When you spend your vacation in Laos, you definitely want to take some souvenirs with you for family members or friends. Due to Laos unique culture and traditions there are a lot of amazing souvenirs. We have no doubt that you’ll find something that you personally like. Well, perhaps you can’t yet imagine what Laos has to offer in terms of souvenirs. That’s why we created this article for you. That should make your decision a lot easier. We’ve already gifted many of the souvenirs we mention here to other people and they were really happy about it. So there’s little you can do wrong.
Silk
The silk from Laos is really something special and can’t be compared with the silk from the neighboring countries. Its manufacturing process and other aspects are different from the silk produced in Thailand. Silk is available in a wide variety of colors and patterns. So you have a large selection. Of course, silk is particularly useful as a souvenir if you sew yourself or know someone who does it. For example, silk is perfect for cos-players, since they can make beautiful clothing from it. And that brings us to the next point.
Traditional clothing
If you can’t do anything with silk alone, you can basically buy traditional clothing from Laos. Most of it is made of silk anyway. The traditional Lao costumes are really nice to look at and they’re available for both men and women. Some places even sell traditional clothing for children. However, keep in mind that traditional costumes consist of several pieces of clothing. Just ask the seller and he’ll be happy to help you.
Coffee
Hardly any other product from Laos is as well known as the coffee grown here. Not without reason the coffee is one of the most important export goods in the whole country. Especially in the south of Laos around the Bolaven Plateau, many people are dependent on growing coffee. The fact that the coffee is grown at such heights, naturally contributes to its taste. You should definitely have tried the coffee from Laos. Self-explanatory that it’s a wonderful souvenir.
Silver jewelry
Laos has a lot to offer when it comes to silver crafts. There are many beautiful types of silver jewelry and even traders come here to buy silver from Laos. This is due to the fact that hardly any processing costs are charged. You don’t pay much more for jewelry than the current silver price. However, you should inform yourself about the customs duties if you intend to buy a large amount of silver jewelry from Laos. In any case, silver jewelry is a nice and recommendable souvenir.
Antiques
With the long and exciting history of Laos, you’ll probably not be surprised to find some attractive antiques here. But it’s difficult to find really good antiques. There are generally many counterfeits on the antiques market. Laos is no exception. And should you come across something good, it’s usually quite expensive. Antiques are without a doubt a great souvenir. Especially if you are interested in it. Anyway, you have to be familiar with the matter.
Wood carvings
If you’re interested in art, the wood carvings from Laos could be a good souvenir. It’s common for these carvings to be closely related to Buddhism. They’re often made by monks but also by other people. You can find them in many places. Among them Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang.
Alcohol
Not every type of alcohol in Laos is suitable as a souvenir. For example, importing cobra whiskey into your country may not be allowed. When it comes to less exotic types of alcohol, you still have a lot of choices. A very popular souvenir is Laos rice whiskey, also known as Lao Lao. Just don’t forget that the drink is really strong. It may not be suitable for everyone.
Goods from bamboo
Farmers in Laos usually still use a lot of bamboo wares during everyday life. You can really find all sorts of bamboo souvenirs. Including hats, baskets, brooms, vases and many other things. You can find some stores around Laos that only sell this type of goods. The prices usually aren’t high.
Postcards
Postcards may be a boring souvenir but there are really a lot of beautiful ones. Usually for really cheap prices. Even if you buy a lot of postcards in the more touristy areas, you usually won’t have to pay much.
Handmade footwear
Of course, footwear isn’t the only handmade item that you can buy at the markets in Laos. Personally, however, we would like to note that we really like the handmade footwear. We bought some house shoes at a really low price and they don’t only look good but are also quite comfortable. Some handmade items are made and sold by minorities. The Hmong in particular are known for their craftsmanship.
Pottery goods
There are some villages in Laos where pottery-making has a long tradition. So if you’re looking for some handmade ceramic products, you’ve quite some choices. Pots and urns are particularly popular among tourists. Given the low prices, this isn’t surprising.
Dried food
You should check the import laws of your country beforehand, even if there shouldn’t be any problem with bringing dried food. There are some specialties in Laos that also taste wonderful when dried. Including snacks like beef jerky, mango and seaweed.
Cooking books
Laos has a lot to offer in terms of cuisine, even though the most dishes are quite similar to the Thai cuisine. However, there are differences. One of the best examples is pad thai. The pad thai in Laos is made with other noodles and has a different taste. Some tourists even prefer it over the pad thai in Thailand. What we want to tell you is that you might want to buy a Laotian cookbook. At least if you like to cook, it’s definitely worth it.
Souvenirs made of bombs
Laos is one of the countries worst hit by the Vietnam War. The effects can still be seen today. If you want to help people restart, you can buy souvenirs made from the aluminum of bombs. Some available items are key rings, bracelets and necklaces. You’ll find them all over the night market in Luang Prabang. If you want to learn more about that dark chapter of Lao history, we recommend you to check out the COPE Visitor Centre. There you may also find some nice souvenirs related to the UXO clearance.
Souvenirs from tourist attractions
A good place to go for souvenirs are of course the tourist attractions. You can usually find a large selection at most ones. If you go to the Buddha Park or Patuxai Monument in Vientiane there are all kinds of souvenirs from Laos. As we didn’t buy there anything yet, we really can’t tell you much about the prices. Anyway, when we go there next time, we’ll give you an update.
Recent posts
Gyms in Vientiane: our recommendations for your holiday workouts
If you’re a fitness-oriented person and plan to stay a few days in Vientiane, you might want to know about the gyms there. In that case, we have good news for you, since the gym situation in the capital is pretty good. There are plenty of nice gyms, and you’ll be surprised about their standards. […]Methanol poisonings in Vang Vieng: from backpacker paradise to backpacker nightmare
We don’t usually like to talk about sad topics, but we feel it’s important to address the devastating news about the incident in Vang Vieng. As you may have already heard, there has been a tragic case of mass methanol poisoning in this popular backpacker destination. While the exact details remain unclear, reports indicate that, […]Monkeys in Laos: a primate paradise
If you’re planning to travel to Laos, you’re probably interested in the wildlife there. In that case we have good news, while some species like leopards are very rare, there are still a lot of monkeys to be found in the wild. The monkey you can see in the picture above is a crab-eating macaque, […]Obama’s visit to Laos and its importance for the relations between the two countries
In September 2016 Obama visited Laos and became the first U.S. president ever to step foot in the country. Most people don’t know that this visit was of utmost importance and helped to overcome a dark chapter in history. As you can see in the picture above Obama’s visit remains an important event. Many people […]Things you should know about money in Laos
Money is always an interesting topic and in Laos it’s no different. Therefore in this article we want to talk about some relevant topics regarding money in Laos. First of all: If you’ve always wanted to be a millionaire, Laos is the right country for you, because the local currency is not worth much compared […]
