The Best of Cambodia & Laos

all over by 10am. The Reclining Buddha at Wat Rahtanharahm sits at the base of Eisey
Patamak Mountain about 1km ( 1 ⁄2 mile) east of town. The views from here are fantastic.
Exploring Mondulkiri
The remote eastern region of Mondulkiri is Cambodia’s largest, yet it’s the most
sparsely populated province and traveling there is difficult. There is only one
dirt road that takes you to the tiny provincial capital of Sen Monorom, a
10-hour trip from Phnom Penh. The initial part of the trip, to Snuol, is on wellsurfaced
roads. Once past Snuol, you hit mud in the rainy season and flying
dust in the dry season. Like Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri is set on a plateau, making it
different from the lowlands in both climate and vegetation. It gets very cool in
winter. Mondulkiri is lined up for massive and controversial rubber cultivation.
Logging has already ravaged this part of the world and the hills are largely
bare. What remains is still alluring, with a unique beauty. Sen Monorom is very
quiet, with just a few dirt tracks and one roundabout in the middle of a series
of grassy rolling hills. There are two main streets in Sen Monoram and where
they meet is the de facto center of town, where you will find guesthouses and
restaurants. When your bus arrives there will be plenty of motodups to ferry you
to your guesthouse of choice.
Mondulkiri’s main attraction is itswaterfalls, and it’s worth hiring a motodup
to take you to the main ones rather than trying to negotiate the dusty tracks
yourself. Bousra Waterfall is the largest waterfall within easy reach, about
35km (22 miles) from Sen Monorom. It takes 1 bumpy hour to get there. The
falls are on two levels and the main rest area is between the two. On the upper
level the falls are wide and swift. There are a couple of places to swim. The
lower falls a far more narrow, but at 25m (82 ft.) they are far higher. If you cross
the falls and take the path to your left you will reach a very uneven set of rough
stairs that takes you to the base of the lower set of falls. A motodup will charge
$10 for ferrying you about for the day, or you can hire your own bike for $7.
Heading the opposite way out of town you will find are several smaller waterfalls
near ethnic Phunong villages. Sen Monorom falls and Kbal Preah Waterfall
make a nice afternoon excursion. Elephant treks cost $25 per person for the
day and enable you to reach falls not accessible by vehicle. The trips usually start
in a local Phnong village, and take about 2 hours. If you haven’t traveled by elephant
before, be warned it is hard work as the movements throw you around a
bit. Sunset Hill is a good place to catch the sunset. You can also stop at Phnom
Doh Kromom Pagoda, giving you a fine view of the rolling hills beyond.
The Long Vibol Guesthouse and Restaurant (past the airstrip; & 012/944-
647; $10 double) is an established favorite with visiting NGO workers. Rooms
have TVs, and the food is good though the service is extremely relaxed. Nature
Lodge (& 012/230-272; www.naturelodgecambodia.com; $10 double) is an
ecolodge that gets rave reviews and the Israeli/Khmer ownership has created a
homey atmosphere. You will need to hire a motodup to find it.
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BATTAMBANG & NORTHERN CAMBODIA 7
RATANAKIRI