Cambodia - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 506

RESPONSIBLE TREKKING AROUND RATANAKIRI
Tourism can bring many benefits to highland communities: cross-cultural understanding, improved in-
frastructure, cheaper market goods, employment opportunities and tourist dollars supporting handi-
craft industries. However, there are also negatives, such as increased litter and pollutants, domination
of the tourism business by lowland Khmers at the expense of highland minorities, and the tendency of
tourists to disregard local customs and taboos.
One way to offset the negatives in a big way is to hire indigenous guides for organised treks and
other excursions around Ban Lung. Not only does this ensure that your tourist dollars go directly to in-
digenous communities, it will also enrich your own visit. Indigenous guides can greatly improve your
access to the residents of highland communities, who are animists and rarely speak Khmer. They also
understand taboos and traditions that might be lost on Khmer.
Tour companies listed in this section can all hire indigenous guides on request. A loose association
of Tompuon guides is based at Boeng Yeak Lom lake. They have neither a phone number nor an email
so you'll just have to rock up. They can take you on an exclusive tour of several Tompuon villages
around Boeng Yeak Lom. You can observe weavers and basket makers in action, learn about animist
traditions and eat a traditional indigenous meal of bamboo-steamed fish, fresh vegetables, 'minority'
rice and, of course, rice wine.
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Mondulkiri Province
Mondulkiri (Meeting of the Hills), the original Wild East of the country, is a world apart
from the lowlands with not a rice paddy or palm tree in sight. Home to the hardy Bunong
people and their noble elephants, this upland area is a seductive mix of grassy hills, pine
groves and rainforests of jade green. Conservationists have grand plans for the sparsely
populated province but are facing off against loggers, poachers, prospectors and well-con-
nected speculators.
Sen Monorom
073 / POP 10,000
A charming community where the famous hills meet, the area around Sen Monorom is
peppered with minority villages and picturesque waterfalls, making it the ideal place to
spend some time. Set at more than 800m, the town can get quite chilly so bring warm
clothing.