Eastern Cambodia - The Rough Guide to Cambodia - page 204

Eastern Cambodia
The wide-open spaces of Cambodia's remote and sparsely populated east
are a world away from the rest of the country, offering a quintessential slice
of rural Khmer life largely unaffected by the modern world. Bounding the
western side of the region, the mighty Mekong River forges its way south
from Laos, dotted with river islands, dramatic stretches of flooded forest and
the occasional floating village. Outside the main towns, much of the river
remains largely off the tourist radar, although if you've got the time and
energy there are myriad opportunities to explore the river and its rural
hinterlands using a mix of boating, kayaking, cycling and walking.

East of the Mekong lie the distant highlands of Rattanakiri and Mondulkiri provinces.
Rampant logging has taken a serious toll on these formerly pristine landscapes,
although some jungle cover survives, providing a haven for wildlife - for the time
being, at least. The highlands are also home to Cambodia's chunchiet population
(see box, p.233) who have traditionally eked out a subsistence living cultivating crops
and foraging in the jungle. This centuries-old way of life is now threatened by the
encroachment of the modern world and the loss of forest on which they depend.
Gateway to the region is the laidback Mekong-side town of Kompong Cham , a quiet
provincial capital that retains an air of faded colonial gentility. Further north along the
Mekong, Kratie is another old French-era settlement, best known for the rare
Irrawaddy dolphins that inhabit the nearby rapids at Kampie . There are more dolphins
to be seen at Stung Treng , the most northerly town on Cambodia's stretch of the
Mekong; this is also the starting point for rewarding tours of the beautiful surrounding
countryside and for crossings into Laos. East of Stung Treng, Banlung , the capital of
Rattanakiri province, is developing into a major centre for treks into the nearby
highland jungles of the Virachey National Park and surrounding countryside. In the
southeast of the region, tranquil Sen Monorom , the main town of Mondulkiri province,
sees fewer visitors but offers further trekking and wildlife-spotting opportunities, as
well as visits to some of the spectacular waterfalls that dot the area.

4

GETTING AROUND EASTERN CAMBODIA
Getting around eastern Cambodia is a time-consuming business, however you approach it, although ongoing
infrastructure developments are steadily improving access to the region. The major gateway to the region is Kompong
Cham , although the construction of a new Mekong bridge near Stung Treng , linking up with NR64 to Tbeang
Meanchey and on to Siem Reap, is already opening up an alternative approach to Rattanakiri via central Cambodia -
the Stung Treng account (see p.224) has more details. Beyond Kompong Cham, most transport (and all buses) follows

Border crossings in the east p.211
River trips around Kompong Cham
p.213
The Cham p.215
Mekong Discovery Trail p.218
Irrawaddy dolphins p.219
Mekong homestays p.220
Tours around Kratie p.221
Tours around Stung Treng p.226
Illegal logging p.227

Gem-mining in Rattanakiri p.228
What's in a name?: Banlung and Sen
Monorom p.228
Beyond Banlung: the road to
Mondulkiri p.230
Tours and trekking around Banlung
p.231
The chunchiet p.233
Trekking and elephant rides around
Sen Monorom p.237