The Best of Cambodia & Laos

$10 but can be more during high season. The road is mostly new and surfaced, but it
does disintegrate into dirt past Stung Treng, 100km (62 miles) before you reach Banlung.
The companies running this route are Bung Rung (& 012/684-041), Bona Transport
(& 012/567-161), and Ly Heng Express (& 023/991-726).
You can also travel by regular bus leaving Phnom Penh at 6:15am and Banlung at 7am
going the other way. It is a 600km (372-mile) journey and costs $12. Rith Mony,
Phnom Penh Sorya, and GST Express Bus Company all run this route.
Motorcycle taxi (motodup), rental motorcycle, and bicycle are the primary options for
exploring the immediate area. You can hire a motodup for the whole day for about $8. If
they speak good English they might ask for more. A 100cc motorcycle costs $5 a day. A
bicycle costs $1 a day. Ask at your guesthouse. You may also be able to rent four-wheeldrives
for $40.
Banlung
Banks & Currency Exchange There is one bank, the Acleda Bank (near the
market. & 075/974-220; open Mon–Fri 7:30am–4pm). They change traveler’s
checks. There is an ATM but at present it does not accept international cards.
Internet Access There is Internet access at a number of places around the center
of town but prices are relatively high ($3 per hour) and speeds are excessively
slow. Try Srei Mom’s Internet, on the road west to east close to the market and
bus stop.
Post Office The Post Office is on the road east heading toward Vietnam. It offers
international phone calls, although there are cellphone kiosks from which it is
cheaper to call.
Where to Stay & Dine
Terres Rouges Lodge (Boeung Kansaign; & 075/974-051; www.ratanakiri-lodge.com;
$35 double, $40 twin, $65 deluxe, $85 suite) is a beautiful old wooden house with leafy
gardens and even a small swimming pool. It is real luxury for this part of the world, and
there is even an attached spa. The rooms are rustic but stylish with plenty of dark-wood
furnishings. The restaurant and bar serves both Khmer and French food, though the
harder to prepare dishes need to be ordered a day in advance. It is the best restaurant in
town. Treetop Eco-Lodge (Hillside district; & 012/490-333; $10 double) opened in
early 2009. It offers beautiful bungalows with wraparound verandas that hang from the
side of a verdant hillside. The bungalows are well appointed for the location with electricity,
vaulted ceilings, and an en suite bathroom. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere
while the food is nothing to write home about. The Yaklom Hill Lodge (10-min. drive
in dry season east of Banlung past the lake; & 012/644-240; www.yaklom.com; $10
single, $15 double, $20 triple, $45 deluxe bungalow) is an ecolodge that is set in the
middle of the woods 6km (3 3 ⁄4 miles) out of town, with wooden bungalows interspersed
among the trees. You’ll find yourself completely removed from the world outside (this
impression is advanced by the lack of electricity during the day). During wet season the
proximity of all that foliage ensures that the atmosphere is also one of constant damp.
The restaurant serves both Khmer and Thai food. The Lakeside Chheng Lok Hotel (far
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BATTAMBANG & NORTHERN CAMBODIA 7
RATANAKIRI