Considered a must in Luang Prabang, Kuang Si falls is small, beautiful, clean, and absolutely riddled with tourists. The standard way to get there is via tuktuk; for the equivalent of $25 (negotiable down to $20) they drive you there, wait for 2-3 hours and drive you back into town. From a large new parking lot, you buy a ticket for around $3 usd, then you’re shuttled onto an electric trolley with a bunch of other tourists. When the car is full they drive up the hill and drop you off at a clearing full of stands charging extortionate prices for hats, t-shirts and local fast food. I believe I was charged $5 for an ear of corn and 2 grilled bananas, all old and cold, though they came directly off the grill . . .guess the grills are more like display tables here.
There are no lockers to put your things in while you swim. I went to the falls on a Saturday, left my little 7-eleven backpack within my sight on a half-underwater picnic table for the perhaps 20 minutes I spent in the water, and my debit card info was used to purchase $400 of Deutsche Bahn tickets on Tuesday- perhaps a coincidence, but far more likely the 4 German university students swimming in the same pool. I did file a police report with the Berlin online police station and a complaint with Deutsche Bahn in addition to disputes with my bank, I hope they arrest the rude little fucker!
As for the swimming itself, in late November it was swimmable: the current is weak, the water is crispy but not too cold. I highly recommend swim shoes because the bottom is very rocky and there’s also a bunch of deadwood down there. I think going around lunchtime on Saturday was a mistake- there was a real public pool vibe, with some strangers unabashedly gawking and others getting territorial for their selfies. With friends, the crowds might be less annoying; as a solo traveler, I wished I had gone very early some weekday morning when I might have had a more tranquil experience.
The hiking trail to the top of the falls was closed when I was there, quite a disappointment for me. The exit is odd; they route you through the bear rescue sanctuary, which I suppose boosts donations but for me was a waste of time.
It’s not worth going twice (unless you’re a local with a motorcycle), but if I had it to do all over again, I’d time it differently and bring my own snacks.
