Early mornings in Luang Prabang are quiet, unhurried affairs.
The highlands surrounding the town bless the day with a delightful long-sleeved respite from the heat, and it’s the perfect time for a jog and a meandering, cool-down walk. Which was precisely what I was doing when I discovered the Morning Market.
Luang Prabang has two street markets: a famous Night Market, and the not-so-famous Morning Market. Every foreign visitor to LP makes at least one trip to the Night Market. In the cool of the early evening, a long section of the main street is closed to traffic, and local vendors set up tents selling handicrafts, food, clothing and an incredible array of things that tourists need – or think they need. It’s festive, entertaining, and mutually beneficial for all.
But what most foreign visitors don’t seem to discover is the 99% tourist-free Morning Market. Squeezed into a long, narrow alley next to a – Wat else? – Buddhist Temple, the morning market is an assault on the senses.
The crowd, noise, smells, and smoke wafting around enveloped me. Shoppers and sellers totally ignored my presence – a good thing so I could casually take it all in.
The Night Market is all food, crafts and tourist bric-a-brac, but the Morning Market is no-nonsense; selling practical things that locals need.
There was a hodgepodge of necessities for sale: produce, meat, rice, noodles, takeaway food, household goods, and haircuts alfresco.
And for carb-cravers, there were oodles of noodles and just across the way was a riot of rice.
One sidewalk chef was preparing the most environmentally friendly takeaway food imaginable. Cooked noodles were mixed with scrambled eggs and spices, then the whole concoction was stuffed into a banana leaf and tied with some sort of organic string. It not only looked delicious, but after eating, the container becomes compost. Styrofoam was never close to this take-away food; a message for us litter-happy westerners.
Then came my favorite … the grill meister. A husband and wife team had a huge selection of meats cooking over glowing charcoal; an irresistible culinary treat.
Luckily, I carry a little emergency cash with me when I jog, and suddenly my growling stomach signaled an emergency. A grilled pork chop with fried rice was the perfect Laotian brekkie. Of course, these delicious calories totally negated the positive effects of my jog, but it’s the classic jogger’s conundrum: Do I eat to run or run to eat?
A show and a meal; the ideal start to the day.
Happy Trails,
James
GALLIVANCE 
Fabulous and I love your title!
Thanks Cindy. It was especially nice that everyone there totally ignored me and my camera. This made it feel all the more authentic. ~James
Beautiful shots and a reminder of all the wonders of LP’s markets… I can almost taste those delicacies from here 😉
Thanks Amit. Strangely, I hadn’t read anything about the morning market, and I’m so glad to have stumbled into it. For a growing tourist city, the locals seem to be keeping it all in perspective. ~James
A totally sensory experience by the sound of it! We can only enjoy your great photos but the smells and tastes are just within reach in our imagination.
To be honest, the one smell that caught most of my attention was the BBQ. Everything looked wonderful, but in this part of the world, when it comes to meat, one has to choose carefully. I opted for the safety of a tasty pork chop. ~James
I’m not much into touristy bric-a-brac so, I think the morning market would be much more to my liking. Love the banana leaf packaging!
Laura, one of our rules of the road has seriously impacted what we buy. The rule, which is ruthlessly applied, is that you can buy whatever you want, but it must go into YOUR suitcase. We each travel with small rolling backpacks, so that cuts way down on the bric-a-brac. ~James
That sounds like one of our rule as well. When we move full-time into Waldo, obviously we will not be able to cram the contents of our house into the confines of Waldo’s 38 feet. So now, buying is only allowed if it will 1) be used up before we leave 2) is imperative to have on the road or 3) will fit in YOUR space.
We too discovered the morning market. Loved it.
Alison
Like most things in LP, I loved that the market was busy but not manic. Everyone went about their business at a leisurely pace, and didn’t make a big deal out of it. ~James
Yep, the grill is the place to stop but ah, everything else looks so inviting. Nice shots, all so clean at markets 🙂
As I said Ina, the grill certainly grabbed my attention. And your observation about clean is correct. Even though the stall floor might have been dirt, it had been swept and things were tidy in the booth. ~James
Much better prices at the morning market, too. I have wondered whether all the trash in India is because people used to use biodegradable (probably cow-edible) packaging, and just haven’t adjusted to the change.
