What to buy in Champasak
Laos is considered as the best place for growing coffee in Southeast Asia. The coffee is often referred to as Pakxong because it is mostly grown around Pakxong, a town on the Boloven Plateau.
Laos Coffee
Laos is considered as the best place for growing coffee in Southeast Asia. The coffee is often referred to as Pakxong because it is mostly grown around Pakxong, a town on the Boloven Plateau.
You will find both Laos Arabica and Robusta high quality in terms of consistency and flavour. Many stalls on the main streets of Savannakhet offer glasses of Arabica with condensed milk. As for Laotian coffee beans, the duty-free shop in Savannakhet has a wide variety to choose from.
Woven Silk
In Laos, weaving cotton and silk has always been a thriving home industry and still is. Lao weavers are among the best in the world and live in small communities.
Each province has its own style of traditional patterns and designs. The intricately woven textiles cost much less when you buy them from the source, rather than from the markets, Champasak hotel shops and handicraft stores. You may come across antique woven pieces, but these are highly-priced and are becoming harder to find.
Carving
You'll find a wide range of beautiful objects carved from bone, stone and wood. These carvings can be commonplace and simple in nature or exquisite and spiritually inspired. The arts and crafts of Laos reflect the religious nature of its people. Carvings of religious images and masters like The Buddha abound.
You could buy an authentic opium pipe in Laos for its ornamental value, but steer clear of ivory carvings. These are illegal in most countries and can land you in trouble.
Jewellery
Lao's also excel in crafting silver and gold jewellery. Some of the finest pieces of silver jewellery in the country come from the hill tribes, for whom gold and silver is portable wealth and highly valued as inheritance. Most of the jewellery stores deal mainly in gold and silver and prices are much cheaper than in neighbouring Thailand. The gold in Laos is 99.99% pure. You can buy it at a standard price per gram. Laos is a great place for designing jewellery as it is rich in gold and silver as well as gemstones.
Laos is considered as the best place for growing coffee in Southeast Asia. The coffee is often referred to as Pakxong because it is mostly grown around Pakxong, a town on the Boloven Plateau.
You will find both Laos Arabica and Robusta high quality in terms of consistency and flavour. Many stalls on the main streets of Savannakhet offer glasses of Arabica with condensed milk. As for Laotian coffee beans, the duty-free shop in Savannakhet has a wide variety to choose from.
Woven Silk
In Laos, weaving cotton and silk has always been a thriving home industry and still is. Lao weavers are among the best in the world and live in small communities.
Each province has its own style of traditional patterns and designs. The intricately woven textiles cost much less when you buy them from the source, rather than from the markets, Champasak hotel shops and handicraft stores. You may come across antique woven pieces, but these are highly-priced and are becoming harder to find.
Carving
You'll find a wide range of beautiful objects carved from bone, stone and wood. These carvings can be commonplace and simple in nature or exquisite and spiritually inspired. The arts and crafts of Laos reflect the religious nature of its people. Carvings of religious images and masters like The Buddha abound.
You could buy an authentic opium pipe in Laos for its ornamental value, but steer clear of ivory carvings. These are illegal in most countries and can land you in trouble.
Jewellery
Lao's also excel in crafting silver and gold jewellery. Some of the finest pieces of silver jewellery in the country come from the hill tribes, for whom gold and silver is portable wealth and highly valued as inheritance. Most of the jewellery stores deal mainly in gold and silver and prices are much cheaper than in neighbouring Thailand. The gold in Laos is 99.99% pure. You can buy it at a standard price per gram. Laos is a great place for designing jewellery as it is rich in gold and silver as well as gemstones.