A little secret oasis in the midst of Luang Prabang

As green as Laos and Luang Prabang may seem, especially as you fly in over those pristine jungle mountains, it is very hard to find a piece of lawn. People tend to go for concrete in an attempt to keep the dust down and the best examples of grassy, well maintained lawns are behind the walls of the larger hotels, not necessarily places that you can go to just sit and relax.

There is an exception though and it is easy to find, beautifully maintained by Mekong Riverview Hotel, one of the hotels on my top 5 hotels in Luang Prabang list, and has a magic view. But not many people know about it and very few take advantage of it.

If you walk to the end of the peninsula, the very end, and then walk down the stairs to the left you will find a hidden oasis. The grass is green and kept trimmed (there is even a “keep off the grass” sign), the paths are clean and tidy, the gardens are weeded and artfully done and there is a true profusion of flowers no matter the time of year. There is slick designer seating in a style far removed from typical Lao and being below the road level and surrounded by foliage even manages to deaden the street noise, adding to the sense of being separate and secluded. But as calming and lovely as this small park is, it’s the view that is a major reason to seek it out.

The park sits directly above the confluence of the Nam Khan and the Mekong. It is also the access point to the bamboo bridge that takes you directly to the craft villages on the other side of the Nam Khan during the dry season. During the rainy season the bridge isn’t there but the high flowing rivers provide a spectacle all of their own. In the dry season it also gives you access to the “beach” created by the much reduced rivers, just remember that this is still Laos and bikinis and bare chests are still not appropriate.

The only better view of the confluence is from the deck of the Riverview Café but if you don’t want to pay their prices then this park is the place to head. You’ll often find me just sitting there with a chicken sandwich enjoying the view or watching in rapt fascination as the little robot lawnmower does it thing.

The park is located at the very end of the peninsula or at e-bus stop number 7.