Kuong Si Waterfalls is located 35 kms. outside Luang Prabang. Another main attraction you should not miss while visiting Luang Prabang. This beautiful park is captivating with limestone formations and beautiful jungle pools for swimming. Oskie and I hired a tuk tuk for that day to bring us there. I enjoyed the ride which brought us down some unpaved dirt road past little villages and dry fields. Some people even waved their hands at us when we passed them down the road.
An hour later we arrived at the waterfalls.. and I even ran into some people who had been on our other tour to the Pak Ou caves. Luang Prabang and the tourist trail in general is so small that in Laos you hardly are surprised to run into the same people over and over again. On the entry of the park are many shops where you can buy drinks, souvenirs and lunch. The entry fee for this waterfall is 20,000 Kip which is equivalent to $ 3.50.
When you arrive at the falls you have to hike up a hill ( at least 1 1/2km. ) to get to the falls itself. Since I had a foot injury last February --- I was walking up the hill at my pace.... which was really slow. When you get to the bottom of the falls, it is very organized with some tables and chairs to sit on and a couple of bridges.
" WOW !! This is really beautiful !! " was what I could say about the Kuong Si waterfalls. I immediately set up my tripod on the little terrace meant for tourists in order to view the falls... I was not happy with my first few shots... I decided to walk down to the bridge that was facing the falls. The current was very strong and the spray coming from the falls kept on getting in my way while I was taking my shots. I had to keep on getting out of my spot to a drier place just to wipe the lens of my camera and take some lightning shots with my camera in order for it not to get too wet from the spray.
The Kuong Si waterfalls were picture perfect!!! the view of the clear waterfall flowing into the beautiful turquoise colored pools surrounded by lush green plants was simply awesome !!! It was like spending an afternoon in paradise!!! This waterfall is one of the tourist attractions here in Luang Prabang that surely lived up to its reputation. Luckily, the day I was at the falls, there were not that many tourists either, so it allowed us to experience the beauty in relative peace. The waterfalls consist of a 55 meter main waterfall, and several 3 meter cascades. The Kuong Si waterfall flows over a high limestone cliff through bamboo forests and tall jungle. Mists from the waterfall danced through the air as I started to take my photos of this lovely paradise. The only scary thing you should watch out for is the steps to the waterfall is quite slippery.
The upper falls were fantastic !! There was a lovely wooden bridge connecting different parts of the park. Although I decided to stick it out in the the view deck of the waterfalls--- I was not able to go to the bear rescue center or take a dip in the river below the falls. I heard from the other tourists who were there... the water that afternoon was cold. For an hour I just sat on a bench, doing nothing except for listening to the water and soaking in the serenity that I was feeling...
Meanwhile I saw some brave tourists hike up the upper falls and splashed in the pools which provided great views of the water tumbling down below.
Kuong Si Waterfalls was really worth the trip and hike up the hill for me!!! The site of the waterfalls itself was indeed mesmerizing !
Beautiful sight! This reminded me of what Pagsanjan Falls was like before.
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