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Sunlight filtering through tall trees and bamboo in a misty forest
Experiences

Days worth the journey

A short list of experiences that justify the long roads east and south-west, chosen for how they treat animals, forests and the people who live there.

Bamboo and semi-evergreen forest in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary

  1. Dense dry-season forest of mixed trees on a slope
    Experience · Wildlife

    Elephants in Mondulkiri: choosing an ethical visit

    The kindest elephant visit is one where you walk with the elephants and watch, with no riding, bathing or feeding for the sake of visitors. Near Sen Monorom, the Elephant Valley Project publishes exactly those rules. Other operators offer hands-on bathing and feeding; ask before you book, because labels like “sanctuary” are not regulated.

    Where
    Around Sen Monorom, Mondulkiri
    Time
    Half day to 3 days
  2. A dark gibbon sitting high in a leafy tree canopy, seen from below
    Experience · Wildlife

    Gibbons and primates: tracking wild apes in Keo Seima

    The best-organised way to see wild gibbons in Cambodia is a dawn trek with the Jahoo project in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, about 30 km from Sen Monorom. Bunong guides follow a habituated gibbon family; doucs are often seen too. A one-day trek is US$185 with transfers and meals, for ages 10 and over.

    Where
    Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, Mondulkiri
    Time
    1 to 3 days
  3. Two walkers seen from behind on a narrow red-earth path through green hills
    Experience · On foot

    Jungle trekking in Cambodia: where, how hard, and with whom

    The most accessible jungle treks are in Mondulkiri (with gibbons in Keo Seima or elephants near Sen Monorom) and from Chi Phat in the Cardamom Mountains, where the community grades treks light to hard. Virachey in Ratanakiri offers remote multi-day treks for experienced hikers. Go in the dry season, November to April, and always with a local guide.

    Where
    Mondulkiri, Keo Seima, Chi Phat (Cardamoms), Virachey (Ratanakiri)
    Time
    Half day to several days
  4. A traditional house with a low, steep thatched-grass roof reaching almost to the ground, among trees
    Experience · People and places

    Community-based tourism: staying with villages, respectfully

    Community-based tourism means a village, not an outside company, runs the guiding, food and lodging and decides how visitors are received. In eastern and south-west Cambodia the clearest example is Chi Phat in the Cardamoms; Bunong guides lead wildlife and forest days in Mondulkiri; and river-island homestays exist near Kratie. Expect simple conditions and real conversations, not performances.

    Where
    Chi Phat (Cardamoms), Mondulkiri, Kratie, Ratanakiri
    Time
    1 to 3 nights
  5. A wide two-tier waterfall pouring over a dark rock ledge into a pool, framed by forest
    Experience · Nature

    Waterfalls and wild swimming in eastern Cambodia

    The east’s best water is Yeak Laom, a round volcanic crater lake near Banlung that you can swim in, and Bou Sra, a two-tier waterfall about 34 km from Sen Monorom. Both are half-day trips. Waterfalls are fullest from August to November, while roads and paths are easiest in the dry months that follow.

    Where
    Mondulkiri (Bou Sra and others), Ratanakiri (Yeak Laom and falls near Banlung)
    Time
    Half day each
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