Kuang Si Falls are located approximately 30km from Luang Prabang and are the most popular day trip from town, for a very good reason. The calcium in the limestone rocks causes the water to appear the most beautiful aqua blue, and a dip in one of the many levels of rock pools is the ultimate way to cool down on a scorching day. The falls were so beautiful that I had to go twice.
Getting there is easy. Any of the tuk tuk’s in town will take you, wait, and then bring you back. The trip is about an hour each way. Be prepared to bargain. Their starting price is 200,000 kip for the whole tuk tuk. It’s better with more people as the cost can be shared. My first time out there was with a group of friends where we paid 30,000 kip each, for a total of 150,000 kip. The second time I went alone, and had to fork out 120,000 kip just for me. Worth it though to see the falls and swim in them again.
The cost to enter the park is 20,000 kip. Taking the path to the right, you pass the sun bear enclosures, where sun bears are kept that have been rescued from poachers. A small visitor’s centre gives information on the poaching of sun bears for their bile (used in alternative medicines) and the work the shelter does to rescue and protect these beautiful creatures.
Not far past this you’ll come to the first pool of water, and from there it’s up, up, up to different levels of falls, each seeming to be more beautiful than the last. The final fall is a magnificent drop from above, and if you have the time, and the inclination, you can climb to the top and beyond.
The park closes at 5:30pm, and staying beyond 4:30pm with virtually ensure you have most of the falls to yourself, as most people have already left. On my second visit I had a tuk tuk driver who decided to have a few beers with his mates while he waited. I was pretty concerned when he sculled his last beer upon seeing me return. Eek! The one hour drive back is very hilly, curvy, and full of pot holes (of which he hit every one). At the top of one hill, on the pretense of letting me take a photo of the (very average) view, he went to the bushes to take a leak. When he returned to the tuk tuk he didn’t bother starting the engine, instead just rolled down the hill, and on and on we rolled, for the next two kilometres. When we finally hit a flat spot he clutch started the car, and we were off again!
All in all, one of the best things you can do while in Luang Prabang is visit these falls.
Photography tip: waterfall photos taken using a tripod, and a neutral density filter, to allow for an extra slow shutter speed during daylight, up to 30 seconds.
