Saffron Coffee was born in 2006 to establish a viable alternative cash crop for hill tribe villagers in northern Laos, who in the early 2000s were unable to rely on the now outlawed opium harvest for much of their income and livelihood. Saffron Coffee’s flagship cafe – it’s Espresso, Brew Bar and Roastery on the Mekong River in Luang Prabang – opened in 2016. The cafe provides a window through which travelers to can share and contribute to the Saffron story everytime they eat or drink at Saffron. We also offer “Cherry tp Cup” coffee tour takes you from the beginning of the journey where you can eat a coffee cherry straight off the tree, have a go at pulping the beans and enjoy the beautiful aroma of roasted coffee as you watch us roast some coffee. Read more

We represent a family silk farming and handicraft cooperative in Laos, operating as Mulberries and Phontong-Camacrafts Handicrafts Cooperative. Our aim is to advance an ecological, economic, cultural and socially sustainable Lao silk and handicraft enterprise that improves the livelihood of the people we work with. An important part of our work is to ensure that our environmental, cultural and artistic resources are safeguarded for future generations. Our role is to build close relationships with Lao village producers and contribute to improving their livelihood and standard of living. We also create market opportunities by bringing their products and stories to a global marketplace that connects and fosters an understanding between consumers and producers.   Read more

CAMA Crafts store is located in the heart of Vientiane, the capital city of Laos, was established in 1990 by CAMA Services, an American relief and development organization. The main purpose is to support Hmong refugees of the Vietnam War. CAMA Crafts’ goal is “to lead village producers toward self-sufficiency, to promote community development through meaningful work, and to preserve and encourage traditional skills and handicrafts”. CAMA Crafts became the first business in Laos to be certified by the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO, then the International Fair Trade Association). The company offer three different types of lifescenes which include Hmong, Lao, and Animal. The Hmong and Lao styles show typical village life and illustrate popular folk tales. Read more

Support. Preserve. Share. Ma Té Sai is a social enterprise on a mission to support communities in Laos, through partnerships with artisans – preserving cultural traditions by sharing with the world the beauty of their handcrafted products. Ma Té Sai was founded in Luang Prabang in 2010 with the knowledge of how income from craft production can improve rural families’ education and health. And along side the desire to distribute the tourist dollar further out to these ethnically diverse and culturally rich communities. Over a decade we have trained women to sew, and supported them with equipment in their homes. By connecting weavers, and sewers we can create unique and desirable homeware, fashion and gifts for the international market. We believe with modern communication village production is the way forward. We select and co-create beautiful gifts, textiles and homewares handmade by people from villages across Laos. Read more

DakDae central of organic and natural products (agri-processed products): tea, coffee, body wash, home cleaning, beans. DakDae selling organic and natural products more than 200 list. Beauty and bodycare, snack, drinks, tea, coffee, rice, brown sugar, sesame, beans, natural dish soap, floor cleaning, laundry soap. Dakdae is Lao name which mean cocoon, a cocoon that looks all the same when they are young but in fact it hidden different beauty, talents and characteristic in side that might not able to visualize. But one day, these cocoon will grow up and become butterflies that have various naturally beauty and role that make ecosystem become diversify. Dakade represent young entrepreneurs and artisas that DakDae social enterprise aim to coach and provide opportunity for them to share/show their talents and generate income in parallel with positive social and environmental impacts. Read more

The Luang Prabang Special Education School gives to deaf children the opportunity to receive an education, and to learn a job in order to have a better professional integration. Thus, they are trained for weaving, dressmaking, carpentry, mechanic and for the catering sector. To value their work, and promote their apprenticeship, the centre has developped businesses. Business and professional training A support to their learning To support the community work and promote the deaf&mutes training, the centre has launched businesses on place. As the young learn weaving, dressmaking, carpentry, catering and mechanic, a handicraft shop, a garage and a coffee place welcome visitors. Those social businesses are also complementary ressources, as the community intend to be self-sufficient. The handicraft activity is working BtoB and BtoC. Visitors can stop by the shop, and local companies can order handicrafts. The garage is dedicated to bicycles and motorcycles. The coffee serves beverages, snacks and “homemade food” at lunch time.   Read more

