Mondulkiri is an undeveloped hilly province located in the north east of Cambodia with oddly scenery from the country: thickly forested mountains, powerful waterfalls and the lush green rolling hills of the western side. Add to the natural beauty, the communities of hill tribe people who are not affected by mass-tourism offers a very attractive area for adventure travelers.
What to do?
Sen Monorom, the provincial capital, is the best base to explore the surrounding areas. You will enjoy great scenery of forested and grasslands rolling hills, beautiful waterfalls. Go elephant trekking through some of Southeast Asia's last great forests.
Above all an opportunity to meet local tribes people and experience that wonderfully warm welcome which can only be discovered by getting off the beaten track.
When to go?
In the dry season the weather is 23-29 Degree Celcious with sunshine. In summer the temperatures vary between 27 and 31 Degree Celcious. There are endless grassy hills, rivers and jungle. At an average elevation of 800m, it can get quite chilly at night. Dry and dusty in the dry season always is the best time to visit Mondulkiri.
Getting there:
Highway (dirt road) no14 to Sen Mororom connects to highway 7 in Snoul. From Phnom Penh, it takes 7-9 hours to cover, depending on speed and season. The road is generally flat, yet very bumpy from Snoul until Keo Seima, then it curves into the hills and gets a bit better. While travelling in the rainy season though, some of the slopes can get extremely challenging unless the car has 4wd.
Ratanakiri Travel Guide
Ratanakiri is located 636 km from Phnom Penh and border with Vietnam and Laos. It is renowned for the natural beauty and Ban Lung City from where visitors make excursions or treks to Khmer Loeu villages and jungle areas as well as other famous tourist sites nearby.
What to do?
Most visitors to Ratanakiri base themselves in Banlung City from where they make excursions/treks to Khmer Loeu villages and jungle areas, waterfalls, gem mines, and Ratanakiri's famous Yeak Laom volcanic lake. The city of Banlung is fairly small but offers some interesting shopping and a few decent hotels.
When to go?
The dry season between November and March, when the temperature is from 20C to 32C is the best time to visit Ratanakiri. In rainy season (late May to early October), the journey can drag you to spend the whole day for the trip due to rains, car getting stuck, unbelievably slippery road, etc.
Travel tips
If you come overland from Kratie or Stung Treng, the road between Stung Treng and Ban Lung should give you a kind of adventure as well. In rainy season, the journey can drag you to spend the whole day for the trip due to rains, car getting stuck, unbelievably slippery road, etc. So be prepared well for yourself if you plan to depart Ratanakiri by overland transport to these both provinces in rainy season.
When taking excursions or doing trekking to villages, please remember:
+ Prepare suitable shoes for trekking, flip-flop during stay in the village, sun cream, insect repellent, torch and water.
+ Walk only on the well-worn track (no land mines reported in Ratanakiri, but might be animal traps!)
+ Get permission before you take picture of the villagers.
+ Respect to the hill tribe culture, check out some taboos. Check it out with local guides.
+ No gifts or candy to the villagers or kids unless it is organized in the community meeting manner
+ Consider hygiene concern when you want to taste the locally produced rice wine.
+ Do not leave any garbage in the village, farm, and forest. Bring all of them with you to the lodge.
+ All the villages visited have no electricity, so be prepared to sleep in the dark in the middle of nowhere. Candle will be use for lighting before bedtime.