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alisa.belochkina

This one goes out to all the designers and brands. Just in few weeks I will be in Goa India alongside I will have a big creative team. We will have photographer, stylist, models, make up artists during our trip. If you were seeking or planning a photoshoot in exotic and spectacular places like Asia , fill free to contact me and we will discuss and arrange something unique just for you. Outsourcing method works just fine in this case. Bless! ....Photo by @bogdanbabanin ...
#dreadlocks #dreads #hair

Quite a few photo's to share. However, mostly of Thailand's Ko Phangan (above) or Bali (following): = best places to enjoy chasing waterfalls in Southeast Asia?

le_prince_charmant_

It’s just me, when I don’t have any clothes on.#waterfall#indonesia#voyager#skinnydip

But Southeast Asia has more waterfalls on the menu.
Slightly sidetracking, an article on Asia's secret swimming spots by First Class (May 7). All of Southeast Asian origin btw, nothing new though.

dams__8 at Asah Waterfall, Tioman island (eastern Peninsula Malaysia):

I would say that this 1st excursion on a paradise/jungle island was a success 🌴

New. One of the best recent features on waterfalls has come from Burma. Fontiermyanmar.net (Dec 16, 2018) had the following special:

'Already one of the coolest (pun intended) destinations in Myanmar, you’ve now got 10 more reasons to visit Pyin Oo Lwin.
Some of these waterfalls can be done independently, some require a guide, and one is completely off limits to foreigners – guide or no guide. Pyin Oo Lwin Trek can take you to just about every fall listed below, as well as organise cultural tours, kayaking and a truly wonderful treehouse homestay.
So without further ado, here they are in order of visit, mostly with GPS coordinates for those so inclined.
...
3. Myin Zin (22.098284,96.636007)
A 15-20-minute walk apart, you could argue that Myin Zin and Powerhouse are the same waterfall. My guides were adamant that they weren’t. Just as well though – how else could I have made this a top-10 list?
Guide needed? See above.

A moment of tranquility at Myin Zin waterfall. (Dominic Horner | Frontier)

It was part of a six part feature on wild swimming and waterfalls in Burma. The links to the other articles:

Part 1 (Jun. 25, 2018):

'Despite its proximity to Inle Lake — one of the biggest tourist hubs in Myanmar – the Kayah State capital Loikaw still receives relatively few visitors. But with a fantastic local market, incredible hilltop pagoda views and some of the most beautiful and easily accessible wild water spots in the country, Loikaw is a hugely underrated destination — especially if you love to swim, ...'.

Part 2 (Aug. 5, 2018): southern Shan state (more rapids like ...),
Part 3 (Aug. 18, 2018), wildswimming in the delta (no falls), 
Part 4 (Nov. 25, 2018): northern Shan State and 
Part 6 (Mar. 17): Wild waters: Hpa-an.

Your primer to chasing the waterfalls in Burma, good to see these types of articles surfacing in the region.

Choice
Every now and then the Vientiane Times (yes Laos) has a focus on waterfalls and the need to get tourists to seek them out.
This (May 14) on northern Bokeo:

'Visitors who like spectacular natural attractions shouldn’t miss an excursion to the waterfall in Huaylom village, Tonpheung district, Bokeo province, where new facilities have been built to make the experience more interesting.
Head of the Tonpheung district Information, Culture and Tourism Office, Mr Sisa-art Koumphon, told Vientiane Times yesterday that these services at the waterfall opened very recently.
It is hoped that the waterfall, now that it is more easily accessible, will attract more visitors and create extra revenue for the local community. The waterfall now has huts for relaxing under and several homestays that enable people to stay overnight, he added.
Besides exquisitely fresh air, visitors to the area can enjoy the hospitality of the local Lahou ethnic group. Traditional foods are available throughout the district, as are local artworks and handicrafts. Cultural performances and displays also dot the calendar year.
The price of homestays is 30,000 kip (about US$4) a night per person. With food, the price goes up an additional 35,000 kip, Mr Sisa-art said.
Huaylom waterfall is located about 30 km from the main town in Tonpheung district, and the road is passable in both the dry and wet seasons.
Many people who visit the waterfall also choose to drive a further 22 km to the beautiful Pongloc hot spring in Meung district.
Mr Sisa-art said Bokeo province has many other places of interest like the Nam Kan protected area in Toub village, Huayxai district.
Here there are some great adventure activities. The lushness of the landscape makes trekking really rewarding and there is ziplining and treehouses to relax in as well.
Huayxai district also has old temples on top of extraordinary cliffs like at Souvanna Khomkham.
Bokeo has colourful activities in all months of the year that will be of interest to visitors, such as the kapok flower festival. Some of the best local foods include khao laeng feun (noodles with chilli sauce) and khao soy tad (noodles fried with sugar sauce or honey) is a dessert favourite'.

