Here's me, Here's the bear...

Me & Jay rented motorbikes and headed off to this big waterfall out at the end of a dirt road. It's one of these multi-tiered limestone falls, with lots of pools to swim around in, ledges to jump from, and hidden grottoes behind curtains of water with ferns and moss and forest elves frolicking. A great addition to the end of any dusty dirt road.

Anyway, the caretakers are also nursing back to health a few animals that were retrieved from poachers. There's a large enclosure full of bears, with a shack at one end containing some food and a tiny lady with a stick. If you drop some money in the donation box, she'll hand you a couple bananas and let you in to play with the bears. If they're not too busy fighting amongst themselves and behaving like wild animals, they'll hop up on their hind legs and walk over to take some food from your hand. And maybe take a swipe at you if you don't supply it promptly.

There is also an enclosure with a large tiger inside that you can pet through the bars. I didn't try giving that lady any money.

written by  Jason Kester on March 24, 2004 from Luang Prabang, Laos
from the travel blog: Southeast Asia, the Trans Siberian and Scandenavia
tagged MotorBike
Send a Compliment

comment on this...