If there is one thing you shouldn’t miss in Laos, it’s the Kuang Si Falls. These unbelievably turquoise cascading waterfalls with natural pools where you can swim are easily accessible from Luang Prabang. Here’s what you should know before visiting the Kuang Si waterfalls!

You might have stumbled upon the clear blue waters of Kuang Si on Instagram and wondered if such a shade of blue is real or just heavily photoshopped. Well, this natural beauty is real! However, if you visit the waterfalls after it has been raining heavily you might be greeted by brown waters. That doesn’t mean you must avoid the rainy season (May to September) all together. I came here at the end of June and the waterfalls were as blue as they should be.

How to Get to Kuang Si from Luang Prabang

The Kuang Si Falls are located in northern Laos, 29 kilometres south of Luang Prabang. You have several options to get there from Luang Prabang:

• Rent a scooter and drive there yourself. This gives you the most flexibility.
• Book a van at your hostel. A fairly cheap option especially if you are travelling solo. Just be prepared to only have about two hours to explore the falls before you are taken back to Luang Prabang.
• Find a tuk tuk and negotiate a price for taking you to Kuang Si, waiting for a few hours, then driving you back. This usually works out best if you are in a bigger group. (I actually found myself a tuk tuk driver who “agreed” to take me to the waterfalls, but only drove me about 200 metres to where the tourist vans were leaving from… Waste of time!)

When to visit the Kuang Si Falls

As mentioned above, avoid rainy days if possible. The likelihood of rain is of course higher during the wet season which lasts roughly from May to September, but at the same time you will find a lot less tourists travelling to Laos during this period.

The official opening hours are 8am – 5.30pm. Many people will tell you to visit early in the morning to beat the crowds, but actually majority of visitors seem to be coming to Kuang Si right when it opens. If you are also planning on spending several hours here, you can’t really expect to have the place all to yourself anyway.

I actually recommend coming here in the afternoon when most tourists are already leaving! It wasn’t crowded here at all (also partly due to the rainy season) and by 5pm all the pools were completely empty.

Most visitors spend two or three hours at the Kuang Si Falls. I actually enjoyed my stay here so much I would spend a whole day next time!

Good to Know

The admission fee for Kuang Si Falls is 20.000 kip ($2.30).

You will find a bear sanctuary with rescued black bears at the entrance.

Bring swimwear! You can swim in most of the natural pools – but not all of them as some are sacred. Check for signs before you take a dip.

There are several food stalls and some changing rooms.

The first pools are the most crowded ones, so walk further for some peace and quiet. The falls have so many levels!

If you have good shoes you can hike to the very top of the waterfalls. Just follow the path and stairs on the left side of the falls.

The Not So Secret Pool

While the official pools were beautiful and perfectly fine for swimming, my favourite part was the secret pool – actually, it’s not so secret anymore because many backpackers seem to know about it!

I made a friend at the falls and we made it our mission to find this “secret pool”. It involved some sneaking around a barbed wire, walking barefoot through the jungle, mud and water – but we made it. Having our own private waterfall and pool while looking down at all the other turquoise pools (and tourists) was a great experience!

If you are brave enough and willing to take a little risk, the secret pool is worth it. However, I have decided not to publish any directions for finding this unofficial pool. Technically, it’s forbidden to go there and I simply don’t want to be responsible for anyone’s injuries or mishaps, sorry guys! (You’ll find this information elsewhere if you really want to…)

Whether you end up swimming in the secret pool or not, Kuang Si Falls will surely be one of the most magical places you will see in Asia!

PS: Don’t forget to read my tips for visiting Laos before you start exploring this lovely country!

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