Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre, Free the Bears

Kuang Si Waterfall is an absolutely amazing place to visit. Everyone is very happy to be here, and it’s easy to understand why this waterfall is one of the most famous and loved destinations in Laos. The turquoise pools, the powerful cascade, and the peaceful natural surroundings create a truly unforgettable experience. It is a perfect place to relax, take photos, swim, and enjoy the beauty of nature. Kuang Si Waterfall is truly a must-visit for anyone traveling in Laos.

We arranged a private visit to Kuang Si Free The Bears centre. Our guide Sonne spoke English very well, told us a lot about the bear trade in Laos and showed us around the centre and we got pretty close to the bears. We even got the chance to make some food enrichment for the bears and hide it in their exhibit, then we got to watch them search for it. It was lovely! It is a smaller station, than the one we saw in Vietnam - Cat Tien as it serves mostly for raising awareness and publicity for the organisation. Most of their bears are tucked away in a more calm and remote location, where they teach them how to survive in the wild on their own. Anyway, the bears are well taken care of and the organisation does the best to protect the animals from tourist interference (such as loud noises and tourists feeding them crisps...). Other than that, you can have a look around, peek at the bears currently walking the exhibits, visit the gift shop and make a donation to a good thing.

seems very ethical, enclosures are big with lots of structures for bears to play on. they seemed happy and healthy. there's informational plaques around the place, and little interactive areas. worth the stop when going to the waterfall, as it's also included in the ticket

Very well integrated into the path to the waterfall, helping to raise awareness of an important issue. Unfortunately, only a few visitors actually take the time to read the information, for many, it feels more like a “zoo.” Nevertheless, it’s a very good idea and supports a worthy cause.

In terms of enclosures, every effort has been made to recreate a natural living environment for the bears. There is plenty of information on different bears present at the enclosure and around the world, including where they are on the endangered spectrum. There are practical ways to support the program through merchandise, but as the enclosures is spread across the grounds of the Kuangxi waterfall, access is essentially free (after paying access to the waterfall). So if you do visit, but a bear T-shirt, they’re great!

Lovely walk around waterfalls, loads of people, they put you on a electric mobile car and get you all the way to the entrance You need to pay for parking (5.000) and then for entrance (foreigners 60.000 and locals 20.000) and if you wanna go to the view point cafe it’s another 30.000

Lovely rescue centre, you can see the bears lazing around or in action. I bought the t-shirt to support the project, love that it's in the same spot as the falls

They have nice information about the bears. They are moon bears. The rescue is within the waterfall park (included in the ticket). Take an immediate right when you enter the waterfall park. The bears in the enclosures can't be released to the wild and it seems to be quite ethical. The fences do seem very low but there are also electric fences on the inside.