crispi_____ on the Bolaven (southern Lao)

Ma Jane dans sa cascade #TarzanLife

And that (Mar. 31) on southern Savannakhet:

'Huay La Larb waterfall is popular new tourist site in Savannakhet
Authorities in Savannakhet province plan to develop Huay La Larb waterfall at Aoi-Tantib village in Nong district, a new natural tourist site in which many visitors have shown an interest.
A senior official, Ms Phetmany Madmanisone, told Vientiane Times on Friday, "Huay La Larb waterfall is beautiful and has a lot of potential to be developed as a tourist site.
"The authorities recently inspected the area around the waterfall and found that many people from different provinces and abroad are interested in visiting the site even though it is still not fully developed, she added.

Wanderwisdom (Apr. 19) has 5 of Laos best waterfalls:

'If you love waterfalls, Laos may be your personal heaven. The country is filled with beautiful waterfalls set in equally beautiful landscapes, courtesy of the country’s high annual rainfall, many rivers, and mountains.
If you like the idea of trekking through dense rainforest to reach cascading waterfalls—perhaps with a stop at a small local village or with some time kayaking down a meandering river—you’ll love visiting waterfalls in Laos.
5 Beautiful Waterfalls in Laos:
Kuang Si Falls (Luang Prabang)
Tat Sae Waterfall (Luang Prabang)
Tad Alang (Bolaven Plateau, Pakse)
Tad Fane (Bolaven Plateau, Pakse)
100 Waterfalls Trek (Nong Khiaw)'

Wings
Phnom Penh Post (Mar. 7) has been heading to the southwest of the country to look at some natural attractions:

'If you want to visit an untouched natural place, even it requires trekking for hours, you may want to try Stung Ta Sok waterfall, located between Koh Kong and Pursat provinces.
Stung Ta Sok waterfall. Trekking between Chhay Broy waterfall and Stung Ta Sok waterfall takes one and a half hour to two hours. Pha Lina'.

The same trip probably lead to another write up, this time concerning the Chhay Broy (PPP, Feb. 7):

'The once spectacular Chhay Broy waterfall used to be among Pursat province’s largest and deepest cascades at 50m high and 20m wide, attracting tourists with its beautiful forest landscape, large pool and abundant wildlife.
But all this changed when a Chinese-funded 120-megawatt hydroelectric power dam was built in 2010, as the water flow feeding Chhay Broy significantly slowed as a result of the Stung Atai hydroelectric dam sitting upstream.
...
“In rainy season, there is plenty of flowing water, but this is also very dangerous as we do not know when the dam will open its gates and flood us downstream. Tourists continue to visit and bathe in the waters. But most challenging for us is that the dam opening could claim lives at anytime [by washing people away]."

maxescapade

Wings out... Preparing for landing... (may 2018)#cliffjumping#cambodia#adventure

Impactexpolrer (Apr. 11) has a look at Katieng waterfall (pictured above), Ratanakiri, Cambodia:

'From the top you can look out across to large trees on the opposite bank. The view of the waterfall is pretty stunning from the top. The water cascades from a gentle pool at the top and drops down at least 10ms to a larger pool below.
I head for the steps that lead me to the bottom pool. I was the only one there, and this made the experience that little bit more special. The rock cavern of the waterfall provides shelter around the perimeter and seems to lower the temperature a few degrees – perfect for the hot weather of Arpil'.

Traveltriangle (May 5) has a Khmer Top 10 waterfalls in the kingdom, another good primer.

