Kuang Si

An hour's drive outside Luang Prabang is Kuang Si falls. At the very entrance is the usual cluster of souvenir shops and restaurants that I'm now accustomed to seeing at every tourist attraction we come across. However, the few touts hanging around are very laid back and there's a generally relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. There are also a lot of locals around, on their way up to to the falls - always a good sign.

At the base is a bear sanctuary. We've just missed feeding time and most of them are chilling out away from the crowds and not particularly interested in posing for my camera.

 As we continue to climb alongside the path of the falls, there are several pools for swimming in.

At the top is a huge waterfall, a proper waterfall. As we approach, the air is thick with spray. I want to take a video but I can't hold my phone up for more than a couple of seconds before it is dripping with water.

We cross the bridge in front of the falls and find a hand-painted sign that tells us we can climb to the top of the falls. In soggy flip-flops we start to stumble up the hill.

The hill soon becomes a damp cliff. The cliff soon becomes almost a waterfall in its own right, with rivulets of water tricking over the treacherous mud underfoot. We climb for twenty minutes or so, and I'm pretty sure we make it almost to the top. Unfortunately, we are let down yet again by a poor choice of footwear. Going barefoot seems even worse and I slip over in the muck a couple of times. Soon the going becomes too difficult and after we're forced to turn back.

We climb back down and swim in one of the pools for a while. The current is surprisingly strong. I swim up to the falls and sit underneath, wedging myself between some rocks against the current. The water is cold and I let it wash off the grime from our abortive ascent. A couple of Laos kids clamber up to a rope swing and fling themselves into the water.

We dry off and make our way back down to base camp. I eat a whole grilled fish with my hands while we wait for the minibus to carry us back to Luang Prabang.