Night Market

I had been warned about hawkers and pick-pockets and wares made in China and so I went to the Luang Prabang Night Market with much trepidation. Actually it’s not nearly as sinister as it’s made out to be. Are all the wares handmade? Surely not. Is it touristy and crowded? Definitely. But watching the myriad stalls pop up all along Sisavangvun Road (running from the Post Office to beyond the Royal Palace) around 5 p.m. every evening is a real sight. And shopping for such inexpensive mementos as Hmong blankets, throws, silk scarves, jewelry, lanterns and bamboo lamps, is fun. Best of all, unlike at some other night markets (I’m thinking of the one in Bangkok and in Hong Kong’s Kowloon), you don’t get haggled here. The majority of the women sellers, most of whom come from the hill tribes, sit back and let you peruse the wares.