The acclaimed Shinta Mani resorts head into the jungle.
Traveldailynews (Nov. 15, 2018) notes how they will be opening a new camp like resort (Shinta Mani Wild), halfway between the capital and Sihanoukville:

'As anticipation builds towards its opening on 21 December, the Shinta Mani Wild- Bensley Collection team is set to unleash a host of wild bespoke Bensley experiences that exemplify the camp’s spirit of fun and adventure, promising authentic interactions with the incredible national parkland setting – all with a twist of Shinta Mani style. From the exhilarating moment of arrival - criss-crossing the rapids via a 380m zipline - there will be no such thing as a typical day at Shinta Mani Wild – Bensley Collection, a radical new concept for a luxury tented camp nestled deep in Cambodia’s South Cardamom National Park.
Guests ... might find themselves joining Wildlife Alliance rangers motorcycling through the forest on anti-poaching patrols and tracking previously unrecorded wildlife activity. Funded by Shinta Mani, the camp’s ranger station enables the non-profit Wildlife Alliance to carry out vital conservation work in the area, including protecting animals from poaching, removing snares and preventing illegal logging'.

 About Asia:

'The lodge is designed by world-renowned hotel architect Bill Bensley (his resume includes the Four Seasons in Chiang Mai and the Four Seasons Golden Triangle). 16 beautifully-designed tents are perched over 1.2 km of waterfalls and rivers, set high to allow migratory animals to pass beneath on their seasonal paths'. 

A good initiative? It does seem to cost a bit ... (and more).

Charmed

VN.express.net (May 14) proudly notes

'Microsoft network MSN has included two waterfalls in Vietnam in its list of 15 most charming cascades in the world.
It describes Ban Gioc Waterfall [pictured below] in the northern province of Cao Bang, near the border with China, as ‘a paradise on earth’ while the Dambri Waterfall in Bao Loc Town in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong is mentioned as place worth visiting'.

alejogiraldo0

Nada mas jugando. 📸 @stargar .

Traveltriangle has more waterfalls on offer. They have 10 waterfalls of Hanoi.
Then, 8 beautiful waterfalls of Vietnam (Apr. 9).
Applyvisavietnam has not one post on Ban Ho falls (Nha Trang) but two. Part 2 (May 25) and Part 1 (May 24):

'Discovering the beauty of nature: Ba Ho Waterfall (Part 1). “If you get a chance to go, it’s well worth it.”, said a traveler on tripadvisor.com. Let's read more about this fascinating Ba Ho Waterfall before we get there.It is one of Nha Trang's must-visit attractions, comprised of three natural waterfalls that ends with a clear lake surrounded by a dense rainforest'.

lapega.nails at Suối Tranh - Phú Quốc

Красота! 😍😍😍

Skyscanner (Apr. 10) has a top 10 of best waterfalls in the Philippines (or is it on?). 
Wayph [Apr. 15] has 10 waterfalls for you from Mindanao:

'Mindanao, the second biggest island in the Philippines is a home to numerous virgin forests, pristine beaches and majestic waterfalls. If you opt to skip visiting white sand beaches this summer, then these top ten waterfalls in Mindanao are great places for you to visit:...'.

ruthsevy

Can't decide if I love the mountains [and] falls or the sand  [and] sea more from this country [= Philippines].

Soul

Then back to the begin, Bali.

Iamindonesia (Apr. 4) has an overview of Bali's waterfalls (n=7). 

The Honeycombers (May 17) doubles that number, a very good overview of the islands many waterfalls. It seems checking out waterfalls is hotly becoming another way to savior the island.

 

foto.sofichi in Gianyar

I’m very grateful to meet such a beautiful souls in my life.. 🌿@oliverjamesmusicfor the new photo project “Photo Album” 📷

And back to Thailand. 

Below Pai (Mae Hong Son province), while rounding off this entry with yet again another waterfall classic from Ko Phangan.

kikihotsawce 

Donate to my forever adventure fund?

lietco

Straight chilling after a big sweaty hike. Tag your skinny dipping partner in the comments. 🍑...#swimminghole #wanderer #wanderlust#islandvibes #mountainvibes #jungle#travelcouples #coupleslovetravel#adventuretogether #traveltogether#digitalnomadcouple

Wondering in the Kingdom

Flowers in the hair, waterfall in the background, another pic for the album.

Cambodia likes to see itself as a nation of natural beauty as exemplified by it’s waterfalls. And there is ample evidence of beautiful waterfalls in outstanding areas. However what they often neglect to inform visitors of, is the fact that the management of these waterfall areas and other areas of outstanding natural beauty contradicts the very reason why visitors may come. Or am I missing something?

