Kuang Si Falls…. Outrageously Beautiful!

Once my brain was able to cope with the reality of the blue water – the photos by Trip Advisor reviewers had not been photoshopped! Wow! – my mind then began to take in more of our surroundings. We were enwreathed by tropical forest, and the blue water was cascading down terrace-like limestone structures. It was so perfect; it looked almost man-made. In one word? Magical!

Walking trails

We just wanted to jump straight into this amazingly blue water, but first, we had to do a walk, explore our surroundings and see a little more of this beautiful place. Presented with a choice at the base of the main waterfall, we decided on the left track for no particular reason and began our ascent up some stairs. The stairs soon gave way to compacted dirt steps, which eventually led to a path, steep in places, through the forest with the occasional rock or tree root to scramble over.

When we reached the top of the path, we were greeted by a sign that pointed to the left and indicated the source of the spring and a cave. I started heading that way but Dwayne dug his heels in and demanded a swim before we walked any further. So we instead turned right and began weaving our way along a narrow path. I was determined to see the spring and was not happy that Dwayne was taking me in the opposite direction. My thoughts were along the lines of… “if he has had enough now, he is really not going to want to backtrack to the sign and then walk the 3 or 4kms to the spring!” Damn him! 

Take the plunge

Dwayne led, and I followed, and then he stumbled upon a little oasis. He stripped off his shirt and plunged into the inviting water. I didn’t. I didn’t want Dwayne to get too comfortable and forget I wanted to see the spring and the cave. Furthermore, he had little fish nibbling on him. No, I would wait until we went back down to the lower pools.

A bamboo raft

At this spot, at the top of the falls, we met Laura. Laura is a fellow Aussie, and while we were chatting, we were approached and asked if we wanted a trip up the river on a bamboo raft. We, all three, agreed and clamoured aboard the little raft, which, embarrassingly, did sink a bit when I got on! Dwayne was hoping it would take him to the source of the spring, thereby eliminating the need to walk. It was not to be. For a pittance, we were to paddle upriver until we could go no longer.

All in all, the trip took about 15 minutes return. It was a relaxing little journey, throughout which we chatted with Laura, who had left her debilitated husband at the base of the falls. The boatman then showed us to a spot from which we could peer over the top of the falls and see the tiered terraces which led to the drop.

Dwayne felt refreshed, and we were able to continue. Laura decided she would like to see the spring and cave, so she joined us. We found ourselves walking along a narrow track that soon led us to a wide dirt road.

It was at this stage, that Laura realised her husband might be missing her, and/or worried that she had been go for so long. Laura headed back to the waterfall and Dwayne and I went to look at the source of the spring.

Walking back to the base of the falls we worked up a sweat. Bedecked in the appropriate swimwear we plunged into the blue, refreshing water. Ah yeah…. cold. Just great!

We found Laura and her husband Brett enjoying the water. It turns out he was chatting with fellow travellers too much to notice she had been gone so long! Can I say here… typical bloody man?

Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre

There is more to visiting Kuang Si than just waterfall, spring and cave. On the way to the waterfall, you will pass through the bear sanctuary. All the bears in this sanctuary have been rescued from bile farms and other ghastly circumstances!  It costs you nothing extra to watch these beautiful bears sleep or play in their enclosures. There are several platforms from which you can view the bears and, the best part is, you can see them on the way in and again on the way out! We didn’t tire of watching these noble beasts.

Verdict: Great value for money! Lovely scenery, refreshing water, walking tracks and bears! A MUST-DO!

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