Travel Inspiration: Waterfalls

I don't go chasing waterfalls, but I somehow always manage to end up at one during my adventures. (I hope you caught that crazy, sexy, cool 90's reference)

I'm always this happy around waterfalls

To get you over the end of the weekend blues here is a short list of some of my favorite waterfalls in Southeast Asia. Hopefully they will inspire your next holiday or at least your next daydream...

Kawasan Falls, Cebu Island, Philippines

#nofilter

I saw a picture on Instagram of Kawasan and I knew I had to go there. I booked my entire trip to the Philippines based off of that one picture and it did not disappoint. Words and pictures can't do this place justice, there is just something magical about that blue water.

Hop on the raft and float through the falls

I'm sure you can hire a car to take you there but why do that when you could jump off cliffs and swim through a canyon to get there? We chose the latter and booked a tour through Cyan Adventures, highly recommended, it turned the whole experience into one epic adventure.

Tad Sae & Kuang Si, Luang Prabang, Laos

I visited Tad Sae in 2011 and being the adventurous newbie I chose to ride a mountain bike out to the waterfalls, all 16 kilometers. Learn from my mistake and hop in a tuk-tuk. Most street corners will have drivers offering to take you to both waterfalls.

The many pools of Tad Sae

Tad Sae is a place you could spend all day with a big 'pool' to swim in. I recommend packing a lunch and camping out for the day. It can get a bit noisy and crowded with local kids but watching them dive off rocks was all part of the fun.

Show off

I visited Kuang Si more recently and worked equally as hard to get there, we drove the 30kms on a motorbike. (Correction, I drove the 30kms with a 6 foot something Aussie on the back of the moto.) I wouldn't recommend driving there, it's quiet boring and you can probably get there for cheaper in a shared tuk-tuk.

The pools at Kuang Si

Kuang Si is a beautiful trail of small waterfalls. You can pick and choose one to swim in, although the water can be quiet chilly. While Kuang Si is stunning to look at and is well maintained I found it my least favorite place to go swimming. The photo at the beginning of this post is of the main falls at Kuang Si, no swimming in that bad boy *sigh*

Mo Paeng, Pai, Thailand

A friend and I rented a motorbike to drive out to the falls and I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable motorbike drives I've had in all of SE Asia. Just hills of green everywhere you look and not another motorbike in sight.

Also, driving on the wrong side of the road

It's a short walk from the parking lot to the falls, where you have to do some mild rock climbing to get to the main swimming pool.

View from the top of the waterfall

Some of the rocks are covered with water and algae making them quiet slippery. I happened to slip and fall not once but twice. I tried to ease my pain by sitting in the pool at the top of the falls and taking in the view of the valley below. The icy cold water was actually refreshing, but my arm was in some serious pain so we headed to the hospital. I didn't get the chance to explore the waterfall as much as I wanted to but it's a big must if you're spending a few days in Pai.

Thai hospital, check!

Good news, it wasn't broken but I got a sweet sling to wear and some nice pain meds.