With its clean, orderly stalls and all manner of merchandise that make great souvenirs or mementos, Vientiane Night Market is aimed primarily towards tourists. It all begins around sunset when a small army of sellers begin setting up their red-roofed stalls directly on the riverside promenade. You can’t fail to see it. The whole riverside area is alive at this time with joggers and dog-walkers taking advantage of the cooling breezes and stunning backdrop of the sun lazily sinking into the Mekong river.
Products on offer are fairly typical of night markets throughout the region. You will find a predictable array of Buddhist-inspired paintings and knickknacks, cheap sunglasses, and Beer Lao T-shirts. The clothes stalls - with fishermen pants and one-size-fits-all dresses and skirts - tend to be geared towards the backpacker. With only US$10, you can pick up at least a couple of products here, but, for bargain hunters, it’s worth mentioning that everything on offer here can be found at a slightly cheaper price at other markets. The traders seem to have picked out all the best-sellers from the Morning Market and set them up in more attractive and convenient environment.
Open daily from 17:00 to 22:00