We were in a hotel so cooking wasn’t an option, but I’m sure that the prices for food in the market were dirt cheap. Interesting thought on the trash situation in India Kathy. And I suspect that you’re right. It wasn’t so long ago that Americans pretty much dropped their trash where they stood. Luckily, that has all changed, though there are still a few inconsiderate jerks who do it. ~James
lovely post! My photos from my trip to the morning market are scheduled to post tomorrow 🙂
Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll check it out. And if you guys want to see more photos of the LP market, go to https://beirutibrit.wordpress.com tomorrow. ~James
Love your oodles of noodles and riots of rice 🙂
Those green banana leaf packages are brilliant! God, I hate Styrofoam.
I’m with you Joanne. It’s hard to escape using styrofoam in our culture, but I’m always appalled when I read how long it takes to break down in the landfill. Glad you liked the title. Our philosophy at Gallivance is to have fun when we can. ~James
What a wonderful find! The pictures are delicious.
Thanks Darlene. I hope that the photos convey how peaceful and calm the market was. As I said to someone else, it was also nice that the locals totally ignored my presence – always a plus for snooping around and snapping photos. ~James
What a great market. I often wonder if I walk so that I can eat.
Ahh – another kindred spirit. Carol, when it comes to exercise and calorie intake it never pays to read the “walking X minutes burns Y calories numbers.” It just never seems fair. I’ve never needed an excuse to eat, but exercise is a certainly a handy one. ~James
‘Wat’ a great post. You crack me up James with your titles and plays on words. I am so with you on discovering markets of the locals. Truly like a treasure hunt won to avoid the tacky tourist stalls . The bonus of not even being glanced at because the locals are busy with their own buying and selling is an added bonus.
Glad you liked the title Sue. I’d like to say I took the the literary highroad and worked on it for hours. But like Isaac Newton, my inspiration came while standing on the shoulders of giants: which in this case may have been Dr. Seuss. Didn’t you just love the markets in Peru? And did your acquisitions fit in your carryon? Come on now – be honest .~James
James for this trip we were told by the cycling company we had to check bags. For the various side trips of Peru, not to mention the next section on our own in the Galapagos, we needed SEVEN pieces of luggage. Two day packs, two cycling packs, two duffle bags and then suitcases to carry it all. It really was a gear gong show. Not the way we like to travel. Anyway it did allow for buying all kinds of scarves and hats in the markets of Peru. 🙂
You’ll need those hats come October. ~James
I actually thought about it when buying mine James. I said to Dave that every time I went to shovel snow I would pop my Peru hat on and think about our amazing adventure rather than how cold I was. Check back with me to see if it lasts come December/January.
Great post! I’m a sucker for markets (who isn’t, though?) Good thing you had your emergency cash with you! 🙂
Thanks Lynda. Whenever possible, we make the local market one of our stops in any new place. The tourist markets are fun as well, but we learn so much more about the culture at the local market. ~James
I was drooling just reading this post James. Are you at home right now or out traveling? I just saw on the news yesterday all the rain that KY is getting right now.
Thanks LuAnn. We’re at home putting the finishing touches on a full kitchen reno, and planning a Sept trip to the Balkans. This is our first summer in KY in a long time, so it’s hard to know, but even the old timers are shaking their heads at the amount of rain. The upside is that the new plants in Terri’s new garden are growing like weeds – as of course are the weeds. ~James
Enjoy your new home and try to stay dry. 🙂
I hadn’t heard of a ‘night market’ until our recent trip to Asia. I feel an odd obligation to go see, but the morning markets are so much more appealing. Glad you found this delight on your jog.
The cooler mornings and evenings make the perfect time for some shopping and socializing Susan. In addition to these markets there are a few flea markets that are worth a visit. The humongous Chatuchak market in Bangkok is a hoot. They sell just about everything, and even though it’s crowded, it’s still worth a visit. ~James
Love the look of those banana leaf parcels.
