The practical side, answered plainly
Distances are measured, prices come from the providers themselves, and anything uncertain says so. Each guide shows its sources and the date we checked them.
Planning
Seasons at a glance
RegionJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
MondulkiriJanuary: dry seasonFebruary: dry seasonMarch: dry seasonApril: dry seasonMay: transitionJune: wet seasonJuly: wet seasonAugust: wet seasonSeptember: wet seasonOctober: transitionNovember: dry seasonDecember: dry season
RatanakiriJanuary: dry seasonFebruary: dry seasonMarch: dry seasonApril: dry seasonMay: transitionJune: wet seasonJuly: wet seasonAugust: wet seasonSeptember: wet seasonOctober: transitionNovember: dry seasonDecember: dry season
CardamomsJanuary: dry seasonFebruary: dry seasonMarch: dry seasonApril: dry seasonMay: transitionJune: wet seasonJuly: wet seasonAugust: wet seasonSeptember: wet seasonOctober: wet seasonNovember: transitionDecember: dry season
Kratie (Mekong)January: dry seasonFebruary: dry seasonMarch: dry seasonApril: dry seasonMay: transitionJune: wet seasonJuly: wet seasonAugust: wet seasonSeptember: wet seasonOctober: transitionNovember: dry seasonDecember: dry season
Getting there
Roads, boats and pickups: how you actually reach each place.
- Getting to Mondulkiri: car, van or via KratieHow to get from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap to Sen Monorom: private car, shared minivans, breaking the trip in Kratie, and realistic journey times.
- Mondulkiri without a motorbike: how it worksYou do not need a motorbike for Mondulkiri. How pickups, private drivers and guided days work, and what to agree with a driver before you set off.
- Getting to Chi Phat: bus, boat and motorbikeHow to reach Chi Phat in the Cardamom Mountains: bus or car to Andoung Teuk on National Road 48, then the community boat or a motorbike taxi.
When and how long
Seasons, and how a nature chapter fits around Angkor.
- Cambodia beyond Angkor: adding a wild chapterHow to add Mondulkiri, the Cardamoms or Kratie to a trip built around Angkor: days needed, realistic routes from Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, and what to skip.
- Best time to visit eastern Cambodia and the CardamomsWhen to visit Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri, Kratie and the Cardamoms: dry and wet seasons month by month, what changes for trekking, and busy holiday dates.
Costs
Published prices and the decisions that move the total.
- What a trip to eastern Cambodia costsWhat a trip to Mondulkiri or the Cardamoms costs: published prices for the elephant sanctuary, gibbon treks and eco-lodges, and what moves the total.
Before you go
Border advice, safety, insurance and entry formalities.
- Safety, border advice and practicalitiesOfficial advice on the Cambodia-Thailand border, which places it affects, landmines, road safety, insurance with evacuation cover and entry formalities.
Plan with Cambodia Path
Tell us what you want from eastern Cambodia
Share your dates, what you hope to see and how you like to travel. We reply with a first view of the route and, when you are ready, a written proposal with the price, what it includes and who provides each part of the trip.
