Ban Phanom
Ban Phanom
3.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Hand-weaving Of Cotton And Silk Is A Trademark Of This Village
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.5
41 reviews
Excellent
6
Very good
18
Average
10
Poor
5
Terrible
2
Wonder A
Singapore420 contributions
Feb 2017 • Couples
Ban Phanom is located some 4 km north of Luang Prabang. This handicraft village was once the former royal weaving village.
Written April 1, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GermanExpatHanoi
Hanoi50 contributions
Apr 2012 • Couples
In the main sales cebter the choice is quite good, some of the separate places have rather high prices. When you haggle, start at 50% of the asking price!
Written April 7, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LuizDutraNeto
Rio de Janeiro, RJ8,549 contributions
Jan 2020
At only 3 kms out of the city's center (just 10 min by tuk-tuk), on the banks of the Nam Khan River, you will find the weaving village of Ban Phanon - the royal weaver of Luang Prabang's Court! You will see entire families working on their looms and weaving Lao traditional cotton and silk wares. The ancient art of weaving will be in front of your eyes! The whole village works on co-operative basis and its production is on sale right on the spot. A little haggling is always possible, if you feel like doing so ... There are other nearby weaving villages, as Luang Nam Tha and Sam Neava. Their products can also be found at Luang Prabang's Morning and Night markets. As a curiosity, while in Ban Phanon, it will be possible to visit the tomb of France's legendary explorer Henri Mouhot. He was the first occidental naturalist to explore the ruins of Angkor in Combodia. His memories - "Voyages dans les Royaumes de Siam, de Cambodge et de Laos", published posthumously, helped to popularize Angkor in the West. Henry Mouhot died of malaria in Naphan, near Ban Phanon, in 1861. Enjoy!
Written October 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marni K
San Jose CA442 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
This review is for the handcraft center in Ban Phanom Village. This is a really extraordinary place to visit. When you enter the very large room, it almost looks like a bazaar with over a dozen women sitting with piles of their wares all around them. But it turns out that in the back there are multiple looms where different women are working every day. So you can see the beginnings of a textile piece being made on the loom and then go out front and purchase something similar.
The quality of the work being sold is absolutely extraordinary. My mind was absolutely exploded by the quantity, quality, and variety of goods offered. I walked around the room, looking at different pieces, made by some of the different women, and eventually bought a few as gifts, because not only are they stunningly beautiful but they are also amazingly affordable. I had been to the night market a few nights previously and similar work was much more expensive.
If you’re willing and able to take a 10 minute drive outside the city to visit this center, you will be able to buy handicrafts from women who have been weaving for decades. But remember to bring cash! There is no ATM in the village, and credit cards are not accepted.
If you’ve read this far, I will tell you that I have been collecting woven clothing and scarves in the United States for over four decades, made by some of the most talented weavers in the country. I was able to find silk scarves in Laos that was so intricately designed and executed that I would have never been able to afford them in my home country. I bought a few scarves at the center and then return the next day with more cash because everyone I know is going to have one of these scarves and it was such a treat to meet the women who made them and feel that in some small way I was helping to support them.
The quality of the work being sold is absolutely extraordinary. My mind was absolutely exploded by the quantity, quality, and variety of goods offered. I walked around the room, looking at different pieces, made by some of the different women, and eventually bought a few as gifts, because not only are they stunningly beautiful but they are also amazingly affordable. I had been to the night market a few nights previously and similar work was much more expensive.
If you’re willing and able to take a 10 minute drive outside the city to visit this center, you will be able to buy handicrafts from women who have been weaving for decades. But remember to bring cash! There is no ATM in the village, and credit cards are not accepted.
If you’ve read this far, I will tell you that I have been collecting woven clothing and scarves in the United States for over four decades, made by some of the most talented weavers in the country. I was able to find silk scarves in Laos that was so intricately designed and executed that I would have never been able to afford them in my home country. I bought a few scarves at the center and then return the next day with more cash because everyone I know is going to have one of these scarves and it was such a treat to meet the women who made them and feel that in some small way I was helping to support them.
Written October 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
melenheads
taipei19 contributions
I am not sure if we just went at an off time or maybe it is off season but I felt a little disappointed with this place. We arranged for a tuktuk to take us there. He drove us straight to the weaving "village". Basically a room full of weavers. But it was lights off, a room full of sleeping weavers. We went into the area where people weave but again everyone was either resting or maybe they just wait for tours to show up and then start weaving. One lady finally got up, pointed to the cocoons, dyes, and did a few passes at the loom then took us to her selection of weavings. I bought a tablecloth and left. I think I even paid more than I should have but I did it more as a thanks for showing us around. Maybe we just showed up at the wrong time. But between the tuktuk ride and the so-so weaving I should have just spent the same amount of money on a beautiful scarf from a store like 'Mulberries' in town. You could learn just as much as we did and get a beautiful quality item without the hassle. Since we were staying at Thong Bay Guesthouse we decided to walk back to our place instead of taking the tuktuk back. We enjoyed the 20 minute stroll home taking photos of rice fields more than the weaving experience.
Written July 14, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FahJaFah
Bangkok, Thailand116 contributions
Jan 2015 • Couples
The place has become a commercial rip off. Nothing much of the weaving activities to see. They just want to sell you stuff at high price..... way higher price than the identical items you can find at the night market. However the temple next to it is really beautiful so a short stop at Ban Phanom isn't really a bad idea unless you start to buy things.
Written January 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cocolakota
Ebreuil, France19 contributions
Feb 2012 • Family
We loved the bicycle ride to Ban Phanom, it was a lovely sunny morning, not too hot. It was nice going around the village, and we managed to "talk" with a young woman there. The silk weaving hall was very interesting too, beautiful fabrics.
Written February 29, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RealTravelPro
Salzburg, Austria167 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
This temple might be smaller than some others in LP but it is just as magical. We attended the evening prayers of the monks in the main hall after we were told that this temple might allow visitors to attend the prayers/chanting if they follow the right etiquette. Make sure to ask before entering or do so quietly through the side doors following the common etiquette of wearing appropriate clothing and correct sitting. Or you can just listen from the outside sitting on the door steps. It was a wonderful experience to listen to the chanting of the monks.
Written May 15, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vineeth N
27 contributions
Jun 2016 • Solo
I just wasted 100,000 lak for nothing after reading an article from visit-laos.com website about Luang Prabang attractions. Whoever wrote such article should be held responsible. Its a small handicraft/textile shop with couple of women weaving and stitching in a room behind the store. Thats pretty much about it. I hardly spend 5 minutes total in there. The village seems to be rather developed and not much different from houses with in Luang prabang. I dont know if its is possible to watch anymore household /cottage weaving inside those houses, but i doubt it. Just go there if you have plenty of time to kill in LP and your own transport. its just about 6kms from town.
Written June 26, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SagarVS
India2,771 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
This is a village with a few shops. There is a so called weavers cooperative and they try to sell the same stuff thats found all over Luang Prabang. Not worth it at all. Some of the pictures here do not pertain to this place.
Written March 7, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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