Cycling to Kouang Si Waterfalls

Wanting to beat the crowds of tour groups and day trippers, Ric and I rented mountain bikes and tackled the 35km trip to Kouang Si Waterfalls, southeast of Luang Prabang.

We set off in the cool morning light of 6am, just as the sky was turning from black to grey. The way to the falls is well signposted and we whizzed out of town along the main road, which is thankfully well paved.

The ride took us almost two and a half hours, with leisurely stops to drink water, eat bananas and gasp for breath along the way. On the way we passed several villages where the residents were giving alms to the monks, children were making their long journeys to school and the village men were preparing for their boat races. It’s amazing how much activity we usually miss by sleeping in until after eight!

The route was challenging, certainly for me, with a fair few hills to climb, and I was glad to have a bike with gears. Cycling through the valleys was very pleasant, with the Laos mist still hugging the green mountains around us.

Eventually, after a fair amount of sweat and almost a couple of tears, we arrived. We entered the falls and had the place to ourselves. The falls start with a thundering 60m drop before cascading down through several different levels where it is possible to swim in the freezing blue water. As we were visiting at the end of the rainy season the water level was high and the park staff had had to dam off some areas with tree trunks and sand bags to stop the whole area from flooding. 

Swimming in the natural swimming pools was wonderfully refreshing after our long bike ride. Ric had fun climbing up rocks and trees to bomb into the pools whilst I relaxed in the shade, fighting off man eating fish! The pools are full of little fish that like to nibble your feet, the same kind they have in the ‘fish massage’ spas. I can’t comprehend why anyone would pay to have those fish eat your skin; the feeling is like a mild electric shock, horrible!

Next to the falls is a bear rescue centre. The two bears found in this part of the world, the Asian Black Bear and the Sun Bear, are at risk from so many threats. The bears are kept as pets, they are made to dance and are paraded around as tourist attractions, they are poached by the Chinese for their bile which is used in traditional Chinese medicine. The local people are also a threat; they believe that bears bring you strength and we have seen bear paws marinating in rice whiskey for the local men to drink and become strong. The centre rescues and rehabilitates the bears in a natural setting, releasing them back in to the wild when possible.

Once we were done swimming, exploring and looking at bears, we ate some lunch and made our way back to town. Whilst Ric powered on to cycle the whole 70km round trip, I chose not to fry in the midday sun and hitched a ride with an American couple in a tuk-tuk, bike and all!

It was definitely worth the early start and the lengthy ride to have the waterfalls to ourselves, it’s a beautiful spot.

How To Get To…

Kouang Si Falls:

A mountain bike costs 50,000kip ($6.25/£4) from Luang Prabang. Follow the signs heading southeast out of town, and check out this great map.

A private tuk-tuk will cost you 200,000 ($25/£15) for up to eight people.

Organised tours are 50,000kip per person but don’t leave until 11am, the busiest time of day.

Lai Hua Fai Lantern Festival in Luang Prabang

We had hoped to continue our journey from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang by boat, but some inconsiderate Chinese developers have built a dam on the river. In fact they've built two, one above Muang Khua and one below Nong Khiaw. It's such a shame; Laos is a country of rivers and for centuries boat has been the main mode of transport. Travelling by boat is so much nicer than by bus, especially on the bumby, winding mountain roads. 

We arrived in Luang Prabang after a three bus ride during which an elderly Laos lady with a bucket on leaves on her knee slept on my shoulder. Despite being the second biggest city in the country and by far the biggest tourist hub, Luang Prabang is a quiet, spiritual center with more temples and monasteries per square kilometer than anywhere else we've seen. The city has managed to retain its tradition, its charm and the slow pace of life we discovered in the north whilst at the same time it has vast night markets, stunning food and enough bars and guest houses to serve the many visitors passing through. 

Over five days we relaxed into lazy days sipping Beer Laos by the Mekong, visiting the many gold gilded, Buddhist temples and wandering through the busy street markets trying not to buy everything in sight.

