Motorbike Escapades in Laos (+ Waterfalls!)

I was determined to ride a motor bike or scooter at some point during this trip. It's a quintessential Asian experience, and it looks even easier than riding a bike.

A Scooter Student

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Deana talked me out of having my maiden voyage in Thailand, which was probably smart considering how lawless and inconsiderate the traffic is there. But after spending a few days in Luang Prabang, Lao traffic was decidedly respectful and graceful enough to accommodate a scooter newbie. The Kuang Si waterfall is the most popular tourist destination around Luang Prabang, and since we strive to avoid tour groups whenever possible, this was the perfect excuse to grab a scooter. Our resort manager prepped one of their scooters for us for 9:00am and gave me a 30 second rundown of the controls. I did some circles in the yard by myself, then with Deana, then we hit the road!

I took it slow, stayed to the right, and had no issues. There were some construction zones, dirt detours, and one windy steep descent, but I was proud of how well I adjusted. It wasn't long until I was comfortable enough to keep up with the flow of what little traffic there was. The scenery alternated between brown, dusty earth and lush green forest. After about 45 minutes we arrived at the parking lot, beating most of the tour vans.

Free the Bears Rescue Centre

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The first stop at the waterfalls wasn't a waterfall at all, but rather a sun bear sanctuary. Sun bears are cute Asian bears with a unique white fur pattern on their chests, and like most cute exotic animals, Chinese people abuse and consume them for alleged sexual benefits. It's sad to see these animals in these enclosures, but compared to the bear-sized cages they were rescued from, it's a hopeful step in the right direction.

We also spotted a beautifully creepy golden orb weaver spider in this area.

Kuang Si Waterfall

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From here, we followed the short trail through the woods to a series of beautiful waterfall trails.

There were maybe 8 substantial waterfall pools, and maybe half were swimmable, and all were mesmerizing. The water was just warm enough to be comfortable, and very clear. Those little fish that eat the dead skin off your feet were abundant. I imagine this place is cramped when inundated with tourists, since the best swimming spots are rather small, but like the rest of our trip, this felt almost private.

As we were about to pull out, we saw another scooter couple further down the parking lot accidentally accelerate forward instead of reversing, and they cartoonishly plowed through a rickety fruit stand. It was validating to realize that was I wasn't the worst scooter driver on the road that day.

Topping Off the Tank

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A few miles up the road, on the way back to the resort, was a buffalo dairy farm that another guest recommended we check out. It was a rather modern and hip business compared to most of what we've seen in Laos, but still rustic enough to blend in with the landscape.

Tours are offered in which guests can learn about the operation, milk a buffalo, and feed a calf. We opted to just enjoy the outdoor cafe instead. We started with an expansive cheese and bread board, all made on site from the buffaloes we were observing across the field. To complete the experience, we further indulged with lemongrass ice cream, apple pie ice cream, and a slice of buffalo cheesecake.

All was delicious and we wholeheartedly recommend stopping at the aptly named Laos Buffalo Dairy on your way back from Kuang Si waterfalls.