Cambodia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget

Travel Reference

In-Depth Information

way of a stunningly beautiful forest trail.

he falls themselves are a dramatic

two-tiered affair, with more than 30m of

water gushing into a jungle-clad gorge.

here are hundreds of chunchiet villages

around Sen Monorom, but some are not

keen on foreign visitors, so it's best to take

a local as a guide and interpreter. One of

the largest and easiest villages to access is

Phulung (about 8km north of Sen

Monorom), inhabited by Bunong, the

majority chunchiet group in Mondulkiri.

he curious huts have woven wooden

walls and thatched roofs almost to the

floor. hree or more families often live in

one hut, but you'll be lucky to see more

than a handful of people during daytime,

as they're out working in the fields.

Phulung is also the starting point for

half- or full-day elephant treks ($15/30),

which you can arrange through

guesthouses in Sen Monorom. More

memorable (and humane) interactions

can be had at the pioneering Elephant

Valley Project (10km northwest of Sen

Monorom; day-visit $70, or $40

including a half day's volunteer work;

longer visits also available; T 099 696041,

W

though, starting at around $25/day. Another good place to

get local information is at Green House , next to the market

( T 017 905659, W greenhouse-tour.blogspot.co.uk). Staff

here can organize guides, and can also arrange rental of

250cc trail bikes for $15/day. Expect to pay $25 for a moto

for the return trip to Bou Sraa.

ACCOMMODATION

★

2

Nature Lodge 2km north of town T 012 230272,

W naturelodgecambodia.com. Idyllic little eco-lodge,

tucked away in a valley north of town, with accommo-

dation in wooden cabins (fan and hot water) dotted amid

the tre es, p lus a rustic little restaurant, bar and library.

Double $10

Phanyro 500m from town (coming from Phnom Penh

turn right opposite the Pich Kiri guesthouse) T 017

770867. Attractive guesthouse with accommodation in a

cluster of neat bungalows (with fan and hot water) lined

up on a hill just outside town. Popul ar with visiting NGOs,

so it's worth booking ahead. Double $7

Pich Kiri On the uphill stretch on the way into town just

east of the market T 012 932102. Sen Monorom's longest-

running guesthouse; the cheapest rooms are slightly

musty with fan and cold water only; plusher rooms in the

classy new block ($15) come with a/c and hot wat er.

There's also a great restaurant and leafy garden. Double $6

EATING

Banana's 500m down the hill east of the market T 092

412680. This Dutch-owned place is the classiest of Sen

Monorom's modest selection of restaurants, set in a mini-

jungle by the river and serving up good Western food

ranging from schnitzels to coq au vin. The food isn't cheap

(mains around $7), but servings are generous and the

quality's high. Daily 9am-10pm.

Khmer Kitchen Off the main road in the centre of town,

within sight of the bus stop along from Green House . The

Khmer barbecue, where you can choose from fish, chicken

or beef with salad and rice, costs $5. Daily 8am-9pm.

Mondulkiri Pizza Behind the hospital T 0975 222219.

Recently opened restaurant in a cute little bamboo building

with a lively atmosphere and the best pizza (around $5) you

could reasonably expect in the wilds of Mondulkiri. Daily

10am-9pm.

Sovannkiri Just south of the centre on the main road

(NH76) to Kompong Cham T 097 474 4528. Australian-

Khmer-run place with a great selection of local and

Western dishes including good burgers and steaks, plus

cheap beer. Mains $2-6. Daily 8am-10pm.

elephantvalleyproject.org), offering the

chance to walk with elephants and

observe them in their natural habitat

- but not to ride them.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

Sen Monorom lies on a side road which branches off the

main highway at Snoul. You might be encouraged to buy a

ticket to Snoul and pick up onward transport from there,

although this is very hit and miss, and you might end up

hanging around for hours, or even possibly overnight.

By bus There are a couple of buses daily between Sen

Monorom and Phnom Penh ($12) via Kompong Cham, run

by Phnom Penh Sorya and Rith Mony.

Destinations Kompong Cham (4hr 30min); Phnom

Penh (8hr).

By share taxi or pick-up These run either direct from

Phnom Penh (7hr; $15) or Kompong Cham (4hr). You will

get very dusty in a pick-up, unless you sit in the cab.

INFORMATION

To see most sights, you'll need to engage the help of a

guide. You can book reliable guides at your guesthouse

or at the tourist o ce behind the post o ce (the white

building just off the airstrip). They don't come cheap,