Last time I went up to Kuang Si Waterfall I stopped off to visit a new eco-tourism attraction that has opened up just 300m down the road - Kuang Si Butterfly Park. At the time of my visit, the park had been open just 5 months - since December 2013 - but was already highly rated on
TripAdvisor.
The park was founded and is run by a Dutch couple, Olaf and Ineke, who came to Laos for a break on the recommendation of a friend a few years ago, never anticipating that they would end up back here. Back in Holland, Olaf was an art director and Ineke an art therapist - but they had a vision to work closer to nature. After considering a move to set up in South America, their hearts brought them back to Luang Prabang and the Butterfly Park idea was born. The area around Kuang Si naturally attracts hosts of beautiful butterflies, so it was the perfect spot to embark on their project. Olaf drew up designs and, working with craftsmen from the local village, the park was created and landscaped with plants brought in from all across Laos.
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| Butterfly feeding station |
"We created our Butterfly Park with all our skills and respect for nature. We built the Butterfly Park to open up the hearts and minds of people of any country and experience the beauty of Lao nature"
Eco-tourism is defined as responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people. Which is exactly what the founders' vision set out to achieve. The park is not just for tourists - Olaf and Ineke are very keen for the park to be as much for visitors as for the local people - with sponsored programmes for free transportation, meals and entrance for schoolchildren to encourage local interest and foster a greater appreciation and understanding of Lao nature by revealing the magical world of the butterflies. The park also has an eco-toilet and uses water from the waterfall, which runs alongside the park, for all the bathroom facilities.
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| Orchid-lined path |
I confess I knew little about butterflies before my visit but the 15 minute guided tour with Olaf soon sorted that out; I found out that butterflies have a powerful sense of smell (their 'nose' is located in their tenticles) which works up to 2-3km, and that they always return to the host plant where they were born. Their scales act as solar panels and their little fluttery life spans range from a few days to a few weeks.
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| Local visitor at the Luang Prabang Butterfly Farm |
The tour took us down alongside part of the falls and through beautifully landscaped rock gardens, with brightly coloured orchids, tropical plants and "flower feeding stations" providing a welcoming and enticing environment for these delicate creatures. The park also has a picnic area, bakery and natural swimming pools formed from the milky blue waters of Kuang Si.
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| Natural swimming pool at the Butterfly Park |
Apparently there is only one book in existence on the butterflies of Laos, published back in 1989. The hope is that eventually the park will provide a homebase for researchers to study the butterflies and publish further books for use in Lao schools, government institutes and universities. Olaf and Ineke are hoping to find funding to build accommodation onsite to make it possible for researchers to stay on site and make this a reality.
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| Butterfly Park founders Olaf and Ineke |
It's so great to see initiatives like this in Luang Prabang, and I hope that this is the route that tourism continues to take in this country - sustainable, responsible, celebrating the natural unspoilt beauty and biodiversity of Laos.
Entrance fees (includes 15 minutes guided tour):
Visitors - 30,000 Kip
Lao citizens - 20,000 Kip
Students - 15,000 Kip
Lao children - 10,000 Kip
Free parking.
For further info, contact Laosbutterflies@yahoo.com