Aren’t these the coolest food containers Dorothy. Another place that does wonders with banana leaves is Bali; everything from food to lucky charms, to offerings to the gods. ~James
The traveler is always rewarded for waking up early. Thanks for sharing. LP is one of my favorite places but sadly in the 10 days I spent there I only got up early once. I’ll have to go back and do it right like you did.
Ten days in LP must have been nice Jeff. We were only there a week and could have spent another. After all my time living in hot climates I’ve gotten into the habit of early morning jogs. And I’ve discovered there’s an entire world up and about early that I wouldn’t normally see. There’s an ambience that just doesn’t exist later in the day. ~James
Beautiful! I love these pretend shopping trips through you – makes me think I am there. And hungry!
Thanks Pam. Anyone that can walk away from BBQ that looks this good is a stronger person than I am. This market was a delightful discovery, and wonderful start to the day. If you want to a foodie post on what was for sale, check this out:
https://beirutibrit.wordpress.com
~James
I really enjoyed your wonderfully colored photos of the market – now I’m hungry! We spend half our year in Oaxaca, Mexico, and it’s interesting to see the differences and similarities of the markets. No noodles but lots of corn!
The building (temple?) in the last photo is so graceful and lovely.
Thanks Marilyn. We’ve been to the market in Oaxaca, and I remember it being a very colorful place. Also, it was our first encounter with authentic mole and it was wonderful. We bought 4 softball-sized bags of the concentrate in the market and had a mole party when we got home. Our friends loved it. BTW, on our last trip to Mexico, we visited Morelia and its market. If you haven’t seen the post, you may be interested:
https://gallivance.net/2014/03/15/the-morelia-market-food-history-culture-and-cowboy-boots/
~James
I actually hope you run to eat; after all, it’s more fun that way. Great pictures. Love markets especially when I don’t even recognize what’s cookin’. Makes it more interesting. But are you able to eat everything? I’ve been kinda cautious — not sure if this Tennessee stomach can handle the rich offerings we see in other countries.
Rusha, like most long-term travelers, I’ve had my share of maladies. I don’t obsess about what I eat, but I don’t do anything dumb either. Most of it’s common sense, and being careful. But having said that, sometimes I’m just unlucky, and BAM! down I go. On our last RTW we changed our policy a bit and had lots and lots of street food. The key is to find the busiest place, because: A. the locals know the clean places and B. lots of food turnover means less chance of problems. I just pray that I don’t have the trots on a transit day. 🙂 ~James
Great tips! I hadn’t thought about the turnover aspect, but you’re so right. We weren’t sure which food trucks to patronize in Portland OR, so we avoided all. Not being good travelers, I suppose. But we avoided the scourge!
I’m taking notes James; I’ll need to get my butt out of bed and out early to fully experience the local cultures and a hearty breakfast on our RTW travels. Unlike Gord, I like to sleep in and later regret my decision. I’m working on changing this bad habit now:) -Ginette
Ginette, after years of living in hot climates, I’ve gotten into the habit of early morning exercise, which carries over into my travel life. I suspect the most people fall into the “up early or not” category, with both camps thinking the other side are kooks. I just know that every city I’ve ever visited feels totally different in the very early morning. The pace is slow and deliberate, everyone’s rested, and with so few people around, they seem friendlier. Pick a good spot and go on an early morning walk with Gord. You’ll love it. ~James
James, I know you’re right. Like you, Gordon will exercise or when travelling wander in the early hours taking photos, and the few times that I did set out with him, I think “wow, I should get up early all the time!”. But more often it’s “I’ll look at your pics later.” 🙂
One of the reasons I like wandering off on my own is to find things like this. With a guide you’ll always be shown the tourist friendly places but alone you stumble up the real place.
I feel the same way Marie. If we have a choice, we never take the guided tour. Not that there’s anything bad about guided tours, but we just prefer to go at our pace and see what we want to see. This usually requires some research in advance, but it works best for us. ~James
I felt as though I were right there. And you know I love my markets! Good writing/phoros, James!
Thanks very much Louise. The next time that you and Tom are in this part of the world, you really should visit Luang Prabang. Laos isn’t the easiest place to get to, but it’s definitely worth the effort. ~James