--- type: "Article" title: "A first for Laos – Pha Tad Ke Botanical Gardens in Luang Prabang" description: "The flowers at Pha Tad Ke Botanical Gardens in Luang Prabang, Laos, are so lush that travel author Justine Tyerman has trouble believing they are real." resource: "https://travelmemo.com/laos/pha-tad-ke-botanical-gardens-luang-prabang" author: "Justine Tyerman" publisher: "Travelmemo" photo_count: 14 tags: ["Landscape", "Nature", "Laos"] entities: - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/laos" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/singapore" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/asia" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/new-zealand" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/landscape" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/nature-tourism" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/culinary-tourism" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/experience-travel" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/itinerary" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/lodge" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/resort" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/organizations/swiss-international-air-lines" generated: { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/tyermanj", at: 2026-07-04T14:17:25+00:00 } sources: - id: photos resource: pha-tad-ke-botanical-gardens-luang-prabang.md#photos title: "Original photography by Justine Tyerman" author: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/tyermanj" last_modified: 2017-06-20 timestamp: 2026-07-04T14:17:25+00:00 --- # A first for Laos – Pha Tad Ke Botanical Gardens in Luang Prabang > Pha Tad Ke is the first botanical garden ever established in Laos, located across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang, offering 10 landscaped gardens showcasing the flora of Laos on land once used as a royal retreat and hunting lodge. ## Destination Pha Tad Ke Botanical Gardens, Luang Prabang, Laos, situated on the Mekong River opposite the UNESCO-listed town. ## Getting there Board a long boat in Luang Prabang for a 15–20 minute journey down the Mekong River to reach the gardens. From New Zealand, Singapore Airlines flies from Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch to Singapore; SilkAir flies from Singapore to Luang Prabang three times weekly. ## When to go The article does not specify a best season, though the gardens are described as a cool, tranquil oasis on a hot day. ## Why visit The first and only botanical garden in Laos, Pha Tad Ke preserves a living collection of Lao flora, supports conservation and botanical research, and features spectacular tropical flowers, medicinal plant gardens, and an on-site café serving Lao cuisine. ## What to see - **Ethno-botanic garden** — Filled with medicinal plants and natural remedies; described as especially absorbing. - **Orchid nursery** — Home to delicate species including the lady slipper orchid (Paphiopedilum concolor). - **Ginger, palm, and bamboo gardens** — Part of 10 distinctly themed landscaped gardens spread across the site. - **Mist house and caves** — Among the varied features visitors can explore along shady pathways. - **Mekong River boat journey** — The 15–20 minute long-boat ride passes French colonial villas, Buddhist pagodas, and riverside villages. ## What to do - **Wander the garden pathways** — Easily a full day's activity across 10 different garden zones including the arboretum and organic garden. - **Lunch at the open-air café** — Serves a feast of Lao dishes in a breezy riverside setting. - **Mekong River cruise** — The longest stretch of the 4,350 km river runs through Laos, making a cruise a recommended experience. ## Good to know Pha Tad Ke was founded by Dutchman Rik Gadella, opened in November 2016, and is staffed by over 50 Lao employees and a team of scientists. Work on the site began in 2008. The gardens run education courses in horticulture, botany, ecology, and ecotourism, and have published their own book on the collection. ## Photos ```yaml photos: - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-7.jpg" caption: "A colourful Etlingera elatior or torch ginger flower at Pha Tad Ke gardens in Luang Prabang, Laos" keywords: ["Laos", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] captured: 2017-06-20 geo: {latitude: 19.8765, longitude: 102.0977} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-10.jpg" caption: "The delicate lady slipper orchid or Paphiopedilum concolor" keywords: ["Laos", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] captured: 2017-06-20 geo: {latitude: 19.8765, longitude: 102.0977} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-2.jpg" caption: "Heliconia rostrata or hanging lobster claw" keywords: ["Laos", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] captured: 2017-06-20 geo: {latitude: 19.8772, longitude: 102.0972} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-16.jpg" caption: "An aerial view of the ethno-botanic gardenPhoto &coppy; Pha Tad Ke" keywords: ["Laos", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] geo: {latitude: 19.8765, longitude: 102.0977} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-8.jpg" caption: "The ethno-botanic garden was full of medicinal plants and natural remedies" keywords: ["Laos", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] captured: 2017-06-20 geo: {latitude: 19.8765, longitude: 102.0977} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-14.jpg" caption: "Bryony Smart from New Zealand is working as a botantist at Pha Tad Ke" keywords: ["Bryony Smart", "Laos", "Mekong", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] captured: 2017-06-20 geo: {latitude: 19.8765, longitude: 102.0977} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-9.jpg" caption: "The lush vegetation at Pha Tad Ki gardens" keywords: ["Laos", "Mekong", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] captured: 2017-06-20 geo: {latitude: 19.8765, longitude: 102.0977} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-15.jpg" caption: "Lunch at the breezy open air Pha Tad Ke café was also a superb experiencePhoto &coppy; Pha Tad Ke" keywords: ["Laos", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] geo: {latitude: 19.8765, longitude: 102.0977} credit: "cyril eberle" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-6.jpg" caption: "Lunch at the Pha Tad Ke café was a feast of delectable Lao dishes" keywords: ["Laos", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] captured: 2017-06-20 geo: {latitude: 19.8765, longitude: 102.0977} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-12.jpg" caption: "A riverbank resort on the Mekong" keywords: ["Laos", "Mekong", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] captured: 2017-06-20 geo: {latitude: 19.8765, longitude: 102.0977} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-13.jpg" caption: "Boats by the side of the Mekong" keywords: ["Laos", "Mekong", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] captured: 2017-06-20 geo: {latitude: 19.8765, longitude: 102.0977} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-4.jpg" caption: "Children swimming in the river" keywords: ["Laos", "Mekong", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] captured: 2017-06-20 geo: {latitude: 19.8765, longitude: 102.0977} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-5.jpg" caption: "Our skipper mooring the long-boat" keywords: ["Laos", "Mekong", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] captured: 2017-06-20 geo: {latitude: 19.8765, longitude: 102.0977} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pha-Tad-Ka-botanical-garden-Laos-3.jpg" caption: "Our Innovative Travel team about to board the long-boat on the Mekong River" keywords: ["Laos", "Mekong", "Pha Tad Ka", "botanical garden"] captured: 2017-06-20 geo: {latitude: 19.8764, longitude: 102.0971} ```