVDs/VCDs and general grocery items. The entire Talat Sao bazaar is in various sections and is connected to the new mall section. So most of the interesting items are in the old wing of the building where there are two floors, the lower floor caters to handicraft, fabrics, antiques and general items where the upper floor is filled with goldsmith shops, jewelers, silver sellers and also bags, clothes and shoes. A great place for souvenirs.

Morning Market - Outdoor goldsmith stalls

While exploring Talat Sao, there was an outdoor area where mostly locals go to. Looking like a local and yet tourist, I decided to explore this area. I noticed that there were a lot of goldsmiths here. These local goldsmiths are lined up all in a row in small make shift stalls and counters. Sadly, all of the signages were in Lao so I am assuming they were about melting, repairing or designing gold rings, chains and bracelets.

Video of goldsmith at Talat Sao Morning Market

Morning Market - Lane of stalls and eateries

As you walk the outdoor area of Talat Sao, you will also see a lot of small shops selling VCD or DVD movies and music CDs. Mind you that these are all in Lao catering to the locals. So do not bother with trying to look for that Beatles greatest hits there. There are a number of eateries which are pretty much run down so if you are up to trying the local food, then go ahead if you have an iron stomach.

DVD & VCD haven outside Talat Sao Morning Market

Morning Market - Silverware being sold

The outdoor area of Talat Sao will end at one point and you need to go indoors. Here you will start to see rows and rows of stalls and shops selling a variety of items. One row which I passed just sold general electrical household items like television sets, mixers, toasters, fans and the works.

Just opposite I saw vendors selling silverware. There was a variety of silver bracelets, necklaces, belts, earrings and even silver containers. If you are a silver lover, then this would be a fantastic place to buy some of them. Mind you that the Lao silver sold at small stalls are mostly 30% to 70% silver hence the extremely cheap prices you see.

Morning Market - Snake wine and whiskeys

Another stall outdoor was selling all kinds of snake whiskeys and snake wines in various sized bottles. Some as small as a perfume bottle. Some of the combinations include snakes, scorpions, geckos and centepides. I still wonder how they get the critters into the small little bottles. Prices of these snake wines and whiskey are really cheap. The small ones go for as low as US$2.00 per bottle while the medium ones about US$5.00. For the larger ones, expect to pay around US$8 to $15 depending on the size and type of snake or critter inside the wine.

Morning Market - Traditional Lao Sinh dress, costumes and attire

Walking around the old section of the morning market, you will see a lot of traditional Lao Sinh ladies costumes for sale. Some of them are well made and may cost a bit due to the fabrics and materials used to make them. However, I hardly saw any tourist buying them, more locals seem to be buying these Sinh dresses. Other items of interest would be the Lao Silk Scarves, Lao cushion covers, traditional Lao bags and even Lao designed bed comforters being sold here. Seriously if you are in Vientiane, Talat Sao would be a great place to do your souvenir shopping.

Various Bags and Fabrics at the Talat Sao Morning Market

Morning Market - Selection of jewelery, gold and gems

On the first floor of the old wing at Talat Sao, this is where the gold, silver and gems are found. Rows and rows of jewellers will be found here with a variety of gems. Mostly locals are seen here but when I was there, a number of tourist were seen buying them too, not the gold but more of the silver. I did get a bracelet for my mum, it was a 18 karat gold bracelet with synthetic rubies all around. The price? A staggering US$15.00 after 30 minutes of haggling with the lady.

Morning Market - Goldsmith shops

So, if you have no clue about gold, silver of gems, I would advice you get some professional advice if you plan to do some shopping here. Generally most of the items here are pretty much synthetic and non-pure. Silvers are about 30% to 80% pure. For the Gold, it generally looks lighter than the normal gold and of course, the purity is less at most shops. Sellers will convince you they are pure and so on, but then again, do not be fooled. Again, seek professional advice if you are out to buy gold and gems.

Now if you venture into the new building or the shopping mall, you will be amazed to see how fast Laos is developing. Mobile phone shops, play stations, electrical and many other general modern items are here. One good shop I found was a Music Shop in the mall. The prices are crazy cheap and they were also selling DVDs. I went straight for some of the box set music CDs. I must have bought at least 10 double CD sets. Mind you they are all counterfeit CDs from China which was imported into Laos. Then again, you never know what you might find at this music shop like I did.

Talat Sao Morning Market Map in Vientiane, Laos

View Larger Map

Just a reminder to Malaysians traveling here, if you buy the Snake Wines or Snake Whiskeys as gifts or souvenirs, be prepared to be stopped at the Malaysian airport. Especially if you are planning on going through the 'Green Lane' at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT). The airport customs are pretty smart if you ask me, they will let you pass through the green lane but all flights from Indochina will have their bags scanned at the green lane. This is where you will get caught. I had 3 of my snake wines confiscated there. So it would be wise to use the red lane and try your luck as they would just search your bags verses getting it scanned.


Things to look for in Talat Sao Morning Market

• T-Shirts
• Jewelery
• Antiques
  
• Traditional Lao Bags
• Silk Scarves
  
• Cushion Covers
• Snake Wines or Whiskeys (if your country permits it)

Tips for the Morning Market

• Bargain when possible, Lao people are very nice.
  
• The old market area can get hot and humid, so dress comfortably.
• You can easily spend around 3-4 hours here if you like markets.
• Restaurants in the mall area are clean and good food is available.
• Cafe available in mall area serving good coffee.

Things to watch out for

• Fake gems at the jewelery section
• Low quality gold and silver
  
• Fake antique French era coins
• Pirated DVD and CDs of popular English movies and singers/bands. (They look 100% real)
• If you buy the DVD movies, they come with Lao sub-titles or even dubbed in Lao language.

Getting to Talat Sao Morning Market Vientiane

• Walking is possible from town center, about 10 to 15 mins walk
• Alternatively you can take a taxi or tuk tuk. Cheap, about US$1 to $3
  
• Address: Lane Xang Ave. at Khu Vieng St., Vientiane

General Lao information
Visitors must pay US$35 cash and supply a passport-size photo to receive a visa upon arrival in Laos. The departure tax is US$10.

~ jrhogan