The Best of Cambodia & Laos

150
BATTAMBANG & NORTHERN CAMBODIA
7
RATANAKIRI
side of the lake; & 012/957-422; $10 double A/C; $5 double fan; $20 bungalow) is set
on the other side of town among leafy surrounds. The rooms come with hot water and
TV so you can enjoy modern amenities in tandem with great lake views, all at a very
reasonable price.
Most guesthouses have attached restaurants, but there are other options with one or
two pleasant surprises. Gecko House (& 012/422-228; main courses $1–$4) is rather
trendy for an area so remote. The thatched building is furnished with hanging plants and
bamboo furniture with a pebble-strewn floor. The Khmer dishes receive good reviews
and there is also a reasonable range of Western meals, including pizzas and burgers. Sal’s
Restaurant and Bar (& 012/284-377; main courses $1.50–$5) is located in a small
wooden house near the edge of town. They serve a pretty good mix of Western and
Khmer food, and you can call ahead to order pizza since waiting times can be quite long.
Attractions
Yak Lom Lake is Banlung’s number-one attraction. It is a volcanic crater filled with fresh
water, surrounded by a trail that takes about an hour to walk. The lake has mystical
significance to local people. There is a pier from which you can swim and inner tubes are
available to rent. The entrance fee is $1. There is also a visitor center, which displays some
local handicrafts and has information on local tribes and some good walks in the area.
Yak Lom Lake is 5km (3 miles) from Banlung heading east. It is an hour’s walk or you
can hire a moto for $1 each way plus a tip if you make him wait any length of time.
There are a number of waterfalls around Ratanakiri, some of which are easily accessible
from Banlung. Chha Ong waterfall is west of Banlung on National Rd. 78. It is
purported to be the highest in Ratanakiri at 30m (98 ft.). You can swim at the foot of
the falls. Entrance is 2,000 riel. Katieng waterfall, Kah Chhang waterfall, and Bai
S’rok waterfall are other nearby waterfalls worth a stop. Katieng is often considered to
be the most fun because you actually clamber under a rock shelf and behind the flow of
the water a bit like Daniel Day-Lewis in The Last of the Mohicans.
At Bai S’rok there is still a lot of gem-mining activity although that might be diminishing
since the whole area is getting pretty much mined out. You can combine a visit with
an elephant ride and a village home stay—ask at your guesthouse.
Lumkut Lake is another beautiful cratered lake situated in dense forest near Borkeo
district about 30km (19 miles) north of Banlung. You can swim here, but not in rainy
season when the dirt path that leads there is virtually impassable. With a guide, the trip
should cost about $15 per person for a half-day trip and can include a stop in a Tampuan
minority village.
Virachey National Park is a wild area teeming with wildlife that has yet to be fully
explored. All trips to Virachey have to be arranged through the park service and accompanied
by an approved guide. You can sort this out through your guesthouse or you can
go directly to the ranger’s office and arrange the trip with them. The park headquarters
is located 3 blocks north of the post office. The most popular trek is the 3-day trip, which
includes spending 1 night inside a hut adjacent to an ethnic Brou village just outside the
park, and 1 night spent in a hammock about 20km (12 miles) inside the park boundary.
It is about a 30km (19-mile) walk total and costs $107 per person, though the price can
come down with groups that have more than two people.
The central market of Psar Banlung is the place to see Khmer Loeu people arrive
early in the morning carrying “back strap” baskets laden with vegetables, fruit, and forest
products, which they sell at the market. It can be a fascinating and photogenic scene. It is