Mekong Night Market

Every evening, as the sun drops toward Thailand on the far bank, the Mekong riverfront in Vientiane turns into a market. Stalls line the road along the embankment, their awnings lit with strings of bulbs, selling clothing, bags, souvenirs, phone cases, jewellery and local snacks. The mood is relaxed, more like a village festival than a hard-sell bazaar, and the people watching is as much of an attraction as the shopping. Along the promenade, joggers circle the paved path, children kick balls in the open space, and groups of friends settle on mats with grilled fish, sticky rice and cold Beerlao. The river itself is wide and brown, with a thin sandbar in the dry season and a rush of high water after the rains, and at sunset the sky above Thailand turns orange, pink and violet. Stalls vary from handmade crafts and printed T-shirts to simple toys and plastic sandals, and the quality is generally modest, but prices are low and there are a few worthwhile finds: block-printed bags, woven bracelets, small wooden carvings, and fabric scraps.

Come early to catch the sunset and get a good seat, then wander through the stalls as the lights come on. Food is a major part of the evening. Look for skewers of grilled pork and chicken, fish grilled in salt, sausage, sticky rice in banana leaf, fresh fruit shakes, coconut ice cream and Lao-style pancakes.

Many stalls are cash only and prices are posted or easily negotiated. Sit-down places near the market offer a riverside dinner with a view, and a few rooftop bars set back from the road let you watch the scene from above.

This is a good place for the first or last evening of a trip, because it is easy and free and sets the tone of the city. Pair it with a visit to Talat Sao in the morning, a stop at Wat Si Saket, or an early dinner at one of the French or Lao restaurants near the river.

If you want a guide, a food tour or a sunset city tour will often end here. Families enjoy the open space, couples enjoy the sunset, and solo travellers will find it a comfortable place to meet other people. Whether you buy anything or not, an hour along the Mekong at dusk is one of the most memorable things to do in Vientiane.

Dry-season evenings also bring open-air aerobics classes on the promenade, impromptu football and families picnicking on the grass, and the sandbar in the middle of the river can be seen shrinking as the water rises. On weekends the market is at its busiest, so go on a weekday if you prefer more space. Keep an eye on your belongings in the crowd and agree prices before ordering at food stalls.