K’bal Chhay (Kbal Chhay), Kompong Som province (yes you may refer to it as Sihanoukville) ranks high on Cambodia’s must see waterfalls. With the possible Bou Sra waterfalls in Mondulkiri having the edge, these falls are seen as something not to miss. Even though they aren’t the highest nor have any other qualities which would seek to attract visitors. But being close to the coastal resort of Sihanoukville seems to be the premier reason to visit here. And the reason why I have avoided visiting them.

Until this morning. Located 8 km up a dirt road from a turn off on the main road out of Sihanoukville, access is good. Entrance fees are $1 per vehicle (up 100% with 3 years ago). Along the way one passes the municipal water reservoir as well as some clear cut forest just above the reservoir. Only in Cambodia is one allowed to denude the hills surrounding it’s number 1 drinking water source. Another wonder.

There is a wikipedia page on Kbal Chhay. It mentions that the fact of the upper part of the stream being the fresh water source of Sihanoukville. That the road was constructed by a company which somehow is not responsible for the fee collection anymore, the government has moved back. None of this though I believe is transparent.

Car park galore.

At the end of the road is a gigantic car park, which I imagine can spare enough space for upwards of 1,000 cars. Luckily today there are only a dozen. Along the edges are a number of stalls, selling drinks, foods and tourist nick nacks.
Access to mid way the falls is from a small corner of the car park, but most visitors opt to cross the river and seek out a nice shaded hut on the opposite bank above the falls. There are quite a few of these stalls, fanning out above the falls. Oddly though there seems no access to below the 15-25m high falls, where one can easily see a nice pool to swim in.

Overall it all seems pretty dangerous, I for one would not be surprised at children being swept off the waterfalls or just falling. On the other side is another smaller stream which joins the falls but with it’s own set of beautiful falls.

Not the main falls.

Again it certainly is a beautiful place, but the obscenity of all the stalls above the falls takes a major part of the enjoyment away. At least for ourselves. Naturally on holidays business will be roaring so no doubt I am one of the few who resent this development. Beyond the stalls huge piles over rubbish exist and closer to the falls much rubbish has been allowed to accumulate, but that seems to concern no one. It’s a pity how a beautiful area can be destroyed in humanities never ending search to make a quick buck.

The thing to do I believe, is to see if one can extend the visit by finding a path below to the lower stream and seek out a waterhole there.

We opted to follow the brook which enters the falls site. After some 10 minutes of scrambling through the forest we come to a very small waterfall, jungle enclosed and up to half a meter deep. No crowds. No noise. No rubbish. No need for clothes. Just pure nature.

Nearby is Iball, another delitefully peaceful area where one can zorb from a slope (apparently if you’re drunk naked zorbing is allowed …), swim or simply relax. A good idea to combine the two?

Halfway down the falls. The water drops here another 15m.

Elsewhere Andy B has as always a good blog entry. He attributes Kbal Chhay's popularity to it featuring in a 2000 local movie. More photo's too and from the rainy season, a fact which also the province guide mentions as well as more of the development history.

End of paradise

The waterfalls and rapids of Thmor Roong, Koh Kong province, Cambodia were revisited for a third time this month. Located at nearly the half way point between Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh the area was a great place for a complete getaway. Three years ago there was just 1 lady with an eski and possibly 2 or 3 shelter huts depending on what exactly you would describe as those.

Since though things have taken off: roughly ten shops now supply about 100 huts. These huts are lined two rows thick and seem solely intent in damaging the very environment that is the main attraction. Despite it not being Khmer New Year, rubbish was already easily to be found.

Worst of all a development 100m upstream seems to be excluding use for those wishing to get away from it all. A huge two meter high wall has been erected and signs through the riverbed seem to be there to deter visitors from straying upstream.
Beyond the wall, a guard hut and building have been built and the once verdant jungle undergrowth was still smoldering after some slash and burn. This stood in stark contrast to the opposing river side where the forest was still prime and once away from the main area birds were singing. Though I can’t say for sure that this side will not see the same fate.

Three years ago a visit was free to get away from the crowds, now a dollar the person to join the crowd! Thanks again folks for ruining what was once a beautiful place to visit. Long may you party (one set of visitors had a speaker box along, 1.5 m tall).

Another recent blog entry on Thmar Roung. There's apparently now a signboard with a JICA logo on it ....