Morning Markets and a Lao Breakfast Walk

From a narrow dawn lane of river fish and forest greens to the bustling Phosy market, a morning of eating your way through Luang Prabang’s kitchens.

Area

Markets & evenings

Start from

Old town morning market lane, near the Royal Palace

Distance

about 4 km on foot, or by bicycle

Time needed

half a day

Best season

All year; early mornings

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

On foot and by tuk-tuk or bicycle to Phosy market

Tickets & rules

None

Why go

Long before the night market opens, the town has already done its shopping. Just after the alms round, a small lane near the Royal Palace fills with women sitting on mats with baskets of herbs, river weed, bamboo shoots, live frogs, fish from the Mekong and piles of chillies. It is busy, quiet and entirely local.

This walk follows the food: from that dawn lane to the riverfront for coffee, then out to Phosy, the main market of the town, where the real everyday shopping happens, and back for noodles.

It is the best way I know to understand Lao cooking, which is built on fresh herbs, sticky rice and strong, bright flavours. You will see ingredients you have never encountered, smell fermented fish and fresh dill side by side, and eat some of the best breakfasts of your trip.

The story

Lao cuisine is often described as a cousin of Thai, but it has its own character: less sweet, more bitter and herbal, and always with sticky rice, eaten with the hand from small woven baskets. Luang Prabang has its own regional dishes, many of them once served at the royal court.

Look for or-lam, a thick stew with buffalo meat, eggplant, herbs and a peppery wood called sakhan that numbs the tongue; Luang Prabang sausage, sai oua, fragrant with lemongrass and galangal; and jeow bong, a sweet and smoky chilli paste with strips of buffalo skin. Khao soi in Luang Prabang is a rice noodle soup topped with a rich tomato and minced pork sauce, quite different from the curry noodle of northern Thailand.

The morning market lane is also where you see the forest come into town. Villagers bring wild mushrooms, ferns, rattan shoots, ant eggs and river weed, depending on the season. Much of what is sold here was gathered, not farmed, only a day earlier.

Phosy market is larger and more varied, with sections for meat, fish, vegetables, dried goods, household items and clothes. It is where locals buy everything from rice to cooking pots, and the food stalls there serve noodle soups and grilled snacks at local prices.

Getting there

The morning market lane runs between the main street and the Mekong side near the Royal Palace; it starts around dawn and winds down by mid-morning. Phosy market is a few kilometres south-west of the old town, easily reached by tuk-tuk or bicycle.

Agree on the tuk-tuk fare before getting in.

A suggested plan

1. 6:15After the alms round, walk the morning market lane while it is busiest.
2. 7:00Lao coffee with condensed milk on the Mekong riverfront.
3. 8:00Tuk-tuk or cycle to Phosy market and explore the sections.
4. 9:00Breakfast at the market stalls: a bowl of noodle soup and fresh herbs.
5. 10:00Return to town for khao soi or a fruit shake, then rest.

Where to stay

Any old-town guesthouse; the morning market lane is a short walk from everywhere.

Good to know

• Bring small kip notes; vendors rarely have change for large bills.
• Ask before photographing vendors; many prefer not.
• Try khai paen, the crispy river-weed snack, and jeow bong to take home.