Tha Sadet Market & Riverside Promenade

A good place to start a late afternoon stroll along the Riverside Promenade is at the ancient Tha Sadet Market, which runs along the riverside at the western end of the promenade. The market is long and is mostly enclosed with a roof which means it is sometimes quite hot and cramped. On sale are a broad range of products from across the Indochina region - particularly Vietnam, Laos and China. It has your souvenir stuff such as Friendship Bridge T-Shirts and ceramic laughing Buddhas, mixed in with everyday locals stuff such as worn-out military jackets and canteens. There’s also plenty of food on offer, locally-produced muu yor (peppered sausage), noodles, barbequed fish and papaya salad are some favourite dishes. A plaza at the market's centre sells Lao coffee and tea, Vietnamese wines and Thai framed art. When you have finished shopping, you can walk (or rent a bicycle) along the promenade where you can watch the sun set over the Mekong, pass a few bars and restaurants, as well as street vendors selling snacks and arts and crafts. There are also a few temples dotted about which are always worth a visit. On certain days (usually at weekends) there is a large night market held along the promenade which are accompanied by live music next to the river and many 'fairground' type stalls - Thai style.