Kuang Si Waterfall (Luang Prabang)

We had heard of a beautiful fresh water waterfall just outside Luang Prabang and so we decided to set out on a little trip to try and find it and maybe even swim in it.

On the road in Laos

After an hour or so on the road we finally made it to the waterfall, tucked away in a little nature reserve. The waterfall however looked nothing like the photos, which are all taken during the dry season. What we found instead, during a particularly wet wet season, was a raging torrent of water falling off a tall cliff and sweeping away everything it found in its path; from picnic tables to the hiking trail itself.

Nature reserve before waterfall

Wet season waterfall

A slightly flooded path above the waterfall

Undeterred, Joergen and I set forth to conquer the top of the cliff. After a few hours of uphill climbing through slippery mud and over fallen trees we finally decided that maybe the top of the cliff was best left for dry season hikers. So we set back down the hill sliding most of the way. Our efforts however were rewarded after we found a nice pool in which to have a (very) refreshing swim. Much to our surprise the water was in fact quite cold. After the swim we charged up by eating some deliciously sweet papaya and then set off on the road back to Luang Prabang.

A rewarding swim after a muddy trek

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