Ban Phanom

Located in the outskirts of Luang Prabang, the village of Ban Phanom is known for traditional textile weaving practises. The villagers used to supply the silks to the royals in their hey days, now their products make it to the night market in Luan Prabanhg. The village is on the touristic circuit and can be visited on a bike trip around the region along with unexplored ruins of Phon Phao Temple. The weavers work with cotton and silk yarns and create variety of products including scarves, stoles, wall hangings and wraps. Visiting a village of Ban Phanom is a great way to witness the ancient textile weaving process where women begin with dyeing of yarns followed by weaving on old hand managed looms. The cooperative society runs a workshop and gives a quick step by step demonstration of silk weaving process. You can pick up some good quality souvenirs from here though do bargain to get a good deal. The villagers have learnt about their potential and are known to changing unreasonable amounts.