On Your Travels

• Tang Dong Handicraft Development Center Dugushou 18th, Chang Fang Road, Old Town, Shangri-la County

A wide range of covetable, quality products, including pottery, woven blankets, woodcarvings, bags, toys and paintings, all created by local Tibetan artisans.

• Nixi Black Pottery Coffee 5, Cang Fang Street, Chi Lang Gang, Shangri-la City Old Town

A first rate cafe serving excellent breakfasts and freshly ground coffee, as well as Tibetan, Chinese and Western dishes. Enjoy local and imported wines by the glass and bottle, and browse the fine selection of pottery for sale, from Nixi Village, and books in English and Chinese.

• The Yunnan Mountain Handicraft Centre (YMHC) 1Jinlong Jie, Shangri-La

Shop here for food, soaps, skin care products and handicrafts, all made from quality, natural ingredients by the farmers of Shangri-La, and play a part in improving quality of life in this farming community.  Raw materials are farmed and produced using green methods that avoid the use of chemicals or pesticides.

Restaurants

• Makphet Restaurant and Friends’ shopUpdate! open up to March 18, 2017, then to be relocated address unknown at this date we’ll inform you of new location

  #78, Ban Inpeng Vat Chanh Tha, Vientiane. Open Every Day 11am – 9:30pm – T +856 21 260 587 – contact@makphet-restaurant.org

Established by Friends International, this vocational training restaurant in Vientiane teaches cookery and customer service skills to disadvantaged young people. The restaurant upholds the highest standards of hygiene and serves creative Lao cuisine prepared with only naturally-grown ingredients and without MSG.

• Khaiphaen in Luang Prabang 100 Sisavang Vatana Road, Ban Wat Nong, between the French Institute and the Mekong River.  Open Monday to Saturday 11am – 9:30pm – T +856 30 515 5221/71 254 135

Khaiphen is named after a popular Laotian snack made of crispy Mekong River weed unique to Luang Prabang. Enjoy creative Lao cuisine, as well as great shakes and cocktails, set in a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage city. The restaurant also has a small gift shop attached to it, selling products made by families which will help keep their children in education.

• Tamarind: a taste of Laos Kingkithsalath Road, next to The Apsara Laos Hotel, Luang Prabang. Tel. (+856 71) 213 128 / 20 7777 0484

This stylish Lao-Austalian-family restaurant and cooking school is the perfect setting to sample and learn more about the special flavours and ingredients of Lao cuisine. Create your own dishes in the buffet; choose from the restaurant’s a la carte menu of Lao specialities, or attend its guided food tastings and other culinary events.  Committed to giving something back to local communities, Tamarind sources all its raw matters from local producers and suppliers.  Diners can take a taste of Tamarind home for themselves or their friends: the restaurant offers a range of gourmet gifts, cookbooks and cooking utensils.

Shopping

• Mulberries Nokeo Koummane Road, Vientiane

A not-for-profit operation that specialises in the production of naturally-dyed, handmade Lao silk, Mulberries is known for its selection of quality scarves and cushion covers.  The company is part of the World Fairtrade Organisation that supports the interests of producers, particularly small farmers and artisans and helps them to improve their livelihoods.

• COPE Souvenir shop Khou Vieng Road, Vientiane (across from Green Park Hotel)

Choose from a range of t-shirts and handicrafts to support COPE (Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise) in its ongoing efforts to rid the country of landmines and other unexploded ordinances.

• Organic market That Luang Esplanade, Vientiane

The largest and most diverse source of delicious organic fruits, vegetables and prepared foods in Laos, the market helps educate and inform consumers about organic production systems in Laos, and about the benefits of consuming organic products.

• Carol Cassidy’s Textiles and weaving shop 108, Nokekoumanne Ban Mixay, Chanthabouly district, Vientiane

Shop here for bold, beautiful wall hangings, scarves, shawls and custom furnishing fabrics exquisitely crafted in 100% handwoven silk by Carol Cassidy and the 40 Laotian artisans she employs.

• T’Shop Laï Gallery local and imported wines by the glass and bottle Vat Inpeng Street, Vientiane

A great place to find fun, practical and inexpensive souvenirs and giftwares. Colourful coasters, vases, bowls, boxes, games, ornaments and jewellery are cleverly crafted from materials like coconut wood and shell, eggshell, buffalo horn, recycled timber or steel, mulberry paper and leather. All products are handmade by Lao artisans trained at the gallery’s workshop and part of the profits from every sale goes towards educational development in Laos.

