RATTANAKIRI 4 NIGHTS PRE TOUR

Pick up at your hotel or Phnom Penh International Airport and transfer to Banlung. In the province of Kampong Cham, we will have the chance to visit a few sites. First stop will be at Phnom Pros and Phnom Srey, which translates into Man Hill and Women Hill respectively. The two mountains are the main attractions, with a 308-stair walkway leading to the top of Phnom Srei. In between the mountains are the famous Kampong Cham killing fields, which tell you more about the regime the Khmer Rouge lead between 1975 and 1979. Continue towards north and visit Wat Hanchey. Wat Hanchey is a hilltop pagoda that was an important center of worship during the Chenla period. The hilltop offers some of the best Mekong views in Cambodia. During the time of the Chenla Empire, this may have been an important transit stop on journeys between the ancient cities of Thala Boravit (near Stung Treng to the north) and Angkor Borei (near Takeo to the south).

A packed lunch can be enjoyed at one of the sights.

Continue the drive to Banlung over reasonable roads. Pass Kratie where you can stretch your legs a bit before continuing the last part of 4 hours to Banlung.

A short trip through rubber plantations will take you to the waterfalls, on the way back we shall stop by Lake Yalaom, a round lake surrounded by the forest, to have a swim.

This is a long day; we head east, towards the border of Vietnam on a very good road. We drive through rubber trees and cashew nuts plantations and stop at Bokeo for refreshments. Then we can decide to take a look at the nearby Bokeo zircon mines or drive directly north to the Se San river on which we shall take a boat ride. After a 90 minute ride in the middle of a beautiful nature we reach an abandoned Jaraî village which has an interesting cemetery. Many wooden statues accompany the dead in their last trip.

Leave Banlung after breakfast and drive south to Kratie. Before reaching Kratie visit Kampi. This place is famous for the Mekong Dolphins. The Mekong is home to a number of deep pools in which fresh water dolphins live. Kampi is home to the largest amount of dolphins, which are critically endangered. Board a local boat and float around the waters of the Mekong. Sightings are almost a guarantee, even when the dolphins only come up for catching a breath. Continue to Kratie and take the ferry to Koh Trong where you check into your community hotel.

Enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel and take a community bicycle around the island. A trail of 7km shows you what life on a Mekong island is all about. Meet the people, taste the fruit and witness authentic rural life before leaving Koh Trong in the late morning. Ferry back to the mainland where your driver will pick you up at the pier and transfers you back to Phnom Penh to embark RV Mekong Pandaw.