Kuang Xi Waterfall

The last day in Luang Prabang we hired a tuk-tuk out to the Kuang Xi waterfall and I was expecting your standard waterfall cascading down the hillside with a trail walking along it to the base.

This is not what it was.

It was better- way better than I could have imagined.

This is one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen. There are dozens of pools as you walk up towards the highest part of the falls. And they are this clear blue-green color- I've never seen this color water at a falls- it was so amazing. The water just cascades from pool to pool over short drops of about 5-15 feet as it works it's way through the jungle. The top of the falls is a large drop, and there are sitting areas around this. You can swim in some of the lower pools, and considering this is the end of the dry season, I can only begin to imagine how much more water there is here in the wet season and how different it must look. I imagine that many of the paths we walked on might be covered with water for the next few months of the wet season. We had a swim in one of the lower pools, which also had a rope to swing out from and rocks to jump off of- one of those great childhood moments relived. Another interesting thing to watch was all the Asian tourists who were jumping in fully clothed (they don't traditionally strip to a swimsuit in public) so it was interesting to watch a group of highschoolers jumping in to the water in their jeans, shirts, and some even their shoes. The water was cold, but not freezing- it was nice in the heat of the day. There are less people as you work your way up the falls for swimming, but there will be a group at any of the pools you are in. Be sure to spend an afternoon here...