• Ma Té Sai 2/58, Sisangvone Road, ban Xieng Mouane, Luang Prabang

Ma Té Sai sells gifts and household items made by Laotian hilltribes. These fascinating handicrafts reflect village life, local traditions and the cultural identities of a variety of  ethnic groups; take one – or more – pieces home and and contribute towards improving the sustainable incomes of poor and vulnerable Lao artisans.

• Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre Ban Khamyong, Luang Prabang

Carved wood, cotton and liana vine, hand spun and dyed are some of the natural materials with which TAEC artisans craft a variety of accessories, homewares, jewellery and children’s toys. Through this shop, TAEC supports over 600 craftspeople, mostly disadvantaged women and their families from 12 provinces of Laos. A visit to the on-site ethnic museum and café/ bakery shop is a must-do while in Luang Prabang.

• Ban Chan, pottery village Across Mekong River, Luang Prabang

The 300 inhabitants of the small village of Ban Chan manufacture highly individual pottery, vases, ash trays and terracotta tiles. Raw materials are sourced from the surrounding area, mixed, processed, modelled and fired on the site.

• CAMACrafts Ban Phonton, Luang Prabang

CAMACrafts is a non-profit, self-help project that markets attractive handicrafts made by Lao artisans. All products are entirely handmade, using traditional patterns and techniques, in order to preserve and promote the traditional needlework skills of Hmong and Lao women, such as appliqué, cross stitch, embroidery and batik.

• Ock Pop Tok  Ban Saylom, Luang Prabang

Shop here for a colourful selection of fair trade gifts, scarves, home textiles, accessories and toys, all handcrafted by local villagers. Ock Pop Tok collaborates in the empowerment and development of rural women and artisans from remote areas.

Restaurants

• LinkAge Restaurant and Art Gallery 221, 1st floor, Manhar Bandoola Garden Street, Rangoon. Tel. (+951) 09 495 83618 / 09 430 52 916. Monday to Sunday, 11 am to 10 pm

Appealingly located in a quiet corner of crowded downtown Yangon, LinkAge restaurant is the social enterprise belonging to the NGO, Forever Humanitarian and Development Projects, that provides vocational training to street children in Yangon. Diners can enjoy delicious food, prepared and served by enthusiastic young people and at the same time admire the collection of Myanmar Fine Art paintings that decorate the walls.

• Shwe Sa Bwe Malikha Road, Yangon (close to crossroads with Parami Road). Tel (+951)1661983

This hotel and restaurant training centre equips underprivileged young Myanmar nationals with the culinary and service skills that change their lives. Mouthwatering set menus,    both Burmese and Western, are served for lunch and dinner.

• Veranda Youth Community Cafe; Zwekabin Street (between Ingone Street & Kan Thar Yar Lake), Hpa An, Karen State – Open Monday to Saturday, 11am – 8pm –  Tel +95 925 5953 135.

A community centre inviting youths to gain priceless work experience in the hospitality sector in a relaxed café environment. Participants work together to organise their ideas and visions to contribute to the development of their community. The centre’s programs offer participants the opportunity to learn more about Karen culture and education. A wide range of drinks (hot beverages, juices, shakes, smoothies) and food (snacks, salads and Burmese meals) are available.

Shops

• Xavier Bagnoud Association, AFXB

• In Yangon :
  • 8-1, Kha Paung Lane (Martin Avenue), Hlaing
  • Hnin Si Gone Home Of The Age, Shwe Goner Daing Street

9 to 5 pm (closed on Sundays). Tel: (+951) 97 30 16 552

Browse textiles, candles and handicrafts in metal and wood in AFXB’s shop. The association was created to fight poverty and AIDS and support orphans and other vulnerable children in Burma. Buyers contribute towards its valuable work to improve children’s rights and provide direct support to the families and communities that care for them.

• Loft shop at Monsoon Restaurant 85-87, Theinbyu Road, Botataung, Yangon. Tel: (+951) 29 52 24 & 70 50 63

A treasure trove awaits in the loft above Monsoon Restaurant: finely crafted accessories for women, hand-made glassware and home décor items, all made from quality, natural materials.  Visitors can also step into the Loft Shop’s workshop and learn about the various craft techniques used by its talented artisans.