Temple outside the former Royal Palace (now the National Museum), home to the Pra Bang, a 87cm statue of Buddha after which the town takes its name. The Pra Bang is Laos' most holy treasure. 

Sunset over moored boats on the Mekong.

Young, Buddhist monks look out over Luang Prabang from Phou Si Hill.

Luang Prabang is said to have the best food in all of Laos. I tend to agree. Each evening, at around 5pm, a long, dark, narrow alley is transformed into the gastronomic center of the city. Huge barbecues of chicken, ribs, sausage and fish fill the street with a delicious smoke. Fried dumplings, springrolls, curries, stews and all you can eat buffets of vegetables, rice and noodles tempt you from both sides. Fresh, spicy papaya salads, exotic fruit smoothies and sweet and savory pancakes, cakes, sandwiches... it's a foodie's paradise. $5 (£3) will easily cover the cost of an evening grazing up and down this magnificent corridor of flavour. We haven't tried any of the more adventurous local delicacies yet, fried swallow or ant eggs, but everything we have eaten has been fantastic; a perfect mix of delicate Thai spices and fresh Vietnamese garnishes. 

I thought my Dad could cook up a good barbecue until I discovered these meat feast stalls on Food Alley.

By chance we arrived in Luang Prabang just in time for the annual Lai Hua Fai festival. The rainy season has ended, all the rice has been harvested, Buddhist lent is coming to an end and there is a general air of merriment around the town as the residents prepare for the celebrations. 

The during the festival offerings of flowers, candles, food, drink and money and sent floating down the river in colourful bundles made from banana leaves. The idea is to honour the Gods of the rivers after the rainy season and to invite them to protect the people living along its banks. Buddha and family ancestors are also worshiped during Lai Hua Fai.

During the week boat races have been taking place along the river; the numerous different legs of the race take place throughout the day whilst families gather along the banks of the river to eat picnics and barbecues and down copious amounts of lao lao, the local rice whiskey. We took the passenger ferry across the Mekong to Xiang Men to watch their village boat race. After a long time spent watching the tedious organisation, during which time Ric was inevitably roped into doing some shots with the village men, we got bored and wandered off to explore the temples and an old monastery atop a mountain.

Boat race on the Mekong.

Throughout the week we watched as the town prepares for the festival: ladies on the street sell flower offerings to float down the river; lanterns have steadily taken over every door way and wall in sight; families have been sat outside painstakingly decorating beautiful boats made from coloured paper and bamboo; and the atmosphere has been alive with excitement, music and laughter.

Flower offerings that are sent floating down the river.

On the morning of the festival, at the crack of dawn, a traditional giving of alms takes place throughout the streets of Laos. Residents, dressed in their finest, traditional clothes, line the streets waiting for a procession of Buddhist monks. As the monks pass, each person places a small amount of food in the monks' bowl. This giving of alms brings luck to the people and afterwards the monks share the food with the poor and needy. It was a beautiful serene scene to watch; the sky still grey, Buddhist chanting playing softly, and this endless procession of orange-robed monks walking silently through the streets. 

The night of the festival finally arrived and it seemed the entire town had turned out for the parade. At 6pm crowds gathered in the center of town as ornately decorated boats filed through the streets, each one representing a different neighborhood or temple.The ladies were out in traditional Laos clothing, teenagers played drums and tambourines along side their boats and everyone was cheering, chanting and singing. The town looked beautiful lit up with paper lanterns, especially the temples; young monks were rushing around trying to keep the thousands of candles inside the coloured lanterns lit. The parade ended at Xieng Thong temple where the boats were judged, before being carried down into the Mekong and left to float down stream. It was a beautiful celebration with such a great atmosphere, we're so lucky to have been around for it.

We Stayed At...

A great little wood panelled guest house called Silikhane, down a quiet back street. The room was bright and airy and there was free tea, coffee and drinking water. 60,000kip ($7.50/£4.50)