Knees knocking, shoulders pressed against a cramped metal frame. Every rut and pothole in the road is felt through the suspension of the songtaew as you’re bumped along the single dirt track. It’s a solitary strip of brown cutting through the bright green sea of rice fields. Trundling along the Lao countryside, you feel like a fish out of water, the verdant green providing you with a version of beauty that’s impossible to come across in a bustling city.

All of a sudden the scene changes to be replaced by dense forestation and towering trees in every direction. You break through the tree line, reeled in by the sound of fresh water pummeling sound to step out into a aquatic monument only possible through the work of magic. White ribbons of water dive down into shallow pools, petering out over limestone shelves into a steady stream below. A sign informs you that this is Kuang Si, a 50m waterfall broken over 3 tiers carved into the side of the earth. The water tickles the spaces between your toes and caresses your feet as you wade in but be careful, for the locals will tell you of powerful spirits that inhabit the waters. Muffled by the thick crown of leaves sheltering the grove, this is a secret the forest does well to protect and so will you.