Luang Prabang: Kuang Si Waterfall

There were enough clear patches of blue in the morning sky to warrant a trip out to the Kuang Si waterfall so, after breakfast, we piled into a sawngthaew (the same one as yesterday) and braced ourselves for yet another bumpy ride out of town.

A slight detour from the path to the falls leads to a few caged bears and tigers, apparently rescued from poachers. The guidebooks don’t mention anything about this, probably because it’s only good for a quick ten to fifteen minute diversion at best.

Most of our visit centered on Kuang Si’s lower tiers where we cooled off in emerald pools and swung off vines into areas of questionable depths.

A local guy showing us how it's done:

Nearing the end of the day, we found our way onto a trail leading to the top of the falls. A small path branching from the main stairway provides access to the best spot in the park, a small pool right on the edge of the waterfall. Fewer visitors make it to this area as the main obstacle, a climb up a steep cliff, is quite discouraging. The cliff face offers only a few slippery footholds and a slight misstep could have tragic consequences. Considering I’m not the most graceful of creatures, it took a little convincing before I finally hoisted myself up.

The view was better than expected:

The view from the bottom:

A shot taken before breakfast: