Mundul Kiri Province
Mondulkiri Province is an isolated forest area on Cambodia’s eastern border with Vietnam. The trip from Phnom Penh to Mondulkiri is long, and a great portion of it is on red dirt, pot-holed roads. The landscape between Kompong Cham and Vietnam is a feast of green rice-fields and dappled rubber-tree plantations. A road flanked by elephant grass winds through communities that prosperity has passed by. This is another Cambodia. Its scenery and climate are quite unlike the rest of the country. |
Here there are endless grassy hills and clumps of pines huddled together against the wind. At an elevation of 800m, it is chilly at night, so bring warm clothes. Almost half the 30,000 inhabitants are from the Pnong minority group with the Chunchiet people making up most of the remaining population.
Things to See and Do
Elephant Treks
The village of Phulung, 7km north of Sen Monorom, is the place to arrange an elephant trek. The elephants are not kept in the village so it is necessary to arrive one day ahead of time in order to allow time for them to get the elephants ready. Costs quickly mount, as motos on the Province’s bad roads are expensive. The cost for a day of forest trekking is about US$30 or R120,000. The Phnong villagers will probably think you are mad, but the dramatic location of their community makes it a memorable experience. You pay a nominal sum to the village chief for the ride: R40,000 or US$10. This price gets even more reasonable when there are more of you.
Sihanouk Waterfall is a small waterfall, named in honor of King Sihanouk, and is located in the forest about 5km from town. It is possible to swim in the pool at the bottom of the falls.
Boo Sra Waterfall is in Pich Chinda District, 43km from the town. Boo Sra is the most beautiful waterfall in Mondulkiri, and is divided into three stages:
Sen Monorom Waterfall is located in Sen Monorom District, 5km from the town via a dirt road. The route is flanked on either side by industrial plantations of rubber, coffee and cashew. Sen Monorom waterfall also has three stages:
Chrey Thom Waterfall, located in Sen Monorom District, is 43km from the town. During the dry season, the waterfall is 15m high and 2m wide, and during the rainy season it is 11m high and 8m wide. The waterfall is surrounded by plantations of Sro Lou trees. The Provincial Tourist Office has designated this waterfall as a premier tourist site, rather than Boo Sra Falls where access is poor during the rainy season.
Sre Pok River is located in Koh Nhek District, 150km from the town. The sandy banks of the Sre Pok River are red and gold colored. The river has many small islands, and its banks form the venue for many of the district’s leisure activities.
Villages and Natural Resorts
Pou lung village: Located in Mumnea Commune, Sen Monorom District, 10km from Sen Monorom.
Pine Park & Green land: Nature and wildlife reserve 5km (10min.) from Sen Monorom on Route RN-76, Spean Meancheay Commune
Phnom Prich Sanctuary: Nature & wildlife reserve 75km (8h) from Sen Monorom, Kaev Seima District.
Phnom Nam Lear Sanctuary: Wildlife reserve 80km (4h) from Sen Monorom.
Mang Gold Mining Area: Nature & wildlife reserve 45km (3h) from Sen Monorom. O’Clor Village, Mémorng Commune, Keo Seyma District.