Experience the Villages
- Immerse yourself in a fascinating authentic village experience.
- Explore the village and learn about traditional Lao life.
- Observe behind-the-scenes the artisans’ ancient skills and techniques.
- Get hands-on at creating your own piece.
- Enjoy a traditional Lao meal.
In these villages there are dozens of unique tribal cultures, each with its own beliefs, traditions, languages, and forms of artistic expression.
Handwoven silks, cotton and hemp textiles, basketry, jewellery and other arts are as meaningful in these artists’ lives today as they have been for generations.
While these artists come from a diversity of ethnicities, they all share a passion, talent, and reputation for creating the highest-quality textiles and other arts using traditional materials, methods, and motifs.
You can visit these villages and meet the artisans while they work.
Pottery
Ban Chan Neua is approximately 5km, down river south of Luang Prabang. This riverside village has been manufacturing pottery for more than 400 years. In ancient times, pottery pots were used for purposes such as fermenting fish along with storing water and rice alcohol. Today, a large variety of beautifully handcrafted terra-cotta pots, planters, lanterns, tiles and more are made using the same techniques passed down through centuries.
Saa Paper
Ban Xang Khong or Ban Sang Khong is a village in Luang Prabang Province, Laos. It is located about 5km east of Luang Prabang. The Lue peoples of this village are noted in particular for their arts and crafts. The locals are adept at making traditional Saa paper, which is made from mulberry trees.
Woodcarving
Ban Nong Bueng is a traditional woodcarving village that has managed to pass on ancient woodcarving skills from one generation to the next. The traditional wood carving techniques used here originate from the Ta Oy ethnic group that used to live in the highlands of Southern Laos.
Textile
Ban Phanom is an artisan village near Phon Phau Temple in Luang Prabang.
- Naturally grown, Lao cotton is soft, beautiful and durable.
- Village artisans raise silkworms and collect, spin, dye and weave the yarn by hand.
- Cottons and silks are dyed using natural plants and herbs, collected locally by villagers.
