Destinations
Where to go beyond Angkor
Two regions do most of the work: the hill forests of the east, around Mondulkiri, and the rainforest rivers of the Cardamom Mountains in the south-west. Phnom Penh sits between them.
Ridges of Mondulkiri in the dry season (November)
Start from what you want
Which place fits you?
- Elephants and wild gibbons
- Mondulkiri and Keo Seima
- Rainforest close to Phnom Penh and the coast
- The Cardamom Mountains
- A village-run stay in the forest
- Chi Phat
- River dolphins and a slower Mekong stop
- Kratie
- A crater lake, waterfalls and remoteness
- Ratanakiri
Every place here is outside the 20 km zone along the Thai border where official advice warns against travel. See safety and border advice.
All destinations
- Destination · Eastern CambodiaMondulkiri: hills, forest and Cambodia’s best wildlife daysYes, if you have at least four days and want wildlife, cooler hills and very few other tourists. Sen Monorom is 359 km from Phnom Penh, a full day each way by road, so Mondulkiri rewards two or three nights on the ground and punishes a rushed visit.Stay 3 nights minimum, plus two travel days
Destination · MondulkiriKeo Seima: gibbons at dawn with Bunong guidesKeo Seima is a protected forest about 30 km from Sen Monorom where the Jahoo project leads small groups to a habituated family of yellow-cheeked gibbons. A day trek costs US$185 including transfers from Sen Monorom; it starts before dawn, involves steep, hot walking and suits fit travelers aged 10 and over.Stay 1 day, or 2 to 3 days with nights at the bamboo camp
Destination · The MekongKratie: Mekong dolphins on the way eastKratie is a quiet Mekong river town about 253 km north-east of Phnom Penh. Its draw is the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, seen from small boats at Kampi, about 16 km north. It is best as one night on the way to Mondulkiri or Ratanakiri, which splits a very long road day in two.Stay 1 night, or 2 for a river island homestay or kayaking
Destination · South-west CambodiaThe Cardamom Mountains: rainforest rivers near the coastThe Cardamoms are south-west Cambodia’s great rainforest, reached along National Road 48 about four to five hours from Phnom Penh. Visitors usually choose between Chi Phat, a village-run ecotourism project with homestays and treks, and Cardamom Tented Camp, a comfortable safari-tent lodge reached by boat. Both sit well outside the Thai border advisory zone; Koh Kong town does not.Stay 2 to 3 nights
Destination · Cardamom MountainsChi Phat: a village-run base in the CardamomsChi Phat is a village in the Cardamom Mountains where residents run treks, bike rides, kayaking and homestays through a community visitor centre. You reach it from Andoung Teuk on National Road 48 by a two-hour boat (US$15 per person with three or more passengers) or a 45-minute motorbike taxi (US$8), as published by the project.Stay 2 to 3 nights
Destination · North-east CambodiaRatanakiri: crater lake, waterfalls and red-earth roadsRatanakiri is Cambodia’s far north-east, about 493 km by road from Phnom Penh, with Banlung as its base. Most visitors come for Yeak Laom, a round volcanic crater lake you can swim in, nearby waterfalls and the gateway to Virachey National Park. It needs at least three nights and pairs best with a stop in Kratie or Stung Treng.Stay 3 nights or more
Destination · RatanakiriVirachey National Park: what a trek really involvesVirachey is a remote national park in northern Ratanakiri, with grasslands, forest and Indigenous communities, visited by fewer than 100 tourists a month according to IUCN. Treks are arranged through the park office in Banlung with rangers and community guides. It suits experienced, self-reliant hikers in the dry season; it is not an add-on for a standard holiday.Stay 2 to 7 days of trekking, plus nights in Banlung
Plan with Cambodia Path
Not sure where to start?
Tell us how many days you have and what you most want to see. We will suggest the place and route that fit, and explain the trade-offs honestly.
