Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mondulkiri's main indigenous group are the
Bunong
(also known as the Phnong),
who made up nearly eighty percent of the province's population until the 1990s, when
they were joined by an influx of impoverished Khmer returning from the refugee
camps in Thailand. The Khmer are still coming, though nowadays it's rich ones who
are buying land cheaply then clearing it for farms and plantations.
Sen Monorom
SEN MONOROM
is still little more than a large village set amid a landscape of rolling
grass-covered hills - more reminiscent of England than Cambodia - dotted with
copses of pine planted in the late 1960s at the king's behest. The two
lakes
close to
town are pleasant for an early morning or late afternoon stroll, while 2km northeast
from town is the sacred mountain
Phnom Dosh Kramom
(known as Youk Srosh
Phlom to the Bunong), a small hill with a meditation pagoda, from which there are
splendid views.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE SEN MONOROM
Despite recent road improvements, transport to Mondulkiri remains sketchy, with just a couple of buses (run by Phnom
Penh Sorya and Rith Mony) daily from
Phnom Penh
via
Kompong Cham
. There are also a couple of early-morning
minibuses and shared taxis from these places, and also from
Kratie
. It's possible to catch a bus, minibus or shared taxi to
Snuol
on the main road north and try to pick up onward transport to Sen Monorom from there, although you might end
up waiting a long time - or even conceivably getting stuck overnight. There is also a challenging off-road route from
Banlung
(see box, p.230).
4
By bus
Buses run by Rith Mony and Phnom Penh Sorya
stop at their respective o
ces on the main road next to the
market right in the middle of town.
Destinations
Kompong Cham (2 daily; 4hr 30min); Phnom
Penh (2 daily; 8hr).
By shared taxi and minibus
Taxis and minibuses arrive
and leave from the transport stop in the north of town, just
uphill from the market; the driver will usually drop you off
at a guesthouse of your choice.
Destinations
Kompong Cham (2-3 daily; 4hr); Kratie
(2-4 daily; 4hr 30min); Phnom Penh (1-2 daily; 6-7hr);
Snuol (3-4 daily; 2hr).
GETTING AROUND
You won't need a vehicle to get around the diminutive town centre, although there are plenty of motos available (around
$20-25/day) for trips into the surrounding countryside, and you can also rent
bikes
($1-2/day),
mountain bikes
($5/
day),
motorbikes
($8) and
trail bikes
($15) from several guesthouses around town including
The Green House
, as well
as the Bunong Centre.
ACCOMMODATION
Long Vibol
1km from town towards Bou Sraa
waterfall
T
012 944647.
Country resort-style place
with a selection of bungalows (fan only) spread around
attractively lush gardens. The cheapest rooms are rather
lacking in frills; m
ore
expensive ones come with balcony,
hot water and TV.
$8
Mondulkiri
Off NR76 around 500m south of the
market on the back road between the hospital and
the wat
T
012 777057,
W
mondulkiri-hotel.com.
Large, identikit modern hotel with smart a/c rooms well
equipped with hot water, satelite TV and fridge. There's
also a po
ol, m
assage and a decent restaurant overlooking
the river.
$15
Nature Lodge
2km north of town
T
012 230272,
W
naturelodgecambodia.com.
Idyllic little ecolodge,
tucked away in a valley north of town, with
accommodation in wooden cabins (fan and hot water)
dotted ami
d the
trees, plus a rustic little restaurant, bar
and library.
$10
Phanyro
500m from town
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.
Pop
ular with visiting NGOs, so it's worth
booking ahead.
$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 come with a/c and hot
wa
ter.
There
's also a great restaurant and leafy garden. Fan
$6
; a/c
$15
Sum Dy
1.5km from town
T
092 285721.
Good-value