Restaurants

• Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant and Gift Shop
  • 6 Sukhumvit Soi 12, Sukhumvit Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok (Close to Times Square Building; 200m south from the intersection of Sukhumvit Rd. with Sukhumvit 12 Alley)
  • 252 Moo 4 Gate 1 Chiangrai Rajaphat University Rd,, Tambon Ban Doo, Muang, Chiang Rai

Eat, shop and support worthy causes at Cabbages & Condoms. The restaurant serves an extensive selection of tasty Thai and Western dishes; soups, appetizers, salads, noodles and vegetarian food.  The gift shop, meanwhile, is the place to pick up handmade ceramics, candles, Thai-silk products, t-shirts and a novel range of items made from condoms, all crafted by villagers from rural areas of Thailand. Both projects provide operational and financial support to the Population and Community Development Association (PCDA), which has been effectively promoting the use of condoms since the 90’s, when Thailand had the world’s fastest growing numbers of HIV cases. Cabbages & Condoms now also supports additional PCDA programs that address such issues as socio-economic development, education and health, emergency relief and environmental issues.

• Ruen Come in Restaurant 79/3 Sirithorn Rd., Chang Phuak, Muang, Chiang Mai. Tel. (+66) 53 212 516

Proudly run by a Chiang Mai family, this charming, eco-friendly restaurant serves traditional, home-cooked recipes from Northern Thailand, made with organic and locally-sourced ingredients. Ruen Come In Restaurant aims to promote and celebrate Chiangmai Mai culture; every detail – from interior design to staff uniform – is locally designed and made  in the Lanna style, and staff are encouraged speak local dialect to Thai customers.

• Krua Pak Waan Ayutthaya Krua Pak Waan 13000 1/6 ซ.อู่ทอง 4 Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

This restaurant focuses on the flavors of traditional Thai-Muslim dishes. They grow their own organic vegetables and their specialty is Pak Waan which is used in most dishes. The river prawns are amazing.

(Opening Times: MON to SUN – 08:00 – 21:00)

• The Passport 507 Moo 10, Maepa, Mae Sot, Tak 63110 (Opening Times: THU to SUN for Dinners only)

The Passport is definitely worth a dinner trip to the north side of Mae Sot. This non-profit hospitality vocational training school offers Western/Asian menus, showcasing the skills of migrant and refugee students. The vocational training center was launched in 2009 by IECD and the Tak Border Child Assistance Foundation. In the context of Thailand, where tourism is a major sector of the economy, the multidisciplinary training in front office, cooking, service and housekeeping offered by the HCTC opens up great professional opportunities to 30 young people every year, after completion of a two-year, practice-oriented training.

• Chomtalay Beach Restaurant 181 Moo 4 Samroiyod District Prachuap Khirikan. Tel. (+66) 32 559 364

This welcoming restaurant is as committed to environmental and social welfare as it is to serving an excellent selection of tasty seafood and healthy cuisine – check out the special low-carbon footprint menu. Its key initiatives include waste separation, the use of energy and water-efficient appliances, support for the community’s health and education systems and awareness raising activities for both customers and local communities. All staffs are local and trained in environmental conservation, hospitality and health issues.

Shopping

• ThaiCraft Fair Trade 242, Soi Akharn Songkroh, Akhan Songkroh Sai 15 Road, Thung Wat Don Sathorn, Bangkok

Shoppers can browse a wide variety of colourful handcrafted products, from pottery and rattan furniture to scarves, jewellery and Christmas decorations. ThaiCraft gives artisans from all over Thailand the opportunity to earn a living by selling the items they hand make.

• Friends’n’ Stuff 3/8 Soi Sukhumvit 49, Sukhumvit Road, Khlongton Nua, Watthana District, Bangkok. Monday to Friday: 9 am to 6 pm

Be amazed at the creative potential of recycling. The Thai sister to Friends shops in Cambodia is packed with unique products, designed and made by Friends students – all former street kids – and their parents.  Recycled materials are transformed into brand new bags, soft toys, accessories, homewares and other funky craft items.

• Thai Tribal Crafts Fair Trade 208 Bamrungrat Road, Chiang Mai

Attractive bags, travel accessories, clothing, basketwork, musical instruments and Fair Trade coffee are just some of the wide range of items on sale at Thai Tribal Crafts shop. All goods are produced by the six major hill tribe groups of Northern Thailand, and every purchase has a part to play in improving their quality of life.

• Weave

• 7 Soi 5 Sirimangkalajarn Road T.Suthep, Chiang Mai
• 656, Intarakeeree Road Mae Sod, Tak

Shop here for cotton clothing, soft toys, hammocks, hand-woven silk scarves, wooden handicrafts, fair trade coffee and more – and for an important cause.  Weave works to empower indigenous women in Thailand and support their needs and basic human rights.

