This city is wonderfully quiet in the mornings. I walk out to our balcony with my coffee and sit in the already warm and heavy air…and you know it’s going to be a hot day.
We head out to Kuang Si falls to see the most popular destination in the area and also for a welcomed swim break from the heat. We hire a “truck-truck” (ok, it’s not an official name but it’s a cross between a Tuk-Tuk and a small truck) and bounce our way an hour down the road to the falls.
We pull up to an area full of food vendors grilling fish and chicken on open barbecues and other market stalls selling your general touristy items. You can grab food here to take for a picnic or come back after the hike for lunch. We grab a few Lao beers and opt to return for lunch after our hike.
It cost 20,000 kip to get into the falls area and it includes walking through the bear park where they’ve rescued a few adorable Moon and Sun bears.
Passed the bear park and a short hike later, we get to the first swimming area!
Short Video: http://youtu.be/8nMtcQ0MuX4
Not too shabby, right? Well, there are 3 of these swimming areas before the main waterfall so we continue on to see what’s next.
Then, it’s time for a swim. š
As our hike continues, we make it to the actual waterfall at the end. It was larger than I thought it would be from the pictures. So beautiful…
Definitely worth the trip. Best advice is to go earlier so you have the place to yourself for a bit. After noon, tour groups start to come in and while it is still refreshing and beautiful, it doesn’t have as much of a serene, peacefulness to it.