Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → Laos → Kuang Si Waterfalls

♦ Intrepid Top Pick!

Location: South of Luang Prabang, Laos

Time Required: 1 day

Red Tape/Notes: Open 8am – 5:30pm and admission is 20,000 kip. Located around 40 minutes from Luang Prabang

What’s Nearby?: Luang Prabang, Mount Phousi, Alms Giving Ritual

Having heard that it was reputed to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, I was initially unsure what to expect from Kuang Si, fearing that it had been oversold. It hadn’t. It really is the closest thing to a paradise that I could imagine (assuming you had it largely to yourself, that is) – clear, beautiful turquoise water, cascading over smooth limestone shelves into numerous shallow pools perfect for swimming – and the falls and pools just seem to get more beautiful the further you walk upstream, until you come to the final 60 meter waterfall, thundering down over multiple picturesque tiers like the finale of a fireworks show. To be fair, we had the benefit of being the absolute first people at the park in the morning, which no doubt significantly improved the experience, but still. Can you imagine being one of the local villagers back in the day before we all invaded the area? It must have been delightful. You can, of course, swim in the pools (nearly all of them, anyway), but please observe the appropriate local customs – you’re probably best off just swimming in your clothes, honestly. You can also hike up a trail to the very top of the falls, which provides some nice views of the valley below, although it doesn’t provide better views of the falls. And as an added bonus, you’ll pass the Kuang Si Bear Rescue Center on your short walk to falls, where there are various observation areas. The center focuses on rescuing Asian Black Bears, a population which continues to suffer under black market trade for various purposes, and is quite well done. We were here quite early, so some of the bears were very active, including a pair that were fighting and an adorable cub who was literally climbing the walls of his enclosure.

Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → Laos → Kuang Si Waterfalls