• Hilltribe Museum and Education Centre 3rd. Floor, PDA Building, 620/25 Thanalai Road A, Chiang Rai

Created under the same umbrella organisation as Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant, PDA the Hilltribe Museum and Education Centre was set up to provide tourists in Chiang Rai with information about the fascinating cultures of the six major tribal groups of Northern Thailand.

• The Family Tree 7 Naresdamri Road, Hua Hin

A treasure trove of authentic, Thai arts and crafts, handmade by community groups and independent artists. Shop here for award-winning, hand-woven, naturally-dyed Thai silks, natural cosmetics, vibrant paintings of Thai life, striking recycled sculptures, jewellery, toys and accessories.

• Thai Wisdom Centre Kanchanaburi 158 Moo 5, Tambon Singh, Amphoe Saiyok, Kanchaburi

This green business stocks all sorts of organic cosmetics, food and homewares. The Thai Wisdom Centre gives the producers of the goods it sells the opportunity to earn a living and at the same time protects the local environment, wildlife and culture.

• Bloom Saigon; 3/5 Hoang Sa Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City – Tel: (+84) (0)8 39 10 12 77

   

  Housed in a beautifully restored French colonial villa down a dimly lit alley, this charming restaurant serves healthy authentic Vietnamese delicacies and street foods made with fresh, quality ingredients with a touch of French influence. Bloom’s service offers a charming, comfortable, romantic atmosphere with a very nice view over the city and the Saigon River. This restaurant is also a vocational training center for disadvantaged youth, empowering them for a better future. Capacity: 100 persons

• Pots and Pan’s: 57 Bui Thị Xuan, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
  

   

  An innovative restaurant offering a blend of European and modern Vietnamese cuisine. This restaurant was created in partnership with Know One Teach One (KOTO) and its international partner Small Giants, providing vocational training to underprivileged youths in Vietnam. Tucked away one of the small streets of Hanoi, among the bright lights of karaoke bars, Pot’s and Pans is worth seeking out. In a modern and yet intimate setting Pots’n Pans not only churns out fantastic Vietnamese cuisine with a unique international flair, but it helps to improve the lives of locals as well. The result is a thoroughly satiating, feel-good experience for guests that shouldn’t be missed. Capacity: 100 persons

• Noir Dining in the dark: 180D, Lane 178, Hai Ba Trung street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
  

  Lunch: 11:30 – 14:30 – Dinner: 17:30 – 23:00

  At Noir, it is more than just a meal it is a sensory journey, you will experience a dinner in a complete darkness where you will be guided and served by blind or visually impaired staff who have been specially trained to assist and reassure guests. This dining experience will stimulate your senses and open your mind, to a symphony of flavor from Asian to European cuisine. A unique occasion to support the blind community of Ho Chi Minh city and to contribute to organizations restoring sight to visually impaired children. Capacity: 70 persons

• KOTO 
  • 59 Van Mieu, Dong Da District, Hanoi
  • 151A Hai Ba Trung Street, District 3 Ho Chi Minh City

Dine for a cause at the stylish KOTO Restaurant. KOTO, or ‘Know One Teach One’, is supported by Street Voices, an NGO dedicated to creating a brighter future for street kids and other disadvantaged youths in Vietnam. Young people in the KOTO training program are taught  English language, hospitality and life skills and gain valuable work experience at its first rate restaurant.

• The Silent Tea House 131 Tran Phu, Hoi An

Opened in February 2013, the Silent Tea House is a Reaching Out project run by hearing impaired staff. Enjoy a cup of freshly prepared tea and choose from a selection of tasty, organic, home-made cakes and snacks while you appreciate the beautiful peaceful atmosphere of silence and the beautiful ancient decoration.

• Streets Restaurant 17  Le Loi Street, Hoi An
  

Located in a beautifully restored shop house setting, this restaurant is owned by a not-for profit organization. With food inspired by chefs from around the world, the menus feature the highest standards of carefully selected contemporary Vietnamese and International cuisine. All the restaurant revenue goes towards supporting the comprehensive program, where trainees spend part of each week at the restaurant, applying what they have learned in their classes. It is an essential part of the overall STREETS program, providing a training platform for hands-on learning, observation and practice.

• La Boulangerie 46 Nguyen Tri Phuong St, Hue

Established to help disadvantaged youth in Hue, La Boulangerie serves delicious fresh juices, cakes, pizzas, and pastries – all for a good cause.

Shopping

• Craft Link 51 Van Mieu, Hanoi

Stop by the Craft Links’ shop in Hanoi’s Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi for ai interesting hand-printed silks, lacquer and metal-work, paper… Choose among a diversity of fashion accessories, home decoration, music instruments, toys and stationary and purchase your fair trade gifts at Craft Links’ shop in the Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi.

