Banlung, Ratanakiri - Remote Adventures

Banlung, northeast of Kratie, is the dusty capital of Ratanakiri, the remote northeastern province of Cambodia.  Though remote and mountainous, it is accessible via road and air.  Banlung is the base camp to go exploring the beautiful ecology and the various tribal minorities of Ratanakiri.

You can rent bicycles, motorcycles or go about on foot or on the back of an elephant.  Yep, some tour agencies in Banlung can arrange an elephant to ride from selected villages into the jungles to waterfalls or lakes or even village hopping. Do note that most of the roads are of red laterite earth which means dust and when wet, mud.

There are volcanic crater lakes to go swimming in and have a picnic such as the round Yeak Loam lake and not so round Lumkud lake to the east of Banlung.  Then there are the  Ka Chang, Ka Teang, Cha Ong and Bai S’rohk Waterfalls to appreciate and chill in.

Virachey National Park is north of Banlung. It’s a must see place for adventure travellers for the beautiful vistas especially at the Veal Thom Grasslands.  Then there are the various hill tribe villages and cemeteries and temples such as Wat Rahtanharahm to go and have a peek at to drink in the sights and sounds. 

This video from rikdr22 is of the jungles in Ratanakiri.

Phnom Sombok - Pit Stop for the Views

Phnom Sombok is a recommended stopover from Kampi to Kratie. It is up the only hill in the area and gives an excellent view of the Mekong River.  A slow stroll up the steps and you can see the collection of buildings that make up this temple complex.

Have a look around at the murals and the morals they tell and then go up further to see the stupas and buddhas there.  Immerse yourself in the soft chanting of the monks while you walk around.

This video by TripAdvisorTRIPWOW4 gives snippets of Phnom Sombok, Kratie and Kampi.

Mekong River Dolphins

The mighty Mekong has many a tale to show and tell. And its Irrawaddy Dolphins are one of them.  These endangered dolphins can be found in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and in Indonesian Borneo.

From Kratie in Cambodia, its best to go to Kampi village to get a boat out into the Mekong.  These boatmen know the best spots to enjoy these gentle dolphins.   Just make sure that you get agreement from the boatman that he’ll turn off the engines once the dolphins are sighted.  The dolphins will usually go away at the sound of engines.  Plus you’ll have the pleasure of a rejuvenating and peaceful cruise on the mighty Mekong. 

This video by contemporarynomad gives an indication of this soothing excursion.  And on the way back to Kratie, you can drop by Phnom Sombok for a walkabout there.

Kratie - Up River Cambodia

Kratie is a town with some French colonial ambience, sitting on the Mekong River to the east in Cambodia.  Kratie serves as the jump off point for watching the endangered river dolphins as well as the entry point to the idyllic sandbar island of Koh Trong.  On Koh Trong, you can cycle about sightseeing, get the opportunity to plant a tree, lookout for the scarce and rare turtles or just chill under a shady tree.

There are nice places to go sightseeing around Kratie such as the temples at Sambor, Phnom Sombok, the restored Wat Roka Kandal and Cham basket weavers in the surrounding villages.  Watch out for the barbers in Kratie, and try out the local delicacies.

This video from TripAdvisorTRIPWOW3 gives a snapshot of the action in and around Kratie. 

Angkor Wat

Beautiful video (made by 1 more life productions) on Angkor Wat in Cambodia.