London

Believe it or not, there’s actually a cascading waterfall in Central London! Located within the large and leafy Holland Park, this gorgeous and gushing water feature is the centre point of the park’s small restful Kyoto Garden. As tranquil as anywhere you’ll ever find yourself in London, Kyoto Garden is a traditional Japanese garden created in 1991 by a team of Japanese gardeners sponsored by Kyoto Chamber of Commerce in association the Japan Festival of London. Its fairly large waterfall (I’m guessing it stands about 15 feet), feeds a medium sized pond filled with colourful koi (carp). A lovely stone path outlines the pond with a little bridge and viewing platform which crosses the pond at the base of the falls. Other highlights of Kyoto Garden are a stone washbasin, Japanese style shrubbery and red maples. In addition to Kyoto Garden, Holland Park has a gorgeous rose garden, a children’s play area, wooded walking and biking trails as well as peacocks and black bunnies and courageously friendly squirrels.

Obviously, such a beauty spot is a popular destination on sunny days, especially during warm weather weekends. Still, as many times as I’ve been, this park has never seemed to be crowded. There are plenty of areas for a good proper sit in Holland Park as well as a huge sport pitch, rose gardens, woods, restaurants and even an open air theatre for opera!

The waterfall at Kyoto Garden is a true London gem. The whole of Holland Park itself is one of the most relaxing places I know in Central London and an ideal place to keep in mind next time you require some down time for quiet contemplation.