• Mekong Creations-Mekong Quilts

• In Hanoi:
  • 58 Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem. Tel.: (+84)(0) 43824 4607. Every day 9 am to  9 pm
  • 13 Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem. Tel.: (+84)(0) 4 3926 4831. Every day  9am to 9 pm
• In Ho Chi Minh City:
  • 68 Lê Lợi, D.1 – 1st Floor. Tel.: (+84)(0)8 2210 3110. Every day 9 am to 7 pm
  • S17-1 Sky Garden, Nguyên Văn Linh, D.7. Tel.: (+84)(0)8 627177589. Every day 9 am to 7 pm 

From dinner services to furniture, bags and accessories to home decor and Christmas decorations, not to mention the luxurious quilts for which they are famous, all Mekong Creations and Mekong Quilts products are carefully hand made from natural and recycled materials to combine quality, craftsmanship and consideration for the local environment.  Treat yourself – or friends – and help to transform the lives of the hundreds of disadvantaged and vulnerable women who are part of this valuable initiative.

• Vietartisans

Showroom and workshop: 110/9 An Thành, An Bình, Vinh Long Province. Ask your travel agent to arrange a visit to Vietartisans’ premises in the Mekong Delta – a short journey by boat.

• In Ho Chi Minh City:
  • L’usine Café: 70B Le Loi, District 1
  • Gingko Tshirt: 254 De Tham Street, District 1
  • Artbook: 43 Dong Khoi, District 1
  • Saigon Post Office: 2 Cong Xa Paris, District 1

• In Hanoi:
  • L’atelier: 33 Xuan Dieu Street
  • L’atelier: 21 Nha Chung

• In several hotels:
  • Banyan Tree Hotel :  Langco, Cu Du Village, Loc Vinh Commune, Hue province
  • Ana Mandara Evanson Resort : Beachside,Tran Phu Boulevard, Nha Trang
  • Six Senses Hotel : Dat Doc Site, Con Dao District
  • Victoria Hotel Chau Doc : 1 Le Loi, Chau Doc Town
  • Victoria Hotel Nui Sam: Vinh Dong 1, Chau Doc Town

Vietartisans is a nonprofit project that creates sustainable sources of income for unemployed women. These are trained to make desirable handicrafts, and all profits from sales are reinvested in the school. A short, pleasant boat trip takes visitors to the organisation’s workshop and showroom, in a serene setting in the Mekong Delta.  Here you can watch the women skillfully crafting handbags, purses, tablet and jewellery cases and hand-illustrated notebooks and take some of their attractive products home with you.

• Lifestart Foundation 77 Phan Chau Trinh, Hoi An. Tel.: (+84)(0)167 355 9447

The Lifestart Foundation is a grassroots, not-for-profit charity that helps disadvantaged and disabled Vietnamese people and their families to become self-sufficient. Its handicraft shop sells a variety of attractive and practical items, many of which are made from recycled materials like plastic bottles, paper, cloth and waste materials. Visitors can also try their hand at creating Vietnamese lanterns in the Foundation’s workshop.

• Reaching Out shop 103 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An. Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 9 pm. Saturday and Sunday 9:30 am to 8 pm

This fair-trade store specialises in beautiful craftworks, handmade in Vietnam by disabled artists and artisans. At Reaching Out, lustrous Vietnamese silks, polished brass, silver and gleaming lacquer become beautiful works of art to wear or to decorate the home. Stylish clothing is also available, tailored in quality fabrics and recycled cloth to designs inspired by traditional Vietnamese culture and folklore, as well as to customers’ own bespoke requirements.

• Metiseko Fashion and home décor 03 Chau Thuong Van, Minh An, Hoi An

Shop ‘ecochic’ at Metiseko, for a gorgeous range of ready-to-wear clothes for women and children, and high end products for the home. All goods are made from natural silk and organic cotton certified by Global Organic Standards: stylish, natural and environmentally friendly.

• Healing the Wounded Heart Shop 23 Vo Thi Sau Street, Hue

This unique shop sells handicrafts made by disabled artisans from recycled materials. All net proceeds contribute towards fair salaries for the shop’s disabled employees and the funding of heart surgery for poor children in the Hue area, via the Office of Genetic Counselling and Disabled Children, Hue College of Medicine and Pharmacy. You can also watch the artisans at work at the organisation’s workshop at 69 Be Trieu Street, Hue.