Location: Vientiane
Top Things to do in Vientiane
Countries
10 Gift & Specialty Shops in Vientiane That You Shouldn't Miss
Vientiane is the capital and largest city in Laos. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Vientiane is a city steeped in legend and history. The city is the home of the massive gilded stupa, Pha That Luang, a national symbol of Laos. The streets are lined with trees, French colonial buildings, street markets, Buddhist temples, and noodle shops. Just outside the city is Buddha Park, a garden littered with over 200 cement sculptures depicting the gods and monsters of Buddhist and Hindu myth.
Restaurants in Vientiane
1. TaiBaan
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 88 reviews
TaiBaan (formerly Saoban) is a fair trade business and a retail outlet for more than 300 village artisans. When you buy from TaiBaan, you provide employment and training for the artisan, and the profits stay in the village communities. Products include hand woven silk and cotton textiles using natural dyes, indigo ikat textiles, bamboo wares, silver jewellery, bags and accessories.
Reviewed By Diana_Mangalagiu - Paris, France
Everything is nice and meaningful, very nice objects, most of them made with recycled materials, empowering communities in villages. You buy because you like the objects, not only because you want to help villages!
2. Lao Textiles
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 70 reviews
Reviewed By DLLum - Denver, United States
This place is a must if you are interested and love handicrafts. Don't go expecting cheap prices. Each piece here is a work of art. . Prices reflect the energy and time that is put in a piece of work.
3. Phaeng Mai Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By victoriaw119 - Leichhardt, Australia
If you want a truly local and contemporary Lao experience in Vientiane visit the gallery and experience Khang designs. The Phaeng Mai Gallery and Khang design showroom is a small local textile manufacturer using all traditional weaving methods. The designs are a mix of traditional and contemporary with scarves, dresses and jackets all quite reasonably priced given they are all hand woven and unique designs. It is a little away from the main downtown area in Vientiane but easy to reach by taxi or tuk tuk. Worth a visit to purchase something completely unique with fresh new designs. Also at the same location Vina Art to Wear for made to measure designs if you have some time. And great businesses run by local women.
4. Mai Savanh Lao
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By marionl712 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
I was amazed to see the number of women working in the factory. Depending on the season, you can see them working on various products coming from the farm in South Laos. This fair trade company has developed an interesting network of local partners (farmers...) and it is great to see how local products are being used and developed. In addition, the showroom is a perfect place to buy gifts as it has locally produced food items and beautiful silk pieces.
5. Caruso Lao
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
6. Baaris Collection
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
7. Her Works - Lao Multi Ethnic
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 11 reviews
Her Works is the first and authentic brand of Lao multi-ethnic contemporary products. We design, and sell a broad range of contemporary handicraft products inspired by Lao’s multi-ethnic cultures. While empowering Lao ethnic women, we ensure the highest product quality and your satisfaction by meticulously selecting durable fabrics that are environmentally-friendly and naturally color-dyed.
8. Mulberries
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 62 reviews
Mulberries Fair Trade Stores are located in central Vientiane and Luang Prabang old town. Our Organic Mulberry Farm is located in Xieng Khouang province, just outside the city of Phonsavan. We're a short 20min drive from the historic Plain of Jars sites. Please come and visit our farm if you are traveling in the area, tours are available between 8am-4pm Monday-Saturday. For directions see our website.Our aim is to advance a economic, cultural and socially sustainable Lao silk and handicraft enterprise that improves the livelihood of the people we work with. An important part of our work is to ensure that our environmental, cultural and artistic resources are safeguarded for future generations. In purchasing products from Mulberries Fair Trade Stores, you will be supporting the economic livelihood of Lao village communities. You can help us to ensure that traditional skills and artistic designs distinctive to Lao culture are passed on to younger generations.
Reviewed By runningnose
Came here based on the reviews and fell in love with the many high quality items. Lovely unique pieces for your home, or friends. Wish I found this place earlier. Staff are friendly and helpful too. Would highly recommend this place for those who want unique, beautiful high quality textiles for your home and as souvenirs.
9. Elegant Boutique
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 30 reviews
Elégant Boutique is established in 2008 to serve people in Laos and around the world who love in Stylist Fashion, Lao hand-made products, Silk, and any Lao products which are beautiful, valuable and unique work of art.
Reviewed By phutty - Tallinn, Estonia
Having stumbled across the store's Facebook page while researching my trip to Vientiane I decided to splash out on a one-of-a-kind, made-to-measure designer piece as a souvenir of my trip. I wanted a fairly standard shirt but with something about it that was uniquely Lao, and Tamong was great in coming up with ideas and suggestions. In the end I plumped for a classic grey long-sleeved shirt but with a gorgeous collar featuring an embroidered gold textile with a traditional Lao pattern. Now all I need is a special occasion to where it on! From discussions and measurements to the shirt being ready was just three days and the total cost was just over 400,000 kip (€40.00). I was so impressed with Tamong and the service that I may yet ask her to make something else for me and have it shipped to me here in Estonia :)
10. True Colour
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
