Eastern Cambodia - The Rough Guide to Cambodia - page 227

TOURS AND TREKKING AROUND BANLUNG
Trekking is big business in Banlung, and the reason most foreigners come here in the first
place. There are at least a dozen agencies on the road leading down to the Tribal Hotel ,
although most of them give the impression of being little better than glorified bandwagon-
jumpers. The treks themselves can last anything from a day to over a week - although
obviously to get into the deeper part of the jungle you'll need to go on a longer visit. As well
as jungle trekking, walks may include homestays in chunchiet villages, visits to chunchiet
cemeteries, and river rafting on specially designed bamboo rafts. All-Inclusive rates start from
around $40/person/day in a group of two, becoming steadily cheaper the larger the group
you travel in. The best operators use indigenous guides wherever possible, and return part of
their profits to local communities through various forms of assistance.
There are also plenty of one-day tours on offer should you fancy something less strenuous.
The most popular excursion is the trip (around 4-5hr) combining a visit to Yeak Laom lake
combined with the Chha Ong, Ka Chhang and Katieng waterfalls (around $15 by moto, $25 by
tuk-tuk). Other possibilities include day-trips to chunchiet villages (around $25 by moto or
$40 by tuk-tuk) and to Lumphat ($20 by moto, $35 by tuk-tuk).
TREKKING AND TOUR OPERATORS
DutchCo Café Alee, east of the centre (after 6pm)
T 017 571682, W EcotourismCambodia.info.
Banlung-based Dutch expat Rik is on a one-man mission
to help preserve the forests and indigenous culture of
Rattanakiri through responsible tourism, using
indigenous guides wherever possible and supporting
local communities. Jungle treks last 1-5 days, including
a 3-5-day programme, “Giants of Virachey”, trekking
among giant trees in a stretch of million-year-old forest
inside the national park. They also run rewarding day-
trips to the chunchiet cemetery at Koah Piek ($50/person
in a group of two, cheaper in larger groups) and one-day
treks through Kalai forest, an impressive area of primary
semi-evergreen jungle ($35/person in a group of two,
cheaper in larger groups).
Gibbon Spotting Cambodia T [phone]
(UK), W gibbonspottingcambodia.com. Overnight
treks offering a unique opportunity to see a habituated
family of rare northern yellow-cheeked gibbons in the
Veun Sai-Siem Pang Conservation Area adjoining the
Virachey National Park. Treks start in Voen Sai, with a
maximum of six people per trek. There's a roughly eighty
percent chance of spotting gibbons, and the conservation
area is also rich in other wildlife. Treks run from
November to mid-June only; from $200/person. Given

the limited numbers of people allowed into the area, it's
recommended you book as far in advance as possible.
Parrot Tours East of the centre T 097 837 3878,
W jungletrek.wix.com/parrot-tours and W jungle
trek.blogspot.com. One of the most switched-on
operators in town, running a range of treks (one to seven
nights) around Virachey National Park (including
bamboo-rafting) and the chunchiet villages, and in the
Lumphat Wildlife Protected Area south of Banlung. Also
a good place to set up day-trips around town.
Virachey National Park Eco-tourism O ce
Ministry of Forest compound, north of the Gecko
House restaurant (o ce open daily 8-11am &
2-5pm in theory, assuming there's someone around
to sit behind the desk) T 075 974013, E virachey
@camintel.com. Apart from the one tour run by DutchCo
(see above), this government-run outfit is the only one
that actually treks inside the Virachey National Park;
other operators, regardless of what they may say, only
trek around the park's outskirts. Treks range from two to
eight days, starting at around $90/person/day for short
treks in a group of two and falling to as little as $40/
person/day for week-long treks in groups of five or more.
Rates include park entry fee, transport, food, indigenous
guide and contributions to a community project.

4

Colonial Lake Palace Boeung Kansaing T 0756
768444. Attractive and good-value new hotel in a shiny-
bright modern building overlooking the lake. Rooms are
nicely furnished (albeit not particula rly “ colo nial” ) and
come with flatscreen TVs and wi-fi. Fan $10 ; a/c $15
NorDen House Near the Tribal Monument on the road
to Yeak Laom lake T 075 690 0640, W norden
houseyaklom.com. Six pleasant a/c bungalows set in a
peaceful garden in an attractive rural setting slightly

outside town. Rooms come with wi-fi, flatscreen TVs and
DVD players, plus solar-po wered hot water, and there's a
decent restaurant-cum-bar. $30
Prak Dara Guesthouse Boeung Kansaing T 012
614608. Modern hotel set high above the lake with bright
and spacious rooms. A bargain at current rates, if you don't
mind the lack of En glish , ran dom service and total lack of
atmosphere. Fan $7 ; a/c $12
★

Terres Rouges Lodge Boeung Kansaing