- Handicraft products
- Exotic products
- What else to bring back from Laos?
Traveling is not only new experiences, but also souvenirs brought in memory of the trip. Tourists will not have to puzzle over what to bring from Laos. After all, this country of Southeast Asia is a real paradise for exotic lovers.
Handicraft products
In Laos, this type of traditional craft is very widespread, such as weaving from vines and bamboo. A wide variety of products are on sale in the markets and souvenir shops: baskets; furniture; fish traps; flasks for water.
Textile products are very popular among tourists: bags, pillows, bedspreads. Traditionally, they are sewn using the patchwork technique. Local craftsmen often buy tablecloths and bedspreads with hand-made embroidery and original floral ornaments.
You need to be prepared for the fact that it will be quite difficult to find a real product made of fabric with a national pattern, which performs not only an aesthetic function, but also carries a semantic load.
Usually, in search of such unique items of clothing or carpets, they go to small villages, where all the traditions of the art of weavers are strictly preserved. Only searches will take a lot of time, and the cost of a panel or carpet will be quite high.
Girls will appreciate silver jewelry: earrings, bracelets, brooches and rings. You can buy a silver belt, which is an integral part of the Lao woman's national costume. In addition to jewelry, you can buy old-style dishes, figurines or coins (Indochinese piastres). Silver jewelry is best purchased at jewelry stores. In the markets, there is a high probability of buying a fake.
Very often, as an inexpensive and colorful souvenir, tourists purchase carvings made of wood, stone, and bone. Local craftsmen carve original figurines depicting people, animals, birds. Some are ready to make a souvenir to order right in the store or in the market. By the way, most souvenirs are not just pretty mementos. They often have magical properties as well. For example, according to local beliefs, mango wood products can ward off evil spirits.
Exotic products
Lovers of original gifts will also find what to buy in souvenir shops or markets in Laos. Perhaps such souvenirs will not delight everyone. But as a souvenir of a trip to an exotic country, it is quite appropriate.
Often such things play the role of amulets and talismans. Now any traveler can take home a lizard with three tails, teeth of a snake or a wild boar, stones of an unusual shape. Drinks are very popular with travelers - tinctures, with snakes or scorpions preserved in alcohol. The gift will definitely be remembered for a long time.
You can take away not such frightening things as a keepsake. For example, the usual herbal or coffee tincture. It is better to buy coffee beans. This reduces the likelihood of buying a low-quality product. And you definitely need to pay attention to the cost: good coffee cannot be very cheap. Religious souvenirs are in great demand among tourists: Buddha figurines; paintings depicting scenes from his life; mini-copies of temples and many other items.
It is important to remember that only Buddha images related to souvenir products can be exported from Laos. Objects of art or antiques are prohibited for export from the country.
What else to bring back from Laos?
Often, inexperienced tourists who first find themselves in an exotic country are ready to buy up the entire range of souvenir shops. Better not to give in to such an impulse. Indeed, for a very low price, you can buy not only colorful, but also practical gifts. For example, kitchen utensils (shovels, spoons, plates) made of palm wood will not only remind you of the trip, but will also last a long time. Such products do not spoil their appearance for a long time due to water or oil.
A carved box or leather wallet is a useful thing that can also convey the atmosphere of the country. A wall panel in a vine frame will decorate the interior and will remind you of the original atmosphere of Laos.
As always, the greatest demand is for standard souvenirs, the assortment of which is large, and the cost is relatively low. For example, magnets or decorative plates depicting national symbols or main attractions.
A stand for writing instruments in the form of the Pha Thatluang Golden Stupa, one of the symbols of Laos, can become a universal gift. Often, in memory of a trip to Laos, wicker mats with images of temples, Buddha, and sketches from the life of local residents are taken away. Keychains with carved figures, national dolls will not take up much space in your luggage and at the same time will become an excellent souvenir from Laos, especially if it is handmade.
