Kuang Si Waterfall is a must-see when visiting the charming town of Luang Prabang in Laos. Located 30-40 minutes outside of the city, this waterfall is a great place for a dip on a hot day or to just marvel at some absolutely beautiful nature.
Getting There
Getting to the waterfall is not difficult at all. Tuktuks are readily available and wait near the location of the night market on the main street. Make sure to bargain for a good price, but in general it will cost around 200,000 kip per person (~$25). Depending on the size of your group, you can easily split this and save some money. The price of the tuktuk includes roundtrip transportation and usually around 3 hours at the waterfall itself. It is best to go earlier rather than later to avoid the crowds, as this is a popular attraction.
The entrance fee is 20,000 kip (~$2.50) and includes a bear exhibit as well as the waterfall.
The Falls
Once you are past the gate, you will first come upon the bear exhibit. This conservation and rescue effort details the plight of the bear and what is being done to protect them. It is quite informative, so I spent some time learning about their efforts and watching the bears lumber around and play with each other – they were all quite active! If you are so inclined, shirts are on sale which benefit the continued protection of the bears.
As you continue on, you come to the lower falls. These are quite beautiful and a perfect place for a dip on a hot day. The water is refreshingly cold and pretty clear. When I visited it was far to cold to go swimming (although some crazy guys were jumping in anyway) so I simply followed the path and admired the different levels of the lower falls. The path is well maintained and goes on for quite some time before reaching the large waterfall. There are places to change for those who wish to swim all along the way as well as a restaurant, if you get hungry.
At the end of the path you come to a sight that is absolutely breathtaking: the Kuang Si Waterfall. It was a lot larger than I thought it would be and so beautiful to look at. There are several places to stand and admire it or take pictures, including a bridge that crosses in front of it. There is no swimming allowed at this level.
Hiking the Falls
After admiring the falls, take a hike up to the top! You can get to the top by climbing up either the right or left side. I went up the right side side and came down on the left, which seemed a good way to go to avoid coming down a very steep path.
The way up starts with stairs, but quickly becomes steep with large rocks and roots in the path. It is not the most difficult hike I have ever done, but definitely not for people who are not willing to do a bit of scrambling. Good shoes with traction are a must!
At the top, there are several bridges to cross over small streams that lead to the falls down below. There are some great views of the neighboring mountains and valley, but not so much of the falls themselves; since you are at the top of them it is difficult to see them cascading beneath you (there is no overlook).
Hiking down the left side is a little easier than going up on the right; there are more stairs and the path winds back and forth instead of just straight up. At one point the stairs pass right next to part of the falls (and even spill out onto them!) which is really cool. If you're up for it, the hike is well worth it!
When you get back down to the bottom, you can grab some food and then find your tuktuk who will be waiting tot make you back to the city.
Have you visited Kuang Si Falls? Share your experiences in the comments below!