Toumlan


Toumlan, 50km north of Salavan, is a slapped-together boom town with some small shops and restaurants and several oversized, out-of-place government buildings. The surrounding Katang villages comprise one of Laos' most important weaving regions. Women here weave a variety of silk and cotton styles, including some mat-mee (ikat or tie-dye), using large wooden floor looms instead of the back-strap looms typical in the Bolaven region.

Although virtually no English or Thai is spoken, if you see someone weaving you will almost certainly be welcome to stop and watch, as long as you're polite and friendly – this includes not turning your visit into a photo shoot. The best place to look is along the highway east of Toumlan proper where seemingly every house has a loom under it. Many of these villages raise their own silkworms.

The famous Lapup buffalo sacrifice festival is usually held in late February.

There's no public transport up here, but Rte 15A is paved and in good condition, or you can take the adventurous way using Rte 23 past Prince Souphanouvong's Bridge.


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1. Salavan Market

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Many women come in to this market from the surrounding villages to sell foods they've collected or caught in the forest, such as mushrooms, bamboo shoots,…

2. Wat Kang Salavan

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Founded over two centuries ago, this temple, 700m northeast of the market, has a very large hŏr đąi – a building dedicated to Buddhist scriptures –…

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