Laos > The Kuang Si waterfall

Within our travel group, we found a few companions to visit the Kuang Si Waterfall. This waterfall is about thirty kilometers south of Luang Prabang. With a larger group, we can share the cost of a tuk-tuk. Eight of us set off together. A tuk-tuk is waiting on the main street, and we start negotiating. The guideline price is around 20 dollars. The first offer is 25 dollars, and we shout 20. Negotiations continue until someone in our group suggests 24. Surprised, we look around, and the driver immediately says: deal! Well, a deal is a deal, and for 24 dollars, we’re on our way. It also makes it easier to split the cost among eight people, and the driver has a good day too. The journey to Kuang Si passes through several small villages. It’s fun to see local life. The tuk-tuk driver drives quickly. Sitting slightly behind the cabin makes the ride in the back a bit less cold. After more than half an hour, we reach the parking lot at the waterfall.

Laos - View over Luang Prabang from Phu Si hill

We need to buy tickets to enter the park. Inside, there is also a bear sanctuary and a tiger. The tiger approaches us from behind the fence. The waterfall itself is tall and very impressive. The water cascades down in several stages for dozens of meters. The lush plant life around it makes the waterfall even more beautiful. A staircase leads to a plateau halfway up the waterfall, providing a view of the people below. Then I join a Belgian tourist with a guide, and we all head to the top. The climb is steeper and longer than I had expected. At the top, the waterfall begins quietly; a calm stream doesn’t hint at the drop just over the edge. There isn’t really a viewpoint looking down. The Belgian follows the guide, who steps into the water to get closer to the edge. I decide to return, as the others are waiting for me below. Back at the bottom, we visit the bear sanctuary together.

Laos - The gilded decoration of Wat Mai

I buy a T-shirt to support the organization. Returning to Luang Prabang, we have lunch by the river, a now familiar spot. In the afternoon, we visit Luang Prabang’s oldest temple, Wat Mai. Afterward, everyone goes their own way. I decide to visit the Royal Palace. The palace was used by the king until 1975, after which it was converted into a museum following the communist takeover. The collection includes various Buddha statues, gifts from other heads of state, and, of course, the palace’s interior. The palace also houses the precious Pha Bang Buddha statue, a gift from the Cambodian king to Laos in 1359. The statue in the palace is a replica; the original is kept in a vault. At the entrance, I meet other fellow travelers, and together we walk through the royal building. On the main street, we have a beer on a terrace and I check in with family back home from an internet café. Walking back to the hotel, I am approached at Wat Visounnarath by several monks asking where I am from. When I ask if they know where the Netherlands is, they have no idea. I show them my photo book with a world map and photos of family and the Netherlands. They look through it with great interest. We had arranged to meet at six at the hotel. I arrive just in time to change quickly. On our last evening in Luang Prabang, we have dinner by the Mekong River and finish the night with a drink in the town center.