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.