Hello dear travellers,
Having been to Cambodia a few times, I'd like to go to lesser known areas. I've thought of visiting the provinces of Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri, which I've not seen yet. Could someone advise me on unmissable things to see or do? (I am not so bothered about the elephants). I am also looking to do a trek, could you recommend one?
I'm also opened to propositions of other provinces I might not have thought of..
Thanks for your help!
Try to book indigenous guides for any trekking.
Ratanakiri Top 5:
- Trekking in Virachey National Park (the more days, the better)
- Conservation International's gibbon spotting tour in the Veun Sai-Siem Pang Conservation Area
- Waterfall tour around Ban Lung (best in wet season); be sure to include Bei Srok waterfall 20km east/southeast of town toward Lumphat
- Yeak Lom Lake (easy; near Ban Lung)
- Minority villages. Try to visit ones that aren't already spoiled, if there are any left. Try hooking up with Tampuon guides around Yeak Lom lake
Mondulkiri Top 5:
- WCS gibbon- and douc-spotting project in Seima Protected Forest
- Walking with the elephants at Elephant Valley Project
- Bou Sraa waterfall well out of town; drive motorbike there
- WWF homestay and ecotourism projects 50km north of town at Dei Ey and Sre Y, in Phnom Prich wildnerness forests
- Adventure Rider Asia trail bike tours
Also some trekking and minority villages in Mondulkiri area; same rules apply as in Ratanakiri
Following on from the theme of booking indigenous guides - when in Mondulkiri rather than visiting the Western owned and operated Elephant Valley Project give consider supporting the Mondulkiri Project. It is a Cambodian ecotourism organisation and new elephant sanctuary which needs your support. Their two day elephant and jungle trek tour allows you to spend a day with elephants and then a day of jungle trekking to visit several waterfalls and a cave.
Thank you for your answers, I'll look into it. Also, realised that I forgot to mention that Im going in July, so during the wet season. Would that affect my trip to the region?
@gbloom4 the Mondulkiri Project started renting forest from two local Bunong villages in October 2013 and its elephant sanctuary and eco-tours commenced in January 2014.
@datrufon the road from Phnom Penh to Mondulkiri is good all year round. In July there is more water in the rivers and waterfalls and the jungles are lovely and green. It rarely rains all day. Any tours you go on will have small numbers of people on them.
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