Eastern Cambodia - The Rough Guide to Cambodia - page 226

BEYOND BANLUNG: THE ROAD TO MONDULKIRI
Perhaps the major frustration of travel in eastern Cambodia is the amount of backtracking
required to reach both Banlung and Sen Monorom. That's the bad news. The good news -
unless you're an environmentalist - is that a road between the two is currently under
construction (largely, it's said, to allow easier extraction of the region's valuable timber and
other natural resources). Due to be finished by around 2015, the new Banlung-Sen
Monorom highway will allow visitors to follow a single, far quicker, loop through Rattanakiri
and Mondulkiri and save a couple of days' travel without any of the to-ing and fro-ing which
getting to both of the destinations currently involves.
Pending the construction of the road, the journey is still doable in the dry season, but no
picnic (and in the wet season forget it). The first 35km from Banlung is along good, recently
upgraded road to Lumphat . Beyond here you enter thick forest, following small, confusing
and badly rutted tracks for 55km before emerging from the woods at Kaoh Nhek , from where
it's another 93km to Sen Monorom along a good graded track. Motos can be rented in
Banlung and Sen Monorom to make the gruelling 8hr journey for around $80. Alternatively
you could hire a 4WD for around $250, well worth the cost if you can get a group of four or five
people together.

improve beyond O Pong Moan, where the wide and generally empty N78 has now been surfaced all the way to Banlung
- one of the quickest and smoothest roads in the entire country.

By bus The only bus service from Banlung is the once-
daily, early morning bus to Phnom Penh operated by
Phnom Penh Sorya, plus a couple of local services to Voen
Sai. There are no buses to Stung Treng, meaning you'll be
forced to take a shared taxi or a pick-up, or cram into a
minibus with the locals.
Destinations Kompong Cham (1 daily; 6hr); Kratie (1 daily;
4hr); Phnom Penh (1 daily; 8hr); Voen Sai (2 daily; 2-3hr).
By shared taxi and minibus The transport stop for taxis
and minibuses is next to the market, in the centre of the
tra c circle on the main road.

Destinations Kompong Cham (several daily; 6hr); Kratie
(3 daily; 6hr); Phnom Penh (several daily; 8hr); Stung Treng
(4 daily; 2hr 30min).
Tickets Bus and minibus tickets can be bought through
Tribal hotel, Tree Top Eco Lodge and Backpacker Pad .
Various scams continue to be reported by travellers
heading by bus or minibus from Banlung to Laos.
One reliable option is to book a ticket through Tree Top
Eco Lodge , changing buses at their sister guesthouse
in Stung Treng, the Riverside (see p.224), before
proceeding to Laos.

4

GETTING AROUND
By moto or tuk-tuk Banlung is quite spread out. Heading
between the lake and town centre you might want to hop
on one of the town's plentiful motos ($1-2) or grab a tuk-
tuk ($2-3), although these can be hard to find.
By bike and motorbike Bikes ($1/day) and motorbikes
($5-6/day) can be rented from various places including the
Tribal Hotel , Tree Top Eco Lodge and Backpacker Pad . If you
decide to rent a bike or motorbike and head off on your

own, bear in mind that road conditions vary dramatically in
Rattanakiri; while the road to Yeak Laom lake and on the
Vietnam border is now surfaced, others remain in poor
shape. If you're heading out alone it's worth telling
someone at your hotel or guesthouse about your route, as
punctures and breakdowns do happen.
By car For car rental ($40-70/day) try the Tribal hotel or
Parrot Tours.

ACCOMMODATION
The nicest place to stay in Banlung is around the lake , although most of the action (including restaurants and tour
operators) are clustered together in the area about 500m east of the centre around the Tribal hotel - a much less attractive
part of town, but with a compensatory liveliness the lakeside often lacks.

Backpacker Pad Between the town centre and
Boeung Kansaing T 092 785259, E banlungback
[e-mail]. On a dusty backroad between
town and lake, this is Banlung's last resort for die-hard
budget travellers, with super-cheap accommodation in

poky little windowless box rooms (those with private
bathroom cost an extra $1) or an even cheaper dorm. Plus
points include the free wi-fi and pool table, and it's also a
good pla ce to arr an ge trips, bus tickets and bike rental.
Dorm $2 ; doubles $4