Kuang Si Falls

We get up really late. I think we're catching up on lost sleep. It's also particularly hard to wake up with no sign of natural light; unavailable due to a windowless room. What we do today is based on the weather, so I throw on some clothes to check outside. It's very bright and very hot - finally. The past two days have seen rain and cloudy skies. I change into swimwear and Rachelle puts on hers. We have breakfast before negotiating a Tuk-Tuk. 

We are going to the Kuang Si (Kuangxi) waterfall. There are two waterfalls in the Luang Prabang area and Kuang Si is the larger of the two and considered the best in Lao. Once again, my love for waterfalls makes me very excited as we ride for 40 minutes in the back of a large Tuk-Tuk with five other people. We arrive and pay the 20,000 Kip entry free. Following a dirt path through the forest terrain, we come to a small Sun Bear sanctuary. I am more excited about the waterfall than some sleeping Sun Bears, so we move on quickly. As we walk, there are streams flowing everywhere, a clue that we are close; then we see the first swimming area. A small, but wide, waterfall flows into the pool, filling it with light blue water. The cold water is refreshing on such a hot day. After a while, we carry on up the dirt path to another swimming area with a more exciting waterfall. All these waterfalls flow into each other in tiers as we get closer and closer to the end waterfall. The second tier is peaceful, with few people in it and I climb up the waterfall and sit on the top, followed by Rachelle.

The next tier is the main swimming area. It's very busy compared to the first two tiers and for good reason. There is a swing rope on a tree where you can launch yourself into the deep water. You can also get on to the medium-large waterfall (probably 3 meters high) and jump into the pool from there. I do a couple of swings in and a couple of front flips off the waterfall. Rachelle jumps off too. The place is a bit like a water park, except stunningly beautiful and made by nature. 

We venture up the dirt path further, passing another small swimming area and some  waterfall tiers that you are not allowed to swim in when we eventually get to the source of all the water; one huge, tall waterfall. It's impressive. You definitely can't go in this one like the one we visited in Thailand. You would be crushed and killed by all the water I imagine. It is a great sight though. Kuang Si is definitely my favourite place we've been to so far. It's like my paradise - nothing but beautiful forest, streams and blue waterfall pools. I love it here.

After three hours we have to meet the Tuk-Tuk and regrettably head home, but the timing is good because the daily rainfall begins. That night, Rachelle makes me eat food at the market because it's a cheap buffet - fill your plate for 10,000 Kip (1 English pound). I'm not thrilled with the idea because I don't trust the food and I'm scared flies will have been landing on it all night. I eat it, begrudgingly. Thereafter, we research the local bars in our Lonely Planet book and choose Lao Lao Garden. It's nice, gives a free shot on entry, 2 for 1 cocktails and cheap beer, all by candle light. We order french fries for a snack.