I’ve settled into a wonderful routine in Luang Prabang - fruit, eggs and strong coffee for breakfast, followed by a Mekong river stroll, followed by writing on my blog, reading a novel, a few hours of work at my Macbook, an afternoon fruit shake, a dusk to night stroll and then dinner (rice, vegetables, tofu and cashew nuts, at the knockdown price of $1.50) at the night market.
The only ‘variable’ in all of this is the occasional ice cream I enjoy whilst wandering back to my guesthouse (my current favourite is a chocolate nut creation that has Lionel Messi - my footballing hero - on its wrapper).
I could stay like this indefinitely, but it’s time to take a trip outside the town.
And the number one attraction is the Kuang Si Waterfall, which everyone raves about.
But how beautiful can it really be, I ask myself? After all, I’ve seen a few in my time, including the astonishing Victoria Falls (which I viewed both from the Zimbabwean and Zambian sides).
Is it really worth the bumpy journey (along potholed roads), to jostle with thousands of other visitors, all for a glimpse of this natural sight
It turns out that the answer is a resounding ‘yes.’
The plan comes together on a wing and a prayer. A Swedish guy, staying at my guesthouse, has rented a bike to head off there and I say, half jokingly, “Room on the back?” Fifteen minutes later I’m on the back - off we ‘ve set on what turns out to be a bone-shaker of a journey (the roads in Laos are unbelievably bad, and I’ve seen a few bad roads in my time), heading in the direction of Kuang Si.
We roar past small villages, lush rice fields, Bjorn carefully navigating the potholes (I’m already thanking god I’ve made this journey with a careful driver), me hanging onto his waist and the side handles for dear life. It’s hot and humid, the sun is beating down on my helmet, it’s not particularly comfortable and I briefly wonder if I should have just booked a tuk tuk but - hey - I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, when I boarded that plane to Asia…
Fifty minutes later we’re there.
It’s a well-oiled set-up these days (a far cry from twenty years ago, when only the truly brave and foolhardy visited Laos).
After joining an orderly queue and purchasing our tickets, we’re directed to electric buggies and ferried up the hill.
(I feel like I’m being driven between holes on on a golf course) to the beginning of the ‘trail.’
The Kuang Si waterfall is actually set within a national park, and it’s extraordinarily lush and verdant.
It reminds me of previous treks in tropical rainforests in Costa Rica and Malaysia.
And there’s a great little boardwalk you can trek along that takes you through the ‘Bear Sanctuary’.
Here you’ll see adorable furry creatures that have been rescued from various horrors (murdered for their bile, captured and paraded at circuses) - one is lying in a hammock, taking it easy, the other enjoying a dip in a small pool in the enclosure.
On you wander and then suddenly, the first glimpse of water.
Wow!
So this is the view.
Pools that are crystal, clear, a fabulous shade of turquoise, surrounded by lush greenery and plenty of shade.
Geologists call this type of waterfalls ‘travertine’ - a type of limestone formed when mineral-rich rivers, lakes and spring water evaporate).
The water cascades down, from one to the next and it’s just staggeringly beautiful.
So much so that words don’t do it justice.
The further up you walk, the more beautiful it seems to me until finally I arrive at the top - there’s an enormous crowd of Chinese tourists on the bridge overlooking it (they’re being trailed by a small guy carrying an array of professional photography equipment, so he can take plenty of group photos). I squeeze myself into a free spot and just stare. Now I understand why so many people visit this place.
And I’m in luck, because the enormous group of visitors leave a few minutes later and it’s just me, a young couple, and my Swedish driver Bjorn left with this killer view.
It’s mesmerising. It’s a fifty metre drop (or so I’ve read) and the four of drink in the surroundings, marvelling at the power of nature. It really is a sight.
We stand for some time, just watching the water cascading down.
There’s a great calm to it all.
Just listening to the birds tweeting, the leaves rustling, the majestic beauty of our surroundings.
Finally, and reluctantly, we turn around and head back, past the other pools.
Back at the first, I decide I’ve got to take a dip.
Bjorn has already had his and he tells me the water is cold but marvellous.
I take the plunge, literally diving in from a rock, and after the initial shock it’s just amazing - so invigorating. There’s only two or three other swimmers (most come here to admire the view and take selfies, few brave the water itself!) but it feels heavenly.
I could stay here for hours longer, but however much time I spent here it wouldn’t be enough. I’m not easily wowed, but this is a sight that really has wowed me.
Well worth the breaking of the routine!