Located about 30 kilometers to the southwest of the charming acient town of Luang Prabang, the two most famous water falls of Kuang Si will be the next attraction that amazingly highlights your Laos adventures. Discovering the rice paddies and locally cultivated farmland, spectacular mountain landscapes then swimming in the turquoise waters of Kuang Si waterfalls and enjoying a delicious picnic lunch in the tranquil surroundings, this day out is a perfect way to experience rural Laos.
The Kuang Si Waterfalls
Kuang Si Waterfall is Luang Prabang’s biggest three tiers fall with spectacular azure pools and large lagoon. At the bottom of the fall is of the lower sections, where the bright turquoise water gently tumbles over small limestone ledges. There are trails allowing you to climb up futher where you can swim or relax in the shade and watch others having fun jumping in and out of the water. For the adventurous, it is possible to walk to the top of the falls via a steep track where stunning impressive views await you at the top. Surrounding by big trees makes the falls a popular cool-off place among locals and tourists alike during the hot season.
While in the Kuang Si Waterfall Park, you should visit the Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre where you can find great information about Asian sun and moon bears and the Free the Bears protection program, which aims at protecting the bears from poachers.
The Tad Sea Waterfalls
The other must see waterfall in the Luang Prabang area is Tad Sae about 16 kilometres from town. What makes this waterfall different is that it requires a boat to access it. The waterfall of Tad Sae is favored by both local and tourists over Kuang Si for the reason that at Tad Sae the waterfall is more associated with the forest, giving the impression that it is flooded. Local and tourist can also have a great picnic here with Beerlao taste.
Additional information
In both Kuang Si and Tad Sae waterfalls, there are also picnic areas, change rooms and public toilets available at Kuang Si, making it an excellent spot to spend half a day or so swimming and enjoying the magnificient beaty of nature in Laos. For these two spots are both popular with the local and tourists and despite the more opened-up of the Laotians, modestly dressing is sometimes important principle to remember.
How to get there
The Kuang Si Fall is about 30 kilometeres and Tad Sae is 16 kilomestres from the centre of Luang Prabang. The best way to get to the waterfalls is to grab a tuk tuk on the street. The going rate is $5- $10 per person and the journey takes about 50 min – 1 hour by tuk-tuk or songthaeaw. An alternative way is to hire a boat and ride down the Mekong River before catching another boat for a short hop across to the falls. You will also need to pay an additional admission fee to one of the locals at the falls usually $2.00US per person. This goes towards keeping the bridges and walkways in good working order
On the way to the falls
The road to the falls crosses through hills with spectacular natural views, including terraced rice fields, which make the trip a memorable one. On the way to the waterfalls, there is a Hmong village where the old ladies still wear Hmong traditional costume. You can stop for a moment to explore this ethnic group’s lifestyle and purchase famous hand-woven handicrafts. These experiences will be great bonus for your awesome trip.