Located in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC) is a local social enterprise founded in 2006 to promote the appreciation and transmission of Laos’ ethnic cultural heritage and livelihoods based on traditional skills. The Centre’s primary activities are two-fold: a museum, and fair-trade handicrafts stores directly linked with artisan communities across Laos. TAEC’s work includes school outreach activities, craft workshops, lectures, research, and a non-profit foundation in the USA. The Centre has expanded to include a growing collection of ethnic minority artefacts, a small library, family activity centre, and outdoor patio space for special events. TAEC has emerged as a regional leader in cultural heritage management and community development. It is the only independent resource and learning centre for both foreign visitors and local citizens dedicated to the country’s many and diverse ethnic groups. Read more

TaiBaan was started by PADETC, a Lao NGO, as a fair trade social business that works with traditional handicraft artisans to preserve and promote Lao village crafts, create employment opportunities for villagers – mostly women – and reduce poverty. TaiBaan was originally named Saoban. In 2020, Saoban was renamed TaiBaan to reflect rebranding needs of the company. TaiBaan means ‘village or a community of villages’ in the Lao language. TaiBaan supports more than 15 village crafts groups of many ethnic communities across 10 provinces of Laos. When you buy from TaiBaan Crafts, you provide employment and training for the artisans, and the profits stay in the village communities.   Read more

Welcome to Magic Lao Carpets Handicrafts – producers of exquisite quality hand-made silk carpets and kilims from Laos! We are proud to offer you the best in hand-made silk rugs and kilims! Magic Lao Carpets Handicrafts was set up to introduce carpet-weaving in Laos, which is already known for its amazing textile weaving. Ancient traditions of carpet-making have found their way to the skillful hands of local weavers, giving Lao silk a new life. Silk carpets have in all times been admired for their brilliance and finesse. Magic Lao Carpets Handicrafts produces exquisite hand-made pile carpets and flatweaves (kilims) from high quality hand-spun silk. Our carpets are made according to the highest standards of carpet-weaving and incorporate authentic, original design patterns inspired by traditional Lao textile weaving. Careful quality control on every stage of production ensures overall outstanding quality of our products.   Read more

Thaan Fun believes in local wisdom, including the use of herbs. Based on this local wisdom, we develop natural personal and home care products. We also work with farmers in the community to grow organic herbs and produce for processing at a fair price. Our products combine Lao herbal wisdom with the understanding of how beneficial micro-flora can bring healing to both body and environment. The presence of life-promoting beneficial microbes reinforces enzyme activity, supporting and developing antioxidant,s and increasing natural cleansing and medicinal properties in our products. The probiotic concept serves to increase our natural defense against bad bacteria while helping restore a positive microbial balance to the environment. Naturally occurring saponin found in soapnuts is used as a surfactant (bubbles in the soap). Extractions of beneficial elements from plants and fruits are fermented, eliminating the need for shelf life extension chemical preservatives like Paraben. Pineapple and citrus fruits possess anti-oxidant enzymes that function as a natural degreaser and deodorizer. Their natural medicinal properties gently cleanse without the need to use harmful chemicals. Read more

From clay… …to ceramic! Discover our products and buy a unique, handmade souvenir, supporting traditional craft in Laos! Our Village, Chan Nua is located 10 minutes downstream from Luang Prabang. For over 400 years, the families of our village have been making pottery. Ancient kings of Laos chose this village for their pottery making skills. Supplying the royal court with clay pots became the central way of life for the people. At first the pots were used to ferment fish and hold water but now families produce a large range of items from beautifully decorated planters to terracotta roof tiles, making them almost entirely by hand and using the same techniques passed down through the centuries and from generation to generation. We have started our company in part to help preserve this amazing history as it is slowly fading away. There are only six families currently who are still preserving these techniques and the lifestyle of the pottery making families. Read more

PASSA PAA MEANS THE LANGUAGE OF CLOTH IN LAO. STITCH BY STITCH EACH OF OUR TEXTILES HAVE STORIES TO TELL. WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE TEXTILE SKILLS OF HMONG/LAO ARTISANS NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE Long time friends, Pok (Hmong/Lao artisan) and Heather (British textile designer) saw a need for Hmong artisans and hemp farmers in Laos to find a market for their skills and raw materials. In 2012 Heather and Pok began researching more about traditional Hmong techniques along with hemp and cotton production in northern Laos. They began combining Heather’s design background with Pok’s artisan upbringing to reproduce the Hmong motifs in contemporary ways through the combination of screen print with applique and cross-stitch embroidery. Read more