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RTW Trip Day #46: Kuang Si Falls and a Tour of the Laos Buffalo Diary Farm
- andrewsco3
- Nov 14
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 16
13 November 2025
Steps: 8,705
This morning we made an early start (or at least early for us) and drove about an hour to Kuang Si Waterfall hoping to beat the crowds. Spoiler alert: we didn’t quite manage it, but we still loved our visit. On the way back we stopped at the Laos Buffalo Dairy Farm for a tour and some buffalo ice cream, which was delicious, and the kids absolutely loved meeting the animals.
Kuang Si Falls
Kuang Si Falls was on our 'must visit' list from the moment we decided we were staying in Luang Prabang and it really is just as pretty as everyone says. The drive out is a bit of an adventure though, as the roads are in rough shape and there is a lot of construction going on to repair and widen them.
As someone who works in construction I can safely say the safety standards leave a lot to be desired.
The entrance fee for visitors is 60k Kip and that includes a quick electric golf buggy ride to the start of the falls. It is only a couple of minutes but the whole set up feels a bit odd and part of me wishes you had to hike in rather than be shuttled straight there. I guess it does make the area accessible for everyone.
We arrived at the ticket office around 9:45 and there were already plenty of mostly Chinese tourists ready to board the electric golf carts, although the queue didn't take long to get on one. It seems like unless you’re willing to get up at the crack of dawn to be here by 8 a.m., you’re going to be sharing the experience with a lot of people!
Once you hop off the shuttle it’s just a short walk through the forest to the falls, and you can stop at the bear sanctuary on the way, which makes a nice little break before you reach the pools.
Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre
The path to the waterfall goes right through the Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre and it’s free to visit as it’s included in the waterfall entry fee. The centre was set up in 2003 back when the falls were much quieter which makes sense because it does feel a bit odd to see a sanctuary in such a busy spot now.
The bears here have been rescued from awful situations and now live in fairly large forest enclosures so it’s a really nice stop especially with kids, and feels pretty ethical by Asian standards.
The Waterfalls
Shortly after you pass the bear sanctuary you reach the first set of falls. The pools are absolutely gorgeous and that soft turquoise colour that looks modified in photos is exactly what you see in real life. Our driver told us the water gets even clearer at this time of year as we are right at the end of the rainy season.
From here the boardwalk winds further up through the forest to more cascades and each one is just as stunning. The way the water flows down the tiers almost reminds me of how rice fields look when they’re layered along the hillsides.
If you enjoy photography these falls are perfect to spend time capturing from different angles.
Even with plenty of people around, it was still a great experience, and the kids were happy just wandering from one pool to the next. We had considered swimming, but no one else was in the water, and with the crowds, it felt a bit on show, so we decided not to.
As you continue on, you eventually reach the main falls. There is a wooden bridge where you can get some great photographs from, although it is quite busy.
You can continue further up to the top of the falls, where there’s a zipline. We did think about trying it, but just under a week before our visit a father and his teenage son were sadly killed by a swarm of killer hornets.
Even though it was a freak accident, we didn’t feel comfortable giving it a go so soon after, so decided to head back to the car and for some well deserved ice cream at the buffalo farm.
On the way back we came across a really cute dog that had found a plastic bottle and kept dropping it for people to throw. The girls had a great time playing with it for a while, but then they got crowded by Chinese tourists taking videos and photos right in their faces which made us uncomfortable.
I still don’t understand the obsession some people have with taking photos of total strangers and why they feel it’s okay to get that close.
Laos Buffalo Diary Farm Tour + Ice Cream
About a ten-minute drive from the falls is the Laos Buffalo Dairy Farm, where you can stop for an ice cream on the way past or take a tour around the farm to see water buffalo and other animals.
We decided to do the tour, which the girls absolutely loved, and we’d highly recommend it for any animal lovers, especially families traveling with children.
The tour costs $11 USD for adults and $5 USD for children aged 12 and under, but they only charged for the kids since we weren’t planning to join the full tour ourselves (we just walked around with the girls).
Our first stop was to see the pigs, and the girls loved learning that if you stroke a pig’s belly it will lie down and start to fall asleep! It was pretty funny.
After spending some time with the pigs we headed over to the water buffalo, and the girls even had a go at milking one. Jessica loved it, but Evelyn wasn’t so sure!
Next they brushed the buffalo before grabbing a hose and giving them a good wash. They absolutely loved it, and the buffalo kept following them around for more water.
We then moved on to the buffalo babies and fed them bottles of milk, which the girls thought was fantastic. They weren’t exactly tiny though, and almost pulled the bottles right out of the girls’ hands. The poor mama buffaloes!
The last stop on the tour was to see the bunnies, which was probably Jessica’s favourite part of the day since she absolutely loves them. There were even some one-week-old bunnies that the girls got to hold!
We finished off with a few bowls of the famous buffalo milk ice cream, which was so good I completely forgot to take a photo of it!
Tamarind Lao Restaurant
On our way back to the hotel we stopped at Tamarind, which is a local restaurant that also runs cooking classes that specialises in traditional Lao food. We tried a tasting platter that included:
Dried river vegetable snacks (Khai Pene)
Luang Prabang spicy sweet chilli paste with buffalo skin (Jeow Bong)
Local thick soup with chicken, eggplant, chilli wood and seasonal vegetables (Orlarm)
Luang Prabang pork sausage (Sai Oua)
Steamed local vegetables with sesame seeds and herbs (Soop Pak)
Sticky rice
It was a great way to try a range of flavours and try some more local cuisine. Some of it sounds a little strange, but it was really good. The sausage in particular was delicious!
Previous Day #45: Ock Pop Tok, Mount Phousi and Wat